Mold Sniffing Dogs - The Truth Behind The Hype

March 25 2004--
Myth #1: A mold inspection done by a mold-sniffing dog is less expensive than one from a certified toxic mold inspector.

Fact: A mold dog inspection typically costs approximately $400 - although I hear now that some mold sniffing dog handlers are giving away their services for free (makes you wonder where they make their money, doesn't it?). We charge $195 to do an inspection. You're going to have to pay $205 more to have a dog come through your home and sniff for mold than what you'd pay to have a professional inspection performed by The Mold Consultants.

According to the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), which is an organization that provides standards to the environmental industry, "At places where the dog marks a microbial odor, samples must be taken for a microbial analysis". Read that quote again!

You could pay $400 to have a dog come into your home to sniff around, or you could pay $195 for a certified and professional inspection by The Mold Consultant, and then either way -- someone is going to take samples to send to a laboratory for analysis!!!

The Mold Consultants, LLC charges significantly less than $400 to perform a home mold inspection. If the mold sniffing dog finds mold, and you follow ASHRAE recommendations and take samples, then you are probably not saving any money by hiring the mold sniffing dog to do the inspection in the first place. In fact, you will probably pay more money because either way, someone needs to do sampling.

Myth #2: The dogs nose and olefactory capabilities are cutting-edge technology.

Fact: Who are the people making these claims trying to kid here? The "Nose" is cutting-edge technology ..."'? Oh really? We hope that the people who hire a mold sniffing dog and risk their health, and the health of their loved ones, on that dog, make sure the dog did not have a runny nose the day of the mold-sniff that would affect it's "mold sniffing" ability, and thus throw a wrench in the cutting-edge technology of the dogs olefactory capabilities.

Myth #3: Mold sniffing dogs are proven and trusted.

Fact: We agree (to a limited extent) with this statement, in all of its wonderful simplicity. However, consider this. First, dogs can sniff out ONLY certain specific odors that they are trained to sniff out. In other words, a dog trained to sniff out bombs cannot sniff out drugs. Dogs trained to sniff out drugs cannot be trained to sniff out mold.

And, sometimes, dogs trained to sniff out drugs, fail in that .. as well do dogs sometimes fail to sniff out bombs. In fact, a report aired on the CBS television show "60 Minutes" showed an international expert on the use of dogs to sniff out things like bombs and drugs is fraught with error.

And, as noted below, mold sniffing dogs are only trained to sniff out 18 or 19 toxic species of molds, where there are well over a hundred!

There are tens of thousands of species of mold (counting both the toxic *and* non-toxic ones) that we know about, with each mold having a different chemical/biological composition, and consequently a different odor. Of these, well over a hundred are considered toxic. Plus, literally thousands more species of mold are identified every year. It is quite impossible for any dog to be trained to sniff out all of the existing species of mold, much less the species of mold that are toxic. According to literature from a company that trains and sells these dogs, the dogs are trained to sniff for 18 or 19 different species of mold -- well less than the actual number of molds containing toxins.

Read this again please. Of the well over a hundred different species of toxic mold that we know about, at best, a mold sniffing dog is only trained to sniff for 18 or 19 of these ... leaving the remaining 80+ to go completely undetected. A human inspector sample will not let even a single one of these species of mold go undetected!

Also, when dogs are used to sniff out bombs and drugs, the best they do is to indicate the "possibility" of bombs or drugs. No arrests can be made because a dog sniffs drugs. In other words, a drug or bomb sniffing dog will indicate the "possibility" of a presence of drugs or a bomb, but a follow-up inspection by a human always follows. As was discussed in the previous section, using a mold sniffing dog to indicate the presence of mold will very well end up costing you more money than if you hire a certified toxic mold inspector to do the job in the first place. In most cases, it certainly costs you more money to have the dog come in your home than it costs to have a certified professional, and it potentially could cost you even more if the dog false-alerts, or worse, doesn't alert on a species of mold that is toxic, but which the dog hasn't been trained to sniff.

Myth #4: Dogs are honest.

Fact: Again, I think it is valuable that you read what the television show 60 Minutes had to say about this. Have a look here (http://www.mold-consultants.com/60minutes.php) to read verbatim what this highly respected television show had to say about this.

