By Erica Goodrich
 J&K Canine Academy located in High Springs, Florida is the “gold standard” in the entomology canine detection field and the only termite and bed bug program in the world with proven results.
Program includes behavioral and scent detection training
In 1994, after discovering that the number one reason dogs under the age of one were euthanized was simply for behavioral issues, Pepe Peruyero, a canine handler for the Gainesville Police Department, was motivated to start J & K Canine Academy, also known as “pepedogs”. His mission as a dog trainer was to help people understand not only why their dog was misbehaving; digging, chewing, jumping, barking, but what was lacking in their relationship with their dog and how to improve on it. He started his program first with behavioral training, but later moved into the scent detection field, first with termites and later adding bed bugs.
Scent detection training includes:
- Handling
- Search Patterns
- Environmental Management
- Scent Discrimination Recognition
- Proper Deployment of the dog
- Canine First Aid
Handlers attend a rigorous 3-day course to learn how to interact with their new scent detection dog and can be re-certified every 12 months through NESDCA, the National Entomology Scent Detection Canine Association.
Scent detection dogs are fast and extremely accurate
Pepe Peruyero described the accuracy of scent detection dogs best; “a human can walk into a kitchen and know through the sense of smell that a stew is cooking, but a dog’s sense of smell is so strong that it can be trained to distinguish a stew made with carrots and one without; I tell people they are buying a nose with four legs to carry it.”
View a Bloomberg story including an interview with Pepe.
The Modern Pest Services’ team is anxious to welcome its first bed bug dog, “Sherlock” now being trained at the J&K Canine Academy.
For more information about Modern’s bed bug control program, visit the bed bug section of our website or call 1-800-323-7378.