How Does Canine Bed Bug Detection Work?
When it comes to comparison, a dog’s nose is at least 10,000 times more acute than a human’s. Some researchers believe they’re up to 100,000 times more sensitive. Either way, a dog’s nose can smell things a person’s can’t even fathom. Even more impressively, dogs are capable of using each of their nostrils independently of one another. That means they can pick out multiple different scents in various areas of a room simultaneously. Bed bugs have a faint but distinct scent. With large enough infestations, even humans can smell them. Because dogs’ noses are so much more sensitive, they’re capable of picking up much smaller infestations, culling problems before they’re severe.
The way bed bug dogs are trained is similar to the way dogs are trained for drug detection. Many different games and processes are used depending on the specific dog and trainer, but the main idea remains. You train the dog to associate the smell you want detected with a favorite toy. When they pick up on that smell, they’re reminded that every time they find that toy they get a reward. Maybe it’s with a game of tug o’ war or a treat. The trainers repeat this exercise and test it in various ways until it’s second nature for the dog. All bed bug detecting dogs receive this training for both live bed bugs and larval eggs. In other words, our dogs can detect and help prevent bed bug problem before they even begin.