OT: Bedbugs and the Tracking Dog

[Dave]

Management in my apartment building was doing one of their several yearly inspections today. Among other things, bedbugs were on the inspection list.

And, lo and behold, this year they had a tracking dog for bedbugs. Of course, Deetoo the cat wasn't very appreciative to see a mangy canine traipsing through her domain. But, the dog has just left so while Deetoo is still looking around suspiciously, she's almost happy again.

I'm always amazed at the scent detection that dogs have. The dog handler had a sample bottle with two dead bedbugs in it. When the dog got within a foot of the bottle, he'd start yelping. Fortunately, he wasn't yelping at any 'scent signs' in my apartment or those of my neighbours, so we're all thankful for that.

Just another day on the home front.

[-MIKE-]

A dog documentary I watched claimed their sense of smell is 600 times (not 600%) greater than humans. Amazing.

[Dave]

That has to make you wonder how dogs put up with the stench of society. They have to have some sort of mental capacity to ignore a smell or somehow to turn it off, otherwise they'd be overwhelmed..

[Josepi]

I see reports all the time that dogs scent sensitivity is seven (7) times that of a human but also 7000 times the power in other loose statements.

To exemplify that think of this. A dog can smell the scent of a child's clothing and body, several days after being dragged through a field of flowers and weeds from a sample sniff.

I think 600-7000 times would be fairly accurate. Amazing technology.

We hear that bedbugs are rampant in the USA in motels and hotels. Many advise to freeze all clothing, or run through the dryer, ASAP when opening suitcases upon arrival from the States.

----- On 11/3/11 2:00 PM, Dave wrote: Management in my apartment building was doing one of their several yearly inspections today. Among other things, bedbugs were on the inspection list.

And, lo and behold, this year they had a tracking dog for bedbugs. Of course, Deetoo the cat wasn't very appreciative to see a mangy canine traipsing through her domain. But, the dog has just left so while Deetoo is still looking around suspiciously, she's almost happy again.

I'm always amazed at the scent detection that dogs have. The dog handler had a sample bottle with two dead bedbugs in it. When the dog got within a foot of the bottle, he'd start yelping. Fortunately, he wasn't yelping at any 'scent signs' in my apartment or those of my neighbours, so we're all thankful for that.

Just another day on the home front.

[-MIKE-]

I don't know, man.... they do chew on dead animals.

[-MIKE-]

Yeah, I guess it depends on the exact dog, math and the criteria used. Dogs have something like 30x as many sent receptors as humans and each receptor is much more sensitive than humans. Something like 40% of their brain is dedicated solely to processing their sense of smell.

That can get exponentially astonishing. :-)

[Doug Miller]

[...]

I believe it. I remember coming home from work on a *very* windy day, and being approached from upwind by my own dog, hackles up and barking, as soon as I stepped out of the car. I spoke to him; he cocked his head and looked puzzled, but continued to bark. I walked toward him; he backed away. When he got to the corner of the shed, he backed around the corner, and I followed. Repeat at the next corner -- which put *me* upwind of *him* -- and *instantly* his demeanor changed completely: bounding toward me, ears up, tail wagging madly, tongue out, in a typical "glad to see you" doggie greeting.

Their hearing is even more astonishing. We used to live right next to an interstate highway, about 1.5 miles from an interchange. I'd noticed that the dog (same one) would become suddenly more alert about five minutes before my wife got home, and I wondered what was tipping him off. One day, I happened to be sitting in a chair next to a window facing the highway, with the dog at my feet. He suddenly got up with his tail wagging, _facing the highway_. I looked out the window just in time to see our truck going by. We're inside the house, doors and windows shut, the dog can't see out the window, the highway is 150 yards away from the house, there are dozens of other vehicles on the road too -- and he could pick the sound of our truck out of all the other noise. (No, there was nothing particularly unusual about that truck, no glass-packs or anything like that.) And sure enough, about five minutes later, my wife pulled into the driveway.

[Doug Miller]

That story in the Odyssey about the family dog being the only one to recognize Odysseus after a ten-year absence has basis in truth, you know. That's not just an invention on Homer's part.

[Dave]

On Thu, 03 Nov 2011 16:13:56 -0400, Doug Miller

You mean, nothing that *you* could hear. I've read that scent in humans, more so than all the other senses, can trigger long lost memories. Surely, it's even more so with dogs.

[Josepi]

Yeah, certain smells can bring back memories like in the back seat with MaryLu when she had....never mind.

------- You mean, nothing that *you* could hear. I've read that scent in humans, more so than all the other senses, can trigger long lost memories. Surely, it's even more so with dogs.

[Doug Miller]

Well, right, that was the point: nothing unusual that I could hear, even standing right next to it, yet the *dog* could hear it, inside the house, 150 yards away, with the noise of other traffic besides.

[Josepi]

This is not another "tung oil" thread, and I don't want to start another one.

Yeah, certain smells can bring back memories like in the back seat with MaryLu when she had....never mind.

------- You mean, nothing that *you* could hear. I've read that scent in humans, more so than all the other senses, can trigger long lost memories. Surely, it's even more so with dogs.

[Dave]

On Thu, 3 Nov 2011 14:08:35 -0700 (PDT), Robatoy

That reminds me of my German Shepherd some fifty years ago. He loved to hang his head out the window of the car too. I could ride him like a horse.

[Leon]

Whats going to happen when the police pose as bug inspectors and bring in a drug sniffing dog???

[Dave]

On Thu, 03 Nov 2011 18:27:20 -0500, Leon

Considering all the drugs in my place, that police dog will get severely stoned.

[Larry Jaques]

The mutt must like to multitask. A new scent or three every second!

-- Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens. -- Jimi Hendrix

[Robatoy]

That would be the end of that cop's career.

[basilisk]

wonder what she thinks of anchovies?

basilisk

[Leon]

So the cop simply leaves and says no bugs and they keep a watchful eye on the apartments that triggered the dogs. Lets just say that some one tipped the cops off.

[Dave]

On Fri, 4 Nov 2011 21:45:02 -0500, "HeyBub"

You may be right, but in my case, we'd be talking about Canadian law. Considering the amount of times that management comes around to inspect for bugs, fire alarm system, front door closing competely, balcony for junk, ectera ~ I'm pretty sure many of those times the bathroom inspection part of the search is for bathtub grow ops. Lieing to get in the door appears to be part and parcel.

And then if the Canadian justice system becomes involved somewhere along the line, a pat on the back seems to be the preferred sentence. And that I find truly disgusting.