Pest Management Professional, September 2012

Bed Bug Supplement Bed Bug dogs visually thoroughly search 80 hotel rooms or a large apartment complex in a single day Its exhausting The canine allows us to sweep large areas effectively and quickly Using a canine allows us to handle larger accounts such as universities and large hotels Its an additional tool to be as effective as possible in detecting bed bugs The more methods we deploy to detect bed bugs the more successful well likely be No method is perfect however by using multiple methods we can be more accurate We see companies get into trouble when they rely solely on one method for detection A bed bug dog is not perfect but by using it in combination with visual inspections and monitoring we can provide more accurate results It adds to consumer confidence People love bed bug dogs Many times after our very best professional finishes a detailed inspection and finds no evidence of bed bugs the consumers response is Great when can the dog come through and check They trust the dog This however is a double edged sword If you and your dog alert in seven rooms and upon visual inspection nothing is found youre in trouble They no longer trust you or your dog Its so darn cool The fact that a trained dog can sniff out a little bug that causes so much distress is just way cool People love it These are amazing dogs Its a pleasure and honor to work with such a highly skilled animal every day Continued on page S16 Field handling tips Understand bed bugs Customers want dog handlers who know bed bugs This is what you do for a living so take the time to really study this parasitic pest It will make you a better handler and company and industry ambassador Confirm visually We are strong believers in confirming our canine alerts visually We have never performed a bed bug treatment just from a canine alert Weve always been able to find evidence before we treat The dog finds it we prove it No exceptions If we dont find we dont treat Instead we monitor and re inspect Ask questions If you dont know what to do in a situation or youre having difficulty with your dog ask your trainer Weve called our trainer on several occasions and it was a great help Be confident The canine needs to be able to trust you and you need to trust yourself During the first week we had our bed bug dog it was a little frustrating We missed a few Research which types of canines make the best bed bug dogs and people the best handlers Photo courtesy of www spiderspray com bed bug hides We thought we ruined our dog the first week we had him You must build trust with your dog Do what you were taught by your trainer train hard and youll be a great team Be patient A dog is not a machine It will not perform exactly the same in all situations If you find something difficult out in the field take that scenario back to training Work at it and get better Use common sense You need to trust your dog but you also must trust yourself If something isnt right or doesnt make sense stop think and problem solve Be excited You get to work with an amazingly skilled animal for a living Your bed bug dog wants you to be happy and will work better when youre excited Your customers want you to be passionate about what you do too If you love your work youll be better at it www mypmp net Pest Management Professional September 2012 S15