Dogs can smell up to 70,000 times better than we do. It is thought that just with a sniff of another dog s urine, they can tell how what the dog looks like and in what health he or she is in. This incredible sniffing ability has been used by man to find criminals, illegal drugs, lost children and even to detect cancer. It has also been discovered that dogs can sniff out termites and other home wrecking vermin. Pest control training in dogs utilizes the same techniques as for sniffing our drugs or lost people, only this time the dog zeroes in on termite nests.

A Brief Look At How It s Done

Pest control training in dogs lasts for about six months. Not all dogs are cut out for such intensive work. If the dog is not attentive and has no desire to please his or her masters, then they automatically fail their pest control training course. But there are still plenty of dogs who want the job. They pay attention to their handlers, aren t easily distracted and wag their tails at the start of a job.

A small ball with a live termite inside is shown to the dog in pest control training. The dog is rewarded. The ball is placed further and further away. When the dog goes for the termite, she or he is rewarded. The termite is then hidden in a test house. The dog has to find that one termite in a whole house training room set up like a normal living room.

Pest control training in dogs takes patience, a sense of humor and tolerance. A dog cannot work constantly for eight hours a day at a pest training course. They soon get bored and irritable. Training sessions must be short (starting at five or ten minutes, then gradually get longer) and must end with a positive experience for the dog to make him or her motivated to find pests.

What This Costs

It does cost a lot more to train a dog than a person in termite extermination. The dogs, after they pass their training, are worth thousands of dollars. Many pest control places won t invest in a dog because of the cost. However, when a dog signals that they ve found a termite nest, they ve found a termite nest. Human exterminators, relying solely on visual clues, have to drill and rip up walls as if they are drilling for oil. They might find the termites they might not. It may cost twice or even three times as much to have a dog check your home for termites, but you are getting more bark for your buck.