HELENA - After having to put down his beloved drug-sniffing Labrador, Max, about seven years ago, Helena Police Sgt. John Fosket never thought he would be a dog handler again, let alone that he would learn Hebrew as part of the process years later.

Fate intervened about two months ago.

The Helena Police Department was offered a chance to adopt an explosives-sniffing dog from the FBI.

Fosket was asked if he would take on the challenge. A few days later he was on a plane to Texas to pick up Miky, a 3-year-old German shepherd.

The stars aligned. Fosket was not only already a trained handler, but has a position as the state Capitol complex police officer, which seemed to be the best choice for Miky's location.

Helena Police Chief Troy McGee explained that the Capitol and other government buildings in Helena are of concern.

"I think it'll be a great asset," McGee said.

Another bonus was that Miky, who would generally cost about $20,000, was available for the price of the plane tickets.

When learning of Miky's background, Fosket quickly made flashcards of 12 phrases in Hebrew, including "yes" and "good dog."

While they might understand different languages, Miky and Fosket do have a few things in common, including that they both spent time in California.

Miky was born in the Netherlands and then taken to Isreal, where he was taught to sniff out explosives. His training was funded by federal homeland security grants via Pups for Peace, a California-based nonprofit organization dedicated to training explosives-detecting dogs.

The dog then worked in law enforcement in California, where he was taught to detect 10 kinds of explosive materials in places such as suspicious packages and abandoned cars.

Fosket started his career as a dog handler for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office in 1991. When he moved to Helena two years later, he brought Max with him.

"I wouldn't have left if they wouldn't let me buy him," he said.

Fosket took Max out of service about seven years later. Generally law enforcement dogs can work around eight years.

Losing Max was extremely hard on the sergeant. There was an intense attachment between the two. Fosket is now working on forming a similar bond with Miky.

Although Miky lives with Fosket and his wife, he is not a pet. Involvement with the German shepherd at home is limited.

"If he gets too comfortable at home, he will lose his drive to work," Fosket said.

As far as the job, Miky is still getting his paws wet. He and Fosket have not yet been certified as a team and are working to get acclimated to one another.

"We're a team and he's pretty protective of me," Fosket said.

Recently in training, the two did a search of Radley Elementary School in East Helena when there was a bomb threat, which turned out to be false. Officer Danny David and his bomb-sniffing dog, Roy, did a run through after the duo.

While Miky is solely trained for explosives, Roy also does tracking and apprehension. Helena's other police dog, Chase, specializes in drug detection and can also apprehend and track.

The three dogs and their handlers train together about once a week. The handlers make sure the dogs keep their distance from one another because "there is a certain amount of dog macho," Fosket said.

Miky can search for about 20 minutes at a time. With that time breathing through his nose, he grows tired and possibly overheats, Fosket said.

The two run through mock searches where Miky finds an odor and alerts his handler. He is then rewarded with a rubber hose to chew on and a brief play time.

Miky is smaller than most law enforcement dogs, at about 60 pounds. His smaller stature allows him to be more agile and quickly stand up on his hind legs.

"His size is a benefit for me because he can't pull me around like a big dog could," Fosket added with a laugh.