Dry rot and building-decay detection dogs

About dry rot and building-decay detection dogs

A dry rot detection dog is trained to find the scent of the dry rot fungus, Serpula lacrymans, while it is active and hidden behind panelling, plaster and floorboards. In the UK the best-known dogs doing this work are Hutton+Rostron’s Rothounds, which help surveyors check historic and complex buildings without opening up walls and floors. Breeders on this directory supply puppies and young dogs with the aptitude for scent work. They do not supply trained or certified detection dogs.

What this work involves

Dry rot can spread through timber and masonry where no one can see it. Finding it the usual way often means lifting floors or removing plaster. A dry rot sniffer dog sniffs the air in rooms, roof spaces, gaps inside walls and floors, and cellars, including places that are hard for people to reach. It indicates where the scent of live fungus is strongest. The surveyor then checks the find with other methods, such as fibre-optic inspection and electronic moisture measurement and monitoring.

A building survey dog has to work in dusty, cluttered and sometimes dangerous buildings. There are often builders, machinery and other distractions around, and the dog has to stay focused on one faint odour. Handlers assess the risks for themselves and the dog and must read the dog’s reaction to a live scent accurately.

Who trains and supplies these dogs in the UK

Hutton+Rostron (H+R), now part of SOCOTEC UK, uses trained air-scenting search dogs in the non-destructive surveys it carries out for dry rot. Rothound is its trade mark for these dogs. H+R says its Rothounds are typically part of a specialist surveying team and operate throughout the UK.

H+R says a dog can learn to find a specific scent in two or three weeks, but training a Rothound takes about six months. It does not use food rewards, because food can make dogs indicate when nothing is there. Instead the reward is play with a training toy and praise from the handler. The firm says dogs of two to three years old are best for training. It looks for good scenting ability, a single-minded streak and a willingness to work, and says these are more typical of natural hunting or working dogs than of pets. Its Rothound handlers are trained in dog first aid.

H+R’s Rothound Pip is a Sprocker who was rehomed from a farm in North Yorkshire. That reflects how these dogs are often found: the firm takes on a young adult dog, then trains and handles it in-house. Dry rot detection dogs are rare in the UK.

Breeds and lines

Spaniels and spaniel crosses suit this work, including the English Springer Spaniel, the Cocker Spaniel and English Springer x Cocker crosses (Sprockers) such as Pip. The Labrador Retriever is also suitable, and the BBC reported in 2013 that H+R employed a black Labrador called Wilson. Working-line dogs usually have the search drive and stamina needed. They must also settle quietly between searches and cope with stairs, tight spaces and noisy sites. A strong toy drive is essential, because Rothound training is built on play rather than food.

What to ask a breeder

• Are the parents from working lines, and do they have a strong, lasting drive for a toy?
• Have any dogs you bred gone on to scent work, detection or search roles?
• What health tests have the parents had, including hip and elbow scores and eye and DNA tests?
• How do you get puppies used to different floor surfaces, stairs, dust, noise and tight spaces?
• If a dog does not suit a pet home, will you take it back and rehome it responsibly, including to a working home?

Frequently asked questions

What is a Rothound?

Rothound is Hutton+Rostron’s trade mark for its dogs trained to find active dry rot in buildings. The dogs help surveyors narrow down where rot is hidden.

Can a dry rot sniffer dog replace a surveyor?

No. The dog indicates where the scent is strongest. A qualified surveyor then confirms and assesses the find using other methods.

Do breeders sell trained dry rot detection dogs?

No. Firms that use these dogs train them in-house, and H+R’s Rothound Pip was rehomed from a farm. Breeders supply puppies and young dogs with the right drive.

If you breed working spaniels or Labradors and dogs from your lines work as dry rot or building-decay detection dogs, we would be glad to list you. Add your kennel and tell buyers plainly about your lines, your health testing and how you place puppies.