K-9s FAQs

1 - Why do American Pest K-9s wear red vests?

The red vest clearly labels our K-9s as work dogs. The K9s also recognize that it is "work time" when they are wearing the vests, while not wearing the vests means they have "free time." The same principle applies to humans, people dress professionally when they are at their place of work and then change into comfortable clothes when they go home.

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2 - Your K-9s are so cute! May I pet them when they come to my property for an inspection?

First of all, thank you! Yes, they are very adorable and they love to play. However, they have a job to do and customers attempting to play with or pet them could distract them from being focused on detecting bed bugs. We request that you ask the Handler if it is okay to touch or play with the K9 before interacting with it.

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3 - I had a K-9 inspection and was told that bed bug activity was confirmed on my property! What is the next step??

After a K9 inspection is conducted, our Handlers can explain treatment options available to you from American Pest and provide you the information to get in touch with our Customer Service Representatives or Account Specialists. You can always contact American Pest to ask questions or to receive more information about services by calling 301-891-2600 or filling our our contact form.

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4 - What if K-9s inspecting my property cause a disruption, create a mess or trigger my allergies? What if they bring bed bugs to my facility from another property?

American Pest K-9s are housebroken and groomed daily, so they will not shed hair or make a mess inside your property. They also experience obedience training from the moment they are brought to the team, so they will not bark. The K9s receive regular full health screenings and are up to date on their shots. If you or someone else is allergic to dogs or afraid of the K-9s, they do not have to stay in the facility during the inspection. It’s very unlikely that the K-9s would transfer bed bugs from one property to another. Bed bugs approach bodies when they are still for long periods of time, which is why they usually attack people while they are sleeping. During the inspections, the K-9s are moving almost all of the time, which would be very difficult for a bed bug to take advantage of.

We have filmed several K-9 inspections to give clients an idea of what to expect when they are visited by the American Pest Bed Bug Detection Team. Click here to view them!

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5 - How do K-9 inspections work? What do the K-9s do to tell you when they’ve found bed bugs?

Inspections are conducted off-lead (without a leash) to allow the K-9 to search the entire facility as they search for the scent. When the scent is detected, the dog signals the Handler with an Alert, which is to either sit or lie down. The K9 is trained to Alert with a passive behavior (Either sitting or lying down, as opposed to barking) to keep disruptions in your facility down to a minimum. The Handler confirms the Alert with a visual inspection of the suspected area and allows the K-9 to play with its favorite toy ball as a reward for a confirmed Alert.

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6 - I’ve seen other Bed Bug K-9s that are rewarded with food when they find bed bugs. Why are your K-9s rewarded with a toy?

Toy rewards have been found to be the most effective means for motivating a K-9 to work. They encourage the K-9 to think of the inspections as a game that keeps them consistently engaged in their assignments. Food reward K9s are only interested in completing their work as long as they are hungry. They are also more likely to view the inspections as work rather than play, which will generally have a detrimental impact on their detection accuracy.

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7 - Who owns the K-9s? Are they pets?

The K-9s are owned by American Pest, but they live with their Handlers, who care for them around the clock. Expenses for food and care are financed by the company. It is important to note that American Pest K9s are very different from pets. They are selected at a young age for this position after very careful consideration by our Master Trainer and enter obedience and detection training immediately. Even after they are deemed ready to conduct inspections, they still complete daily training drills to maintain their skills.

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8 - How is a dog selected to become an American Pest K-9?

Our K9s are registered with the American Kennel Club and selected by our Master Trainer from the finest canine breeders based on their aptitude, temperament, drive, health and obedience.  These breeds are commonly utilized by government agencies and law enforcement officials for search & rescue missions and scent detection for drugs and explosives.

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9 - What are the qualifications required to become an American Pest K-9 Handler? What training do they go through on the job?

Our K-9 Handlers are hired with verifiable K-9 handling skills. Several of them also have backgrounds in K9 scent detection for areas including narcotics, explosives and search & rescue operations.  Upon being hired, Handlers are put through additional handling and scent detection training by our Master Handler. They also experience entomology training and learn proper inspection protocols.

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10 - Does it matter which K-9 inspects my property?

All American Pest K9s achieve the same degree of specialized training. You can anticipate equal levels of accuracy from each and every dog on our bed bug detection team. Back To Top >>

11 - Why does American Pest use K-9s to find bed bugs?

American Pest believes that K-9s are more skilled than humans at detecting bed bugs. Specially trained K9s are able to detect the presence of live bed bugs within minutes, whereas humans are simply not as accurate or efficient. Bed bugs are extremely difficult to locate during the first stages, when only a few bugs may be present. But it is by odor, not by sight, that bed bug dogs are able to inspect and detect bed bugs in hotel rooms, apartment homes, and townhouses. Back To Top >>