Dogs have been used extensively in law enforcement and military applications to detect narcotics and explosives for many years and their scent discrimination abilities have been well documented and tested. Mold detection dogs are trained to alert on the source of mold and not on the presence of elevated airborne spore levels.

Air sampling methods are very good at identifying and quantifying the species of mold present in a structure, but traditional inspection methods are only about 30% effective at pinpointing the source of the mold. Mold detection dogs cannot communicate the scent discrimination of different mold species, but are about 95% effective at pinpointing the source of contamination.

When dogs find accelerants, drugs, or bombs, military and law enforcement always confirm the findings through further investigation and laboratory testing of the suspected substance. K2 Environmental always recommends the use of air and surface sampling, by a qualified professional, to confirm the presence of fungal growth in the alert areas.