Royce recently asked if my dog could be trained to find Truffles and the answer is Yes. Oregon it seems is the new France when it come to finding and harvesting Truffles. The dog has taken over for the pig in the search and it turns out they are easier to control because dogs don't eat truffles and pigs do. A stand of 15 to 20 year old Douglas Fir trees provide the perfect habitat for truffle farming and while cleaning around the base of a young fir tree I found a white truffle. Very distinctive odor though none made to the kitchen. Here is a little blurb I found on the internet.
Truffles are difficult to find and very expensive as a result! In 1994, black truffles sold for $350 to $500 a pound. In the United States, edible truffles are collected in the forests of Oregon and Washington. In Europe, most truffles are collected in France and Italy.
Truffle hunters in Italy and France use pigs and mixed-breed dogs to sniff out truffles. Dogs are preferred to pigs because pigs love to eat truffles. The hunter uses a staff to force the pig to back off, once the pig has located a truffle.
In Italy, truffle dogs are trained in several steps. First, the dog is taught to retrieve a rubber ball. Next, a small bit of smelly Gorgonzola cheese is substituted for the rubber ball. After the dog has learned to retrieve the cheese, the cheese is hidden, forcing the dog to sniff it out for a reward of food. Finally, a small truffle is substituted for the cheese. The dog is trained to fetch, then dig up the truffle.
Dogs like other food better than truffles, so bread and other treats are used for rewards. The night before a truffle hunt the dog is not fed so it will be eager to find truffles for the treat. Some dogs take the easy way out. They find and eat garbage buried by campers! Dogs generally do not find young truffles because the odor is too weak. The odor becomes stronger with age as the spores mature. The boss is always asking for ways to make money on the farm this just might fit the bill.
