. >> near polson montana, biologist aimee hurt is using one of the most effective tools available to prevent an invasive species infiltration. her four legged, furry partner - wicket, is a conservation dog---trained to sniff out endangered species as well as invasive species. >> when did this idea of using dogs in conservation first get started? >> field biologists have taken their pet dogs out with them all the time when they are looking for something ... and dogs are like oh you're looking for this i can help you with this let me point it out...what conservation dogs do differently is that...maybe this month we're working on one thing and the next month we're working on something else. >> on this deployment, the dogs will be working to detect zebra and quagga mussels. these mussels will clog industrial pipes, coat and contaminate beaches and cause harmful bacteria to wipe out ecosystems. the great lakes region of the u.s. is considered ground zero... where mussels were first introduced, and rapidly spread. so far, montana is one of the few states that's remained mussel free. let's