Bed bug dogs are a great way for finding out if a building has bed bugs. The dogs can tell you if there is bed bug fecal matter present on the premises. But there’s one problem most people don’t realize, and that’s the possibility of false positives. I want to share with you what I’ve learned about false positive results from testing my own apartment, and from speaking to dog handlers and canine training experts. Has your dog tested positive for bed bugs? How about cat? A rabbit? Yes, many small mammals have tested positive for the elusive creatures so it’s not surprising that we started to see bed bug dogs. Now, just because you have a dog (or other small mammal) that has tested positive for bed bugs doesn’t necessarily mean that you have them. Bed bugs are becoming increasingly more common and homeowners are desperate. Thankfully we have bed bug dogs to detect any infestations then call in pest control to finish the job.

Bed Bug Dog False Positive

A bed bug dog false positive can occur with any well-trained detection canine.

A bed bug dog false positive can occur with any well-trained detection canine. This is because bed bugs and their eggs, skins, and shells all provide a similar chemical signature to the dogs. The level of experience of the handler also plays a role in whether or not there will be a false positive indication by your canine partner. A novice handler may become overwhelmed when trying to determine what is being indicated. An experienced handler will be able to recognize that what the dog has found is not actually evidence of an active infestation but rather simply evidence from past or present infestations.

Bed bug dogs are trained specifically for detecting live bed bugs and their eggs as well as dead bed bugs (which emit a strong odor), shells/cast skins (fecal matter), or residual odors left behind due to previous activity but no longer contain any viable hatching eggs that would indicate current presence at time of inspection/scenting session​

In fact, a bed bug dog false positive is not as serious as a false negative.

In fact, a bed bug dog false positive is not as serious as a false negative. If the dog indicates at a site, but no bugs are found, the handler will retrain their canine until they can perform better. It’s important to note that even with top-notch training, bed bug dogs aren’t perfect. In some instances they may be confused by something else in your home (like an insecticide) or just miss finding the insects altogether.

If you’re worried that your dog will give you a false reading and cause unnecessary damage to your home or belongings, don’t fret! Most companies offer follow-up inspections to determine if there actually is an infestation present after detection from one of their trained specialists or dogs—so rest easy knowing you won’t have any surprise bills popping up months later when it turns out there really wasn’t any activity at all!

Bed bugs can be extremely hard to find because they live deep within mattresses and crevices in furniture where most people aren’t looking for them anyway—which is why having trained professionals look for them makes such a big difference when trying to deal with these nasty creatures! However even with this specialized training it still takes time before someone becomes proficient enough at finding these tiny little pests; so again don’t worry too much about what happened during one particular visit…it’s more important how many times over several visits do they get bitten while sitting down on various items throughout our lives?

In this case, the handler will visually inspect the area to see if they can locate evidence of an infestation or bite symptoms on the body.

In this case, the handler will visually inspect the area to see if they can locate evidence of an infestation or bite symptoms on the body. If they do, they’ll report a positive result and we’ll take additional steps to confirm it—if not, it’s likely that the dog misread its surroundings.

In either case, we want to ensure that both people and pets are safe from any potential contamination and treat any bed bugs as quickly as possible, so it’s important for our staff members to be able to differentiate between false positives and real ones.

If it’s been determined that the canine was indeed wrong, then they will take steps to retrain their dog.

If it’s been determined that the canine was indeed wrong, then they will take steps to retrain their dog. The handler will work with the dog and test it under different conditions in order to help them learn how to differentiate between bed bugs and other scents. If a dog is not able to be trained or is simply no longer interested in learning, then they may be removed from the program.

This is why you should always conduct your own sniff test before accepting an inspection report from a pest control company or service provider.

This problem can occur because most dogs are trained to indicate on live bed bugs and viable eggs, which are harder to find than skins and shells.

This problem can occur because most dogs are trained to indicate on live bed bugs and viable eggs, which are harder to find than skins and shells. Because of this, they might also be trained to indicate when bbs are present at extremely low numbers.

If you have a dog that has been trained in this manner, it’s important that you understand the possible consequences that may result if your dog falsely indicates a positive result for bed bugs in your home.

They might also be trained to indicate when bed bugs are present at extremely low numbers.

A bed bug dog is trained to indicate when live bed bugs and viable eggs are present, which can be extremely low numbers. The dog may also be trained to detect any scent of a bed bug or viable egg in your environment, even if you don’t see anything.

The Bed Bug Dog knows that there is no such thing as “too small” when it comes to bed bugs or their eggs. For example, the egg stage of a common household pest like cockroaches can easily be found using a magnifying glass, but so can their tiny hatchlings! Bed bugs and their eggs are smaller still. Even in advanced stages of development they are difficult to spot with the human eye alone due to their size (about 1mm long).

If no evidence of an infestation can be found, then it is safe to assume that the canine misread its surroundings.

If no evidence of an infestation can be found, then it is safe to assume that the canine misread its surroundings. This is not uncommon, especially when dogs are trained to indicate on live bugs and viable eggs which are harder to find than skins and shells. Dogs also indicate on extremely low numbers of bed bugs—the average human eye doesn’t pick up small clusters or individual insects. If you see nothing but some old skin or shell casings, it’s likely that your canine friend has gone off his training for whatever reason (see below). In these cases, the best option would be another detection dog with a different skill set.

If you have been able to identify signs of an active infestation by yourself but still want confirmation from a professional, there may be other options available through your local pest control company or university extension office in your area

It’s important for handlers to perform follow-up inspections even after their canine gives a positive indication in order to determine if an actual infestation is present.

It is important for handlers to perform follow-up inspections even after their canine gives a positive indication in order to determine if an actual infestation is present. This can be done by either performing another inspection with the same dog or using a different dog. If the second inspection finds no evidence of bed bugs, it is likely that your initial inspection was incorrect.

While handlers are responsible for ensuring that they have performed accurate inspections and have followed protocol, it’s also important to note that each canine has its own unique qualities and abilities as well as limitations. The amount of training time and experience working on different types of buildings will impact how often false positives occur during an inspection.

It’s worth keeping in mind that most dogs do not require any special training before being used on bed bug searches; however, some specific behavioral traits may be desirable when choosing which dogs are best suited for this type of work (e.g., high energy levels).