LAUREL - Agencies from all over Montana came to Laurel Thursday for K9 training and certification at Laurel High School.
The K9 handlers build up quite a bond with their dogs, who become an important part of law enforcement.
The dogs don't normally search buses for illicit materials for the Montana Highway Patrol, but this training in Laurel will make them ready if necessary.
"It's hidden," said Trooper John Metcalf of the Montana Highway Patrol. "It's not an obvious spot that it's hidden, so he actually had to do the work and find it."
Another dog that normally works at the University of Montana was on this day training on a bus to sniff explosives.
"If there is an actual device and there's an explosive, he'll give me an indication that it's real," said Officer Rich Zitzka of the University of Montana Police Department.
It's important training that could save lives, and it's also necessary for dogs to legally work with human handlers.
The 35 K9 officers received their annual certification from the Montana Law Enforcement Canine Association (MLECA), each specializing in everything from narcotics and explosives detection, to tracking and article searches.
The certification started on Monday and the training will finish on Friday.
Some of the dogs and officers practiced apprehending suspects in a vehicle, with the officer staying back and pulling on the leash for the dog to pull the person from the car.
"It's one tool that can be brought back and utilized," said Officer Jackson Booth of the Laurel Police Department. "As someone gives up, I can bring that back and it's something that can be utilized to help people and de-escalate things very, very quickly."
These four-legged officers are boosting the ranks of law enforcement in Montana, and forming bonds that these men and women say they can't beat.
"It's extremely rural in eastern Montana and especially us in the Highway Patrol, we're spread pretty thin throughout the state," said Trooper Barry Kilpela. "So my number one backup and my number one partner would be my dog."
"It's definitely a bond," said Booth, who is the MLECA president. "They're with you 24/7, 365 days a year. They go home with you. They live with you and your families. They're just a part of your family. You see them more than your wife some days. It's definitely a special bond that you have with this creature that becomes your best friend."
