Dogs have been
trained to sniff out drugs, explosives, and weapons but Texas A&M University
has gone one step further.
Max, a 1-year-old
border collie, is thought to be the first dog in the country trained to
sniff out mold, reported WOAI-TV in San Antonio.
The dog has
received 1,000 hours of training in his new specialty. "It is difficult
for us to comprehend how good a dog's nose is because there's nothing to
compare it to," animal behaviorist Dr. Bonnie Beaver said.
If a human were
able to detect one drop of a specific substance by smell in 25 barrels,
dogs would be able to detect one drop in 25 million barrels, according
to Beaver.
Max's abilities
are expected to come in handy in the business of home inspection and insurance.
Texas has the worst mold problem of any state in the country, totaling
$700 million in 2001.
--
Copyright 2003 by United
Press International.
All rights reserved.
|