New mould detection dogs sniff out hidden household dangers on the east coast

Sniffer dogs Ivan and Buck are all trained up and will initially be getting to work next month in Canberra, Sydney, Newcastle and on the south coast of NSW .

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Mould-sniffing dogs trained to detect hidden toxins

“Sometimes they’ll target a particular powerpoint, you’ll find it behind a skirting board, or a wall,” Mould Dogs Australia founder Tracey Seymour told 7NEWS.

“Then they’ll freeze, they’ll stop and let you know that this is where they’re indicating (the mould is).”

Alongside the dogs, Mould Dogs Australia also uses thermal imaging, moisture mapping, borescope cameras and laboratory air and surface sampling if required.

The dogs are trained to recognise the odour — or microbial volatile organic compounds — released by mould, including mould hidden behind walls, under floors and in cavities.

“It’s the same scent-detection science used for decades in other fields, applied to mould,” according to Mould Dogs Australia.

Seymour came up with the concept for the company after her son fell ill as a result of exposure to mould.

“He started to develop some motor ticks and OCD, a little bit of anxiety, and a lot of symptoms,” she said.

Her son was eventually diagnosed with paediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome.

When Seymour found mould hidden in her roof cavity, her desperate search for answers about the origin of the illness shifted.

“I couldn’t un-know what I’d learned,” she said. “So I threw myself into it — studying building biology and qualifying as a certified mould testing technician through the Australian College of Environmental Studies, determined to help my own child.”

Most standard mould inspection services rely on what is visible, or are limited to a number of test points.

Seymour says she noticed the gap in the Australian market, having “long been fascinated by the mould detection dogs used overseas”.