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Frustrated and I don't think k9 works at all

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seca46

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Posted 11 months ago
Sat Jun 16 2012 15:22:57
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Three different dogs, and so far not satisfied at all. Here is a description of the latest visit (new PCO, new dog, new handler than before):

Dog came in and made a very quick run around the room - did not sniff corners or around the couch, just took a quick run around and then they declared room "clear." In the bedrooms, they did the same, but prompted the dog to sniff all around the bed. Nothing. Then they took the mattress off the bed and prompted the dog to sniff again. Nothing. Dog prompted to keep sniffing. Finally, dog alerts on a spot on the new box spring, or perhaps the frame, hard to say. Visual exam reveals nothing at all, not there or the frame or anything. Handler seemed doubtful there were really bugs there but couldn't say for sure if was false alert or not.

In other bedrooms, the dog wasn't prompted to keep sniffing and did a very quick check without even entering some parts of the room (I mean dog sniffed briefly around maybe 20% of the room, didn't go anywhere near dressers, behind bed, etc. Handler declared these rooms clear.

Next night I get a bite and my son gets a bite in both of the "cleared" rooms.

If the dog didn't alert until the mattresses were removed and he was prompted to keep sniffing in one room, why would other rooms with a much less thorough check be considered clear? They didn't even open up the closets or go into bathrooms and actually skipped the dining room altogether. Is this normal??
JRA79

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Posted 11 months ago
Sat Jun 16 2012 16:52:39
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Are you getting treatment? if you're so positive you have them, why not just get treatment? I am completely paranoid about this so I understand, but is it possible that you just don't have bedbugs?

Our last K-9 handler said that if there were any bugs within 20 feet of where the dog sniffed he would alert, and I do also think it's normal to not go into the dining rooms or bathrooms. We had a ton of stuff piled in our powder room ready to be packed up to send two kids to camp, and I asked the PCO if he thought I should pack-tite it just in case and he said no, if the dog didn't alert there there was no reason to pack-tite....he said that they don't harbor in bathrooms, why would they? If you think about it it just doesn't make sense. Ditto, IMHO, the dining room.

But I understand the fear. Today at the beach I got a scrape on my leg and I've totally convinced myself it's bedbug bites, even though they are eight tiny pinpricks in a perfectly straight line. There is a red area around the scrape and that's what makes me think it's bites, bc that's what bites look like on me, but this one doesn't itch.

But if you really think you have bedbugs, what's stopping you from treating? Or at the very least using a passive monitor to confirm?
MsLadybug

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Posted 11 months ago
Sat Jun 16 2012 20:20:33
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I handle a bedbug detection dog and the "inspection" you describe is sadly not worth the paper your receipt is printed on. Before you hire a dog (team) watch videos of different dogs working, they should be agressively rooting around. Every crease and seam of a couch should be sniffed, cushions pulled up every electric outlet should be sniffed, baseboards, bed frames. Some dogs are faster than others but we usually spend an average of 40 minutes in a unit.
Fed-up over being Fed-on

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Posted 11 months ago
Sat Jun 16 2012 23:50:02
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JRA79 - 6 hours ago »
Are you getting treatment? if you're so positive you have them, why not just get treatment?

Not many PCOs will. treat w/o visual confirmation. In some states it is illegal to treat w/o vissual confirmation
seca46

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Posted 11 months ago
Sun Jun 17 2012 1:24:37
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Exactly - no one will treat without confirmation.

40 minutes! Wow, the dog did my whole house (four bedroom house) in less than 15 minutes. And it's been that way with two different PCO's, three handlers and three dogs.