Dogs are only as honest as they are trained to be, and, dogs make mistakes. Here is a mold sniffing dog horror story we were told that you might find interesting. A mold sniffing dog was hired by a homeowner. When the dog was sniffing the home of the homeowner, he was not able to detect the presence of mold. The homeowner became irate at the thought of paying $400 for a mold-sniff inspection when there was no mold found. To deal with this situation, the dog handler went to his van and rubbed his finger over a patch of moldy carpet that he had sealed in a bag (we suspect because of the preperation that went into this scam that the dog handler had dealt with this situation before). Then, when he came back into the house, and out of site from the homeowner, he rubbed his mold-laden finger over an area of a wall. Then, when the homeowner was present, he brought the dog back in the room and sure enough, the dog alerted the handler to the mold that was placed on the wall. Sure, the dog was honest in this situation, but the handler was not!

Now, we are not saying that only mold sniffing dogs handlers can commit fraud. Certainly, a human Certified Mold Inspector is also capable of committing fraud. The point here is that humans, whether they have invested in a mold-sniffing dog or invested in professional training and certification, are both capable of fraud.

Myth #5: You get greater peace of mind when Fido sniffs for mold. Research supports that if the dog alerts to mold, there's a high statistical probability you should investigate further. If the dog doesn't find mold, you can know with greater certainty that your home, office or school is safe from mold.

Fact: Re-read this statement carefully. First, IF the dog finds mold, and according to ASHRAE standards discussed previously, samples still MUST be taken to properly identify the mold and determine its concentration. Therefore, you save nothing by having the dog sniff for mold, and actually probably end up paying more money. So, you don't actually receive greater peace of mind if the dog sniffs mold. In fact, you will probably have concerns at this point and until you get it sampled because you will know that you probably do have mold, but you won't know what genus or concentration. Second, you will never know with definate certainty whether or not you have a problem with mold in your home as a result of a mold sniffing dog. As you will read on this page, there is NO WAY a mold sniffing dog can give you this level of certainty. However, a professional inspection by a certified inspector will give you certainty about the safety of your home, office, or school in regards to mold. He will write a report, and will stand behind the report. With a mold-sniffing dog inspection, you will get a report, but it will probably include countless disclaimers that free the handler from any liability as a result of a faulty mold-sniff.

Myth #6: Mold sniffing dogs are effective problem solvers. For Realtors concerned about escrow timelines, Mold sniffing Dogs can quickly and more accurately inspect a home, which gives both parties the feedback they need to quickly and effectively resolve issues.

Fact: The only way this claim can be true is if the mold sniffing dog does not alert on any mold. However, if the mold sniffing dog does alert on mold, and since this should trigger sampling, there is no time saved from a mold sniffing dog or an inspection by a Certified Mold Inspector.

Almost all Home Inspectors are trained to look for mold in the process of their inspection. If they see what they think could be mold, they will document this in their report and recommend an inspection by a certified mold inspector. Also, mold sniffing dogs do not have the ability (or a limited ability at best) to sniff for mold in an attic -- they aren't trained to walk on the wood roof rafters and the larger mold sniffing dogs would drop through the ceiling when they stepped on the drywall of the ceiling. Attics are one of the more common places where mold is found, and if a Realtor relies on a mold sniffing dog that only does a partial job of sniffing for mold, then that Realtor is probably not doing as good of a job as he/she could to protect the interests of the client.

Additionally, here are some additional relevant pieces of information pertinent to your decision to hire a mold sniffing dog, or a professional, certified inspector, to properly test and assess the mold issue(s) in your home ...

Distractions: If you have indoor pets, the odor given from these animals frequently distract the mold sniffing dog.

Differentiation: Mold sniffing dogs cannot differentiate one genus of mold from the other. The only thing they know how to do is to "alert" on the 18 - 19 genus of mold that they are trained to alert on. Therefore, a positive indication for mold by a mold sniffing dog cannot be used determine how toxic the mold is, or even the genus of mold. Also, you have absolutely no assurance whatsoever that your residence is free from toxic mold because a mold-sniffing dog does not alert when it is in your home.

Counting Of Spores: Mold sniffing dogs cannot count spores. The concentration of mold that you have is critically important to determine the potential for harm to you and your pets, as well as to accurately describe the correct procedure to follow to clean-up the mold. Of course this will all change when the people who sell these beasts of burden train them to also tap their paws on the ground -- once for each spore that they sniff.

Baseline: One of the things all certified mold inspectors do when they sample a house for mold is to take an outdoor sample to determine a baseline for the mold genus and spore counts found inside the home. This is important to determine if a certain genus and concentration of mold found inside the house is significant and noteworthy, relative to what is found naturally occuring outside. Since the mold sniffing dogs do not have the ability to do this, you are at best left with an incomplete, and probably inaccurate portrayal of the quality of the indoor air at the home, unless the mold sniffing dogs handler takes an air sample.

Analysis: One of the critical components to a mold inspection performed by a certified mold inspector is the interpretation of the lab results received from the samples taken. Without this analysis, the homeowner has no way of knowing what the mold issues in their home mean to them and their health.

Protocol: Another critical component of the service provided by most certified mold inspectors, including The Mold Consultants, is the preparation of a Protocol. A Protocol is a document that describes the steps to follow to remove the mold from the home and improve the indoor air quality to acceptable levels. Without a Protocol, most homeowners do not know what to do to clean-up the mold in their homes. Mold sniffing dogs cannot prepare a Protocol and therefore you lose out. Many "handlers" of these mold sniffing canines are not trained or certified to write Protocols. Therefore, "IF" mold is found by a mold sniffing dog, you will probably not receive a "Protocol" that describes what to do to clean it up.

Animal Cruelty: The people that sell and use mold sniffing dogs are missing a simple, yet cruel fact: They may very well be exposing their dogs to toxic mold many times a day, and therefore risking the life of the animal. In a recent conversation I had with a mold sniffing dog owner who was busy trying to recoup his $13,000 investment in the dog by charging $400 per home visit (not counting sample costs), I was told that dogs are immune to the toxins in mold. BUNK! The fact is that toxic mold is toxic to pets, as well as humans. Take a look at the $20 million lawsuit filed by Ed McMahon over the death of his dog, in which he ultimately received a nice cash settlement. The people that sell and use mold sniffing dogs liken the benefit and effectiveness of the dogs to the dogs that are used by bomb squads and drug enforcement agents, when in reality, there is a fundamental difference here. The bomb sniffing and drug sniffing dogs are not inhaling toxins that could cause nerve and tissue damage. It is our understanding that the ASPCA and PETA are both looking into the ethical considerations of placing mans best friend in harms way by training them to sniff for toxic mold.

Additionally, it is valuable to consider what one of the nations leading experts has to say about dogs trained to sniff for toxic or dangerous substances.

Larry Myers is a professor in the Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine and one of the country's leading experts on canine detection. A doctor of veterinary medicine as well as a doctor of physiology, he's appeared as a witness both for the prosecution and the defense in hundreds of criminal trials across the country and has been interviewed by numerous national publications such as Popular Science and most recently on television's "60 Minutes." In 1989, Myers founded the Auburn Canine Research Institute, originally known as the Institute for Biological Detection Systems and one of the nation's leading developers of canine detection technology. The institute conducts research at Auburn University, and trains dogs, handlers, trainers and program managers for government agencies at a center in Anniston, Ala. No longer associated with that the institute, Myers is researching ways dogs can be used besides uncovering drugs and explosives.

Here are some direct quotes from Larry Myers, as reported in the February 2004 issue of Jewish World Review, which can be seen here (http://www.jewishworldreview.com/0204/sniffers.asp). Remember, these are the quotes from an international expert ...

"Dental tartar can have an effect, (on a dogs ability to sniff mold) ". "

Dogs get allergies. They get colds. (meaning when the dogs has a allergy or cold, their olefactory capabilities are diminished) "

"A dog's sense of smell is not forever,"

"A variety of diseases can destroy the sense of smell."

Myers said that while he'd "bet my life" on certain dogs, he's not sure he'd want to bet on someone else's.

"We really don't know what a dog is picking up on when it alerts,"

"In many ways we're still dealing with a black box. It could be picking up on a lot of things"

" not all dogs are trained well"

"Poor handlers can cause a dog's accuracy rate of 85 percent to 95 percent to drop to about 60 percent."

"Dogs want rewards and so they will give false alerts to get them."

"Dogs lie."

Speaking of programs and schools that train dogs, Myers said "The best programs subtract from that score the number of false alerts, but many do not. They have no accurate measure of their dog's reliability."

He (Myers) said some programs are just in it for the money, but there are some good programs as well. "Some police departments train their own and do a very good job," he said.




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