Don’t hire the wrong bed bug dog!
That’s right, they’re not fake dogs, but THEY ARE not professionally trained bed bug sniffing dogs. Here’s an example:
A Tail of Two Dogs (sorry, had to)
The “real” bed bug sniffing dog is trained for weeks at an established dog training facility with a proven track record of success. Example: Falco K9 Academy in California with 30 years of experience. The dog and trainer must pass a rigorous test before they certify their dogs.
Not a “real” bed bug sniffing dog
The other a “home schooled” dog, trained by the owners law enforcement friend. This is not possessional training, there is no certification or guarantee this dog knows a bed bug from a carpet beetle.
This type of opportunism is bound to occur, but you don’t have to be a victim of it, if you:
- Ask to see the certificate
- Write the name of the school down
- Make a phone call to the academy to confirm they did train the dog.
- Check the training academy on the internet and watch their videos.
You can and should ask about certification when you call for a bed bug inspection. Then do your research on the academy, and call back if you feel confident. You can call the academy to confirm the dog did actually get trained at their facility. It’s worth the call to you, believe me.
I would never have a dog that was not trained at a professional academy with a proven track record and positive history, inspect my house for bed bugs. Not even for free!
A free inspection or cheap inspection with an “untrained” dog is worse than free. It can mean an inaccurate result that doesn’t inform you whether you have bed bugs or not. I’m linking this post to the full website, because I think this is so important.
Bed bug dog inspections are a fantastic tool, but unprofessionally trained dogs can make things worse for those trying to determine if bed bugs are their problem.
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