Kelly Robbins Four Paws K-9 Detection, LLC

1. K-9 Scent Detection
(Bed Bug Dogs)
Presenter: Kelly Robbins Co-Owner & Handler at
Four Paws K-9 Detection, LLC

2. Large areas searches such as:
warehouses, theaters, offices,
hospitals/treatment facilities,
schools, libraries
Dorms, hotels, multi-units: hundreds
of units can be searched in days, not
weeks
Furniture & equipment do not need to
be moved for a canine inspection:
Dogs smell odor through seams
Detailed inspections: cracks,
baseboards, carpets & wall outlets are
searched with ease
When to use a canine team?
Inspection protocols are in place to
insure you have the most reliable
inspection possible
Peace of mind is can be obtained when
an area is cleared by the canine team
(Medical, Residential or Commercial)

3. Canine Scent Detection
● Well-known canine careers
● Search, Rescue & Recovery
● Law Enforcement & Fire Department
● Training methodology applied to “new fields”
● Insect Detection (Bed Bug & Termite)
● Sea Turtle Conservation (Finding Egg Nests)
● Mold & Agriculture Detection
● Cancer, Blood Sugar & Seizure Detection
● 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

4. It's All About The Nose!
● The Nose
● Beagle: 225+ million scent
receptors (45x more than
humans)
● Human: 5 million scent
receptors
● The Brain
● A dog’s brain devoted to
analyzing smells is 40%
LARGER than a human's
● Dog: 8½ x11 Paper
● Human: Postage Stamp

5. Daily 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

6. Evaluations
• Annually evaluated by
NESDCA (or similar
organization)
• 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

7. What Affects Accuracy?
• How the team trains/maintains
• Blind hides vs. Known hides
• Air Flow- Odor moves!
• HVAC, Fans, Computers, Exhaust Fans
• Adherence to protocols. Protocols are in place to protect the integrity of the
search
• Insecticides (Team can enter 30 days after application) & Cleaning Products
(Imagine inhaling bleach products, cleaning products, etc.)
• Heavy Infestations= Odor is everywhere! Overwhelming odor = canine may not
alert (no scent cone).
• Odor must be present for the canine to alert. Odor must drop. If odor is being
pulled up & away= no alert!
• 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

8. Expectations: We are a Team!
• Be realistic
• Teams are not 100% accurate, use teams as a tool in
IPM. (Human inspection=hours, difficult to search
entire room effectively)
• Communication is critical for success
• Documentation of areas inspected & where alert
occurred (follow the air flow as it can move odor)
• Teams train with low quantities of bed bugs (1-
15)
• Goal is to identify low infestations
• Canine is alerting on the odor presence of live
bed bugs &/or viable eggs
• Keep in mind - air flow can move the odor
• Checklist adherence is vital for success!

10. Caution: Dogs at Work!
Keep Distractions to a Minimum!
(YOU SHOULD NOT PET A WORKING DOG!)

11. Demo & Questions!