Canine Scent DetectionKelly Robbins: Four Paws K-9 Detection, LLCLee Johnson: Bed Bug Inspector, LLC

Agenda•Intro to Canine Scent Detection •The Science•Quality Assurance•What Affects Accuracy?•Realistic Expectations

Intro to Canine Scent Detection

Canine Scent Detection• Well-known canine careers

▫ Narcotics Detection▫ Bomb Detection▫ Tracking Lost Persons

• Training methodology applied to new fields▫ Insect (Bed Bug) Scent Detection▫ Mold Detection▫ Tumor Detection▫ Conservation- Sea Turtles, Ivory Trade▫ Agriculture- Fruit Trees, Golf Courses

• Utilizing dogs in Integrated Pest Management (IPM) makes a difference!▫ NYC went from #1 to #9 on Orkin’s list of Most Infested Cities in 2012

Who Uses Our Services?• Commercial Clients

▫ Landlords▫ Hotels▫ Call Centers / Offices ▫ Healthcare Facilities

• Residential Clients▫ After travel / houseguests▫ When bites appear▫ Frequent use of public

transportation

The Science

It's All About The Nose!• The Nose

▫ Beagle: 225 million scent receptors▫ Human: 5 million scent receptors

• The Brain▫ A dog’s brain devoted to analyzing

smells is 40% LARGER than a human's

▫ Dog: 8"x11" Paper▫ Human: Postage Stamp

Quality Assurance

Training• Dogs Are Highly Trained & Well

Maintained• Team (Handler + Dog)• Use live bed bugs in training daily• Keeps daily logs: training &

deployment• Communicates with trainer• Attends Advanced Training

Seminars

Evaluations• Annually evaluated by

NESDCA• Team (handler + dog)• Third Party Evaluators

• NESDCA’s certification is an evaluation method modeled after law enforcement

• Evaluation should include live bed bugs & dead bed bugs

What Affects Accuracy?

Accuracy of Inspection Depends On:• How the team trains

• Blind hides vs. Known hides• Air Flow

• HVAC, Fans, Computers, Exhaust Fans• Protocols in place to protect the integrity of the search• Pesticides (30 days after application) & Cleaning Products • Heavy Infestations

• Overwhelming odor = canine may not alert. Not trained to detect high amounts (high threshold vs. low threshold). Humans should notice bugs at this point. Staff must be trained!

• Odor must be present for the canine to alert. The team counts on the odor dropping, not rising.

• Where was the canine trained?• Does the trainer have scientifically proven training techniques to back up

claims of accuracy? • 98% rate is based on Univ. of FL study using canines from J & K canine

Academy in High Springs, FL trained by Pepe Peruyero & Bun Montgomery & published in Entomological Society of America 2008

Realistic Expectations

Expectations• Be realistic

• Teams are not 100% accurate- nothing is! But K-9’s are the most useful, scientifically proven tool we have to this date.

• Communication is critical for success• Documentation of areas inspected & not inspected should

be included in the inspection report• Teams train with low quantities of bed bugs (1-15)

• Goal is to identify low infestations- Low Threshold # of bed bugs

• Canine is alerting on the odor presence of live bed bugs &/or viable eggs• Keep in mind - air flow can move the odor• Target scent/odor must be present for the K-9 to alert • Checklist/Protocol adherence is vital for success

Dogs at Work!

Questions?Thank you!

Kelly Robbins Four Paws K-9 Detection, LLCPhone: 614-378-0023Email: office@fourpawsk9detection.comWeb: www.fourpawsk9detection.com

Lee JohnsonBed Bug Inspector, LLCPhone: 614-747-3463Email: lee@bedbug-inspector.comWeb: www.bedbug-inspector.com