Pest Management Professional, March 2018
Continued FroM page 92 mentioned Dont be overly impressed by the sales pitch from the trainer its easy for someone to tell you how great and wonderful they are and it can sound impressive but the proof is in the customer service and the quality of the product Use the same diligence when choosing a trainer that you would use when making any major purchase or investment 4 Similarly what best practices and advice do you have for pest management firms looking to take their existing canine services to the next level Market market market then market some more Think about how you can increase public exposure for your new tool Have uniforms made with a logo that promotes the canine program Put the logo on company vehicles business cards and stationery Promote the dog teams services to your existing clients and to potential new clients Attend social functions and speak to as many clubs and organizations as you can Whenever possible perform demonstrations of how the dog can locate hidden bed bugs People love dealing with well trained and obedient dogs and will associate good behavior with quality work On the MORE ONLINE See David Latimers series about canine proficiency testing and certification on our blog PMPPestTalk net flip side they will associate an unruly out of control dog with unprofessional work Make sure you have basic obedience well in hand before you get in front of people 5 Whats next for you in your career Since retiring from public service and turning over dayto day operations of my kennel to my son I now do on site field training of dogs and handlers I also conduct regional training seminars These days I also spend more time in the field interacting with and testing handlers and dogs Ive seen the quality of detection services offered by pest detection dog teams steadily improve over the past decade and I feel grateful to have played a role in that I also see the operational problems that handlers encounter and help them work through them Comprehensive testing can be credited for much of the improvement in canine pest detection I believe we can continue to improve if we continue to test and challenge ourselves and insist that our profession maintain a high standard of excellence pmp You can reach GOOCH at hgooch@ northcoastmedia net or 330 321 9754 got wildlife training NWCOA CertifiCAtiONs set WCOs NWCOA Does ApArt frOm their COmpetitiON NWCOA is the national trade association for the wildlife control industry serving our members through education industry advocacy and money saving programs Learn more at www NWCOA com or reach out to GoNWCOA@ gmail com or 855 GO NWCOA 94 March 2018 pest management professional mypmp net
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