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Posted on Wed, Aug. 10, 2005 Dog helps debug hardware — your house By KELLY GARBUS Special to The Star Jackie was once an orphan living on borrowed time at an animal shelter. Now, after 1,000 hours of training, she’s an official canine termite inspector valued at $10,000 for her ability to sniff out the wood-munching insects.
Weighing in at less than 20 pounds, the tan and white Jack Russell terrier has an accuracy rate in the high 90s, said her owner, Jeffery Preece of Zip Zap Termite and Pest Control in Kansas City, North. |
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“Most people say they have never heard of anything like that,” Preece said of his dog. “And I say ‘Have you ever heard of a drug-sniffing dog?’ ”
Jackie is among a growing number of dogs being trained to detect cadavers to mold to epileptic seizures. University studies on the olfactory senses of dogs show they can pick up a scent more than 15 feet away and can smell odors that are diluted to as little as 10 parts per billion.
“I always wanted one,” Preece said of the termite-sniffing dog that he purchased from a trainer in Florida, but for a long time he couldn’t afford one. Preece said he first encountered termite-sniffing dogs about 15 years ago while he was working in Arizona, where treatments on a house failed to rid it of termites. Finally, a specially trained canine pinpointed the source of the termites.
“A dog’s sense of smell is very, very powerful,” Preece said.
Jackie can find termites that Preece might miss, he said. Jackie’s inspections run about $120 per house, while those conducted by the two-legged inspectors range from $45 to $65.
Daren Higerd, a real estate agent with Century 21 All-Pro, said he frequently recommends Jackie’s work to new home owners. He said most people who learn of her acute sensory abilities are eager to see her in action.
On inspections, Preece leads Jackie on a leash and orders: “Seek, Jackie, seek, seek, seek. Seek, Jackie.” When Jackie finds what she’s looking for, she indicates it by sitting. Then she receives her reward — a handful of dog food.
But if she inspects homes without termites, she doesn’t go hungry. Preece maintains Jackie’s training by hiding sealed termite containers in his house so Jackie can find them. The daily regimen keeps her senses sharp.
“There is a lot of training and care to taking care of these dogs,” said Preece, who is vice president of Missouri Pest Management Association and president of the Pest Management Association of Greater Kansas City.
During a recent training session at home, Jackie found termites that had been planted outside the house in a sealed container. She smelled them from inside the house.
Higerd said he became a believer in Jackie after she found termites in a home that had already been cleared by an inspector.
“Ever since then, I have been sold on it,” he said.
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