Molalla resident and dog handler Shannon Rowe has launched a new local business, D&G Detection, that uses a certified German Shepherd named Whiskey to search homes for toxic mold. Rowe operates the service from the same property as her D&G Training facility at 12095 S. Barbara Way and markets the canine-led searches to homeowners concerned about hidden mold.

Rowe said Whiskey was acquired from the Slovak Republic and underwent formal preparation for the work. “Whiskey came to me from the Slovak Republic, and last May we completed a rigorous 120-hour detection course,” Rowe said, calling out the dog’s formal training and certification. She added that Whiskey “graduated top of her class and now works alongside me to provide critical insights into where toxic mold is hiding.”

The business model pairs Rowe’s detection deployments with remediation planning. Rowe presented canine searches as complementary to traditional testing: a dog can quickly indicate the precise locations where mold odor or spores are concentrated, giving remediation crews a targeted starting point rather than relying solely on broad sampling. “And Whiskey is very good at her craft,” Rowe said.

Rowe emphasized that the Pacific Northwest’s climate of warm summers and wet winters can make mold problems widespread and often difficult for homeowners to locate. She characterized the service as a niche offering in Oregon, noting she is unaware of another mold dog in the state. “Dogs sniffing out toxic mold is certainly a niche business model,” she said.

Researchers have long noted the extraordinary sensitivity of trained detection dogs compared with instruments. Some researchers estimate dogs’ olfactory sensitivity at 10,000 to 100,000 times greater than human sensitivity, a capability that underpins the choice to deploy canines for odor- and vapor-based detection tasks.

Rowe’s public materials describe Whiskey as a certified toxic mold detection dog, capable of pinpointing where mold is present inside structures. In demonstrations available online, Whiskey locates affected areas inside sample homes and indicates spots for follow-up inspection. A short video demonstrating Whiskey’s work is available on YouTube: . For readers interested in training practices and safer methodologies, Rowe points to broader research and guidance such as the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s work on detection dog training: NIST.

Public health concerns are a key rationale for the offering. Toxic mold exposure can cause a range of symptoms in humans and animals; common human complaints include respiratory problems such as coughing, wheezing and difficulty breathing, along with allergic reactions like sneezing, runny nose and eye irritation. More serious effects are possible, Rowe and experts acknowledge, which is why identifying and remediating hidden growth matters for some households.

Rowe describes D&G Detection’s role as helping homeowners find where remediation crews should concentrate work and where conventional testing might target samples. She said the canine searches are intended to give property owners clearer information for remediation decisions and healthier living spaces. D&G Detection and D&G Training share their Molalla address and Rowe continues to market Whiskey’s services across the region to homeowners and contractors confronting persistent or unexplained mold concerns.

Contact details for scheduling a canine search are available through the D&G Training facility. Rowe positions the service as a complement to existing inspection and testing tools rather than a wholesale replacement, emphasizing canines’ speed and sensitivity as a practical asset for pinpointing hidden sources of contamination.

Source

Original reporting: view the original article.