Can dogs really smell mold?
Yes. A dog's nose works at levels thousands of times beyond a person's, which is why dogs do professional work finding narcotics, bed bugs, and missing people. Mold releases odor compounds as it grows, and a dog can be trained to recognize that odor and signal where the odor is strongest, including through drywall and flooring. Our dog is certified for exactly this work.
What does mold smell like?
Musty and earthy, like damp soil, a wet basement, old cardboard, or wet socks. The important sign is not the exact smell but the persistence. A cooking or laundry odor airs out. A mold odor keeps coming back to the same room no matter how much you clean and ventilate. If a smell in your house keeps coming back like that, the smell is worth tracking down.
How accurate is a mold detection dog?
Trained detection dogs pick up scent at levels no consumer meter can read, which is why dogs work in narcotics detection, bed bug detection, and search and rescue. Our dog is certified for mold odor specifically. An alert tells you where mold odor may be present. That is a screening result, not a lab result, and we are upfront about the difference. If you want laboratory certainty, a licensed mold assessor can test the exact spots where the dog alerted, which is a better use of testing money than testing the entire house.
How much does a mold detection dog cost?
It depends on the size and location of the property, so we quote each job instead of posting one-size-fits-none prices. Send the request form with your city and situation and we'll come back with a number. No obligation.
How long does it take?
Most homes take a single visit, and the dog works fast. We'll give you a time estimate with your quote, and the alert summary arrives promptly after the sweep, not weeks later.
Do you test or remove mold?
Neither, and that is on purpose. We don't determine whether mold is present, what kind it is, how far it goes, or whether you need remediation. Florida licenses mold assessors and remediators for that work. The sweep is the screening step that tells you where an assessor's testing is worth buying, and the sweep-versus-testing comparison explains the split in detail. It also means nobody here profits when the dog alerts, so the results have no sales motive behind them.
Is the dog safe around my family?
Yes. This is a trained working dog under handler control the entire visit, not a loose pet. We do ask that your own pets be crated or kept in the yard during the sweep, both for focus and for scent accuracy.
Do I need to leave the house?
No. You can stay, watch, and ask questions. We only ask that you give the dog room to work and keep the house closed up beforehand instead of airing it out.
What if the dog doesn't alert on anything?
Then the sweep found no mold odor, and that is a useful answer. A clean sweep matters most before a home purchase or after a repair you are hoping worked. Good news counts as a result.
What about black mold?
No sweep can tell you what species a mold is, and neither can looking at a stain. Species identification takes laboratory analysis ordered through a licensed mold assessor. The practical rule is simpler than the headlines: mold odor inside a home is worth tracking down, whatever the species turns out to be.
Can dogs smell mold through walls?
Yes. Mold releases odor compounds that seep out of wall cavities through outlets, baseboards, and seams, and a trained dog picks them up at levels far below what a person can notice. That is the entire point of the service: the dog reads through the wall what no flashlight can see. How that works is explained here.
Can a landlord use a sweep for a tenant mold complaint?
Yes, and it is one of the most practical uses of the dog. The sweep turns a complaint about a smell into written alert locations, or into a documented clean result from a neutral party. The landlord and property manager page covers the process.
How is a mold detection dog trained?
The same way narcotics and bed bug dogs are trained: months of scent imprinting on the target odor, followed by search patterns, alert behavior, and certification testing with a handler. The dog learns to recognize mold odor specifically and to give one consistent, trained signal when it finds the odor. The training never fully stops, either. Working detection dogs drill regularly to keep the skill sharp.
Can my own dog find mold?
Probably not in a way you could use. Pets react to plenty of smells, but without scent imprinting on mold odor and a trained alert behavior, you have no way to know what your dog is reacting to or where the odor is strongest. If your dog keeps sniffing one spot on a wall, that is worth noting, and it is a fine reason to book a sweep. It just isn't evidence by itself.
Do you sweep commercial buildings?
Yes. Offices, storefronts, and small commercial spaces sweep the same way homes do, and a musty back room drives away staff and customers just like it drives away guests. Describe the space and the square footage in the request form and we will quote the visit.
Can you sweep a home before I buy it?
Yes, and a purchase is one of the smartest times to book a sweep. A standard home inspection is visual, and hidden mold doesn't show up in a visual inspection. The pre-purchase sweep page covers how the visit fits your closing timeline so the alert summary arrives while you can still negotiate.
Where do you work?
We're based in Orlando and cover Florida statewide, from Jacksonville to Miami to Naples. Travel is built into your quote, so there is no surcharge added later.