Truffle Hunting Dogs: Tracking Underground Treasure Using Trained Dogs By Sassafras Lowrey, CTDI Published: Mar 11, 2020 | Updated: Mar 16, 2020
driven activity can be a lot of fun for dogs and handlers alike. “Truffle hunting brings together the three loves of my life: working with dogs, being in nature, and eating great food!” explains Brosnan. Getting Started With Truffle Hunting Brosnan hasn’t always spent her time in the forest hunting truffles. She first became aware that truffles exist in the Pacific Northwest about eight years ago.
Sometimes called “edible gold,” truffles are likely part of some of your favorite gourmet dishes. But did you know that dogs can be trained to hunt for them? Commonly found from Northern California up throughout Washington and into British Columbia, truffles are fungi that grow at the base of trees. As hard as they are to find, some trained dogs are extremely skilled in detecting them. Truffle hunting is plentiful in the Pacific Northwest, and there’s even a truffle hunting dog competition during the annual two-day Oregon Truffle Festival. Lisa Brosnan is a dog trainer at The Truffle UnderGround and breeder of Lagotti Romagnoli. She and her two dogs, Gnocchi and Cremini, are regular truffle hunters. The Lagotto Romagnolo is a medium-sized, curly-coated dog from Italy specifically bred in part for truffle hunting. This unique, scent-
She’d been considering a job in a remote part