Man's best friend can play a vital role in solving several different kinds of investigations, but they have to pass some very difficult tests first.
Law Enforcement Training Specialists (L.E.T.S.) challenged a group of handlers and dogs during an annual training and certification seminar. All of these cadaver dogs are land certified but Thursday they were tested on the Black River.
Three targets were hidden in the water at certain points and the dogs had to pick up on all three in order to be water certified.
It can be extremely challenging for a dog that is used to working on land. "The reason they're so different is because the dog is restricted to the boat, when they're usually out running free in the field. The currents make it challenging," said instructor Larry Barker.
The seminar is also designed to challenge handlers through set-ups they've never experienced before.
Merrill's Investigations and Security in Georgetown is hosting this five day event.
