Kody, a Shepherd mix breed from Toronto, Canada, has gone from being an abandoned
pup to becoming one of the top dogs in his field. His field is pest inspection and
his superb canine nose has the ability to do what humans cannot.
A human pest inspector can only detect visible signs of termites and bed bugs in
a room; however, Kody can detect the invaders behind walls, baseboards or under
carpets. By using a "passive alert" system, Kody will sit and point to the infested
area alerting the human inspector of the pest problem.
Inspector Kody is one of only two bed bug detecting dogs in the entire world. He
and his owner Michael Goldman were trained by Bill Whitstine, a Certified Master
Trainer and owner of the Florida Canine Academy. It took Kody 2 months to perfect
his craft with trainers in Florida. It appears that termites leave a trail that
has an odor that humans cannot smell, but Kody can. Kody has been specifically trained
to detect that odor molecule and must be recertified annually by the Florida Canine
Academy.
Canines have been successfully used by law enforcement and the military to locate
firearms, explosives, narcotics and missing persons. The same training used for
these purposes can be used to train dogs to search for bed bugs and termites. Kody
can smell underground and can even fit into tight places that human inspectors cannot.
Early detection is the key which can prevent the discomfort of bites as well as
detecting hot spots before the damage is done to the property.
Kody is a powerful new weapon against bed bugs and termites. With a 95%; accuracy
rating, he far surpasses his human counterpart's rating of 35%;. Goldman and Kody
have become celebrities in Canada. They are the team to contact when you want to
be sure there are no unwanted guests living in your home. Kody loves his role in
being the pet that is on the hunt for pest.