PIERRE, S.D. - A large, black dog named Jet jumps and strains at his leash as he winds his way through the South Dakota Public Safety Department's headquarters in search of explosives.
The Belgian Shepherd stops at a large metal cabinet, sniffs it and sits down. It's an indication to his handler, Lt. Scott Sheldon of the South Dakota Highway Patrol, that Jet smells explosives.
Sheldon rewards Jet with a chew toy for finding the black powder that was planted in the cabinet for the training session.
Jet and other dogs used by South Dakota law agencies will soon need to be certified by the same state agency that licenses police officers. The dogs are used to find explosives and drugs or to help track or restrain crime suspects.
Gov. Mike Rounds recently signed a measure into law that allows the state Law Enforcement Officers Standards Commission to set minimum training standards for law enforcement dogs and their handlers.
State Highway Patrol Superintendent Dan Mosteller said the law is needed because law enforcement agencies are using more dogs.
The Highway Patrol was one of the first South Dakota law enforcement agencies to use dogs, starting in 1992, Mosteller said. About 30 canine teams now work for state agencies and local police and sheriff's departments.
"We're just looking for continuity and consistency across the board," Mosteller said.
The law requires dogs and their handlers to certify as a team every year. Certification standards will be put together by a group of dog handlers, dog trainers and lawyers from the state attorney general's office, said Bryan Gortmaker of the state Division of Criminal Investigation.
Gortmaker said the standards should be in place by fall.
Sheldon said the law will ensure that all dogs and handlers are properly trained.
"It sets a higher standard for everybody," he said.
Sheldon and Jet recently finished training in Nebraska. They spent eight weeks learning to sniff out explosives and another six weeks learning patrol skills.
David Huntimer, who runs the canine division of the Sioux Falls Police Department and trains and tests canine teams, said most teams are trained like Sheldon and Jet.
But not all are. Huntimer said some handlers went through only two weeks of training with their dogs. That increases the chances of a handler using a dog incorrectly or a dog not being properly trained, he said.
Officials also worry that evidence collected using police dogs could be thrown out of court if questions arise about the dogs' credibility.
Such challenges have been made in other states, Huntimer said. "Any bad team that's out there is going to set bad case law for all of us."
Huntimer said every dog handler he's talked with supports the certification law.
Rapid City Police Chief Craig Tieszen said he supports the law because it keeps people from using the dogs without proper training.
"We think it's important to make sure the dogs are credible with the public and with the courts," Tieszen said.
His department does not yet have police dogs, but Rapid City officials plan to have two canine teams trained and ready to go by the time the motorcycle rally in Sturgis starts this summer.
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