Truffles are a delicacy. However, as such, their price is pretty hefty; thus, a lot of people cannot afford them. But what if we tell you that there is a way to enjoy them without spending a fortune? Some dog breeds can help you!

Truffles are expensive because you can't plant them anywhere and wait for them to grow. Besides, they require a specific type of soil and develop inside trees, which makes finding them quite challenging. That is another reason for such a high price. 

Nevertheless, there is a chance that you can find some of them in your nearby forest. And you know who can help you?  Maybe it's surprising, but your four-legged best friend is a marvelous helper in truffle hunting.

But can all dogs find this edible gold? Technically yes! All dogs do have sharp olfactory senses so that they can discover truffles without a problem. The question, in fact, is not whether all dogs can find truffles, but rather if all canines want to look for them.

Some dogs simply aren't interested, and regardless of how much you try to train them, they won't learn how to look for these super pricey subterranean fungi.

Truffle – Hunting Dog Breeds

Maybe you want to get involved in professional truffle hunting or want to do it for fun and the opportunity to treat yourself without going beyond your means. Whatever the reason, it might be interesting to learn about dogs that will be thrilled to accompany you in truffle searching adventure.

Before we go on, if you want to entertain your mind by looking at your chances to find treasure while you are resting from a truffle venture, you can check out the treasure hunt map.

1.     Lagotto Romagnolo

Lagotto Romagnolo is a type of hunting dog that comes from the Romagna region in Italy. In Italian, ‘lago’ means ‘lake’ so that the literal translation would be a lake dog from Romagna. This super cute pup has initially been used to help hunt waterfowl. Romagnolos have fantastic sniffers, and it is straightforward to train them, so they got a new job and became the most popular breed for truffle hunters.

2.     Belgian Malinois

Mals are wonderfully intelligent and hard-working dogs that create excellent relationships with their human companions. If you ever see a Belgian Malinois perform any task, you will understand why they are fantastic in looking for truffles.

3.     Golden Retriever

Even people who don't know anything about dog breeds, do know about Golden Retrievers. This adorable and intelligent dog can be a therapy dog, hunter, athlete, guide dog, among others. Because of their intelligence and loyalty to humans, they can be trained very quickly. However, Goldens are known to be fond of food, so you have to be careful that they don't chew their findings. 

4.     Beagle

Who would think of Snoopy as truffle hunter?! This little pup is a scenthound, which means that it relies on smell rather than vision while looking for something. Beagles were hunting dogs in the past, specialized in hunting hare. Because of their fantastic nose capacities, they are excellent truffle searchers.

5.     Springer Spaniel

English Springer Spaniel, similarly to Welsh Springer Spaniel, is traditionally flushing and retrieving dog.  It has a perfectly sharp sense of smell, which is why it is a sniffer dog as well. This makes it an excellent dog for a truffle hunt.

Conclusion

We are at the end of our list of truffle hunting dogs. However, this doesn't, in any way, mean that it is where the list finishes because plenty of other dogs can learn to search for these precious fungi. In reality, there is a high chance for your mixed breed pup to be up for the job! Do you know some breeds that can be good truffle hunters that we didn't mention today?

About the Author

Thomas Quarry is a translator and a writer who adores animals and lives with two dogs and a cat. While on vacation in the countryside, he went to a forest with his dogs and accidentally realized they have a unique talent to find truffles. That made his curious, so he started to research about canines that have this ability and write about them.