Toxic mold in houses has made the headlines numerous times in recent years and it is indeed a very serious problem. Molds can grow anywhere there is moisture and an organic substance to feed on… wood, drywall, fiberboard etc. In fact, in some conditions the mycotoxins produced are so dangerous that they have been studied in case they’re misused in biological warfare.

When a house is suspect of containing mold, mold inspectors are called in to locate and test. This can take days or weeks at great expense to do with mechanical devices. Well, it turns out there is a more expedient way… mold-sniffing dogs.

The olfactory bulb of a dog is four times larger than a human’s and dogs have 220 million scent cells, which makes them prime candidates for sniffing out just about anything.

Dogs have been used to sniff out narcotics, land mines, fire accelerants, avalanche victims, perpetrators, lost articles, and now molds. In fact, the Europeans have been using mold-sniffing dogs for more than 20 years.

The biggest benefit of using mold-sniffing dogs is the fact that they can locate mold sources so quickly. A trained mold-sniffing dog can detect unseen mold locations with a walk through the house, whereas mold inspectors with devices must spend hours upon hours to locate the same sources.

If your family suspects they are suffering from a mold related illness, the expedience of mold-sniffing dogs is a real advantage.

As the use of mold-sniffing dogs is relatively new in this country, it would be advisable to do your homework prior to retaining the services of a trainer and their mold-sniffing dog. As with any service, the quality relies on the person behind the job, so it’s important that the trainer you choose has a good reputation and a successful history.