Australia now has sniffer dogs dedicated to detecting mould.

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

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“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.”

Founder Tracey Seymour started Mould Dogs after her son mysteriously fell ill with a sickness that cleared up once he was no longer exposed to mould. Credit: 7NEWS

The Mould Dogs canines are able to detect hidden mould, not just what is visible or accessible through limited testing points. Credit: 7NEWS

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”.

Ivan and Buck are not exposed to visible mould, and the company uses technology which separates the odour molecules released by mould from the toxic mycotoxins, using this as a training aid that is safe for the dogs.

Once Ivan and Buck come through a resident’s house, Mould Dogs customers receive a clearly detailed report documenting where in the house mould was located.

Mould Dogs Australia can also then offer recommendations for next steps, in terms of remediation, but do not include mould removal in their service.

“Helping families finally connect the dots between hidden mould and their children’s or family’s health became the most meaningful work I’ve ever done, and I found real joy in it,” Seymour said.