Putting Puppies to Work in Toxic Mold Detection

By Danielle Briones

Published on July 22, 2005

A number of companies across the country are beginning to recognize the possibilities of using dogs to sniff out mold, which can collect inside walls, roofs and other dark, damp places in a building.

Prolonged exposure to toxic mold has been shown in numerous studies to cause serious respiratory problems, allergic reactions and even memory loss. These symptoms are even more severe in people who suffer from asthma and other breathing problems, as well as in children and infants.

Dogs are being trained to detect even minute amounts of toxic mold, and can track down the source of the smell, effectively identifying the location of mold in a house. While devices do exist to detect small concentrations of mold, using dogs is a much more cost-effective method. A highly trained dog can identify more than twenty varieties of mold.

As the dangers of toxic mold become known, many states are starting to require toxic mold inspections when a home goes on the market, and many consumers are starting to think about mold infestations before buying. As more and more mold-sniffing dogs are being trained, the job of detecting toxic mold is getting that much easier.

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