Dogs and truffle hunting

Many people know that there are such mushrooms as truffles. They are not cooked in their pure form, but they can decorate a variety of dishes and are considered a very refined product. This is common knowledge. But how many people know that dogs can search for truffles?

Truffles are mushrooms that are extremely difficult to detect. And the dog’s scent is indispensable in this matter. There are dogs that can be called experts in the search for truffles. With luck, they can find almost half a kilo of a valuable resource in an hour. There are even competitions between dogs!

In this case, a representative of any breed can succeed. But most often, dogs of the Lagotto Romagnoli breed (Lagotti Romagnoli) are engaged in the search for truffles. These are medium-sized dogs, the main purpose of which is “silent hunting”. However, the owners of such dogs say that pets allow them to combine three passions: delicious food, walking and dog training.

As a rule, truffle hunting takes several hours. But, of course, breaks are provided during which the dogs are occupied with games.

When a dog finds a truffle, it marks it by touching the ground with its nose. And for every find, the four-legged “hunter” is encouraged. However, for many dogs, the search itself is already a reward. And, having found one mushroom, they eagerly rush in search of the next.

Dogs are trained from early childhood. Training begins with the dog creating positive associations with the smell of truffles. And sometimes breeders even rub them on the bellies of bitches so that the puppies, so to speak, learn the craft, absorbing it almost literally with their mother’s milk.

And when the puppies begin to walk and explore the space, truffles are included in the environmental enrichment program. First, the truffles are placed in a container that the puppies chase. And then a container with mushrooms is buried near the trees, prompting the dogs to look for them.

Then a variety of stimuli are introduced into the process of hunting mushrooms in order to train the dogs not to be distracted during work.

It is important that dogs perceive the search for truffles as an exciting game. Therefore, it is necessary to use methods based on positive reinforcement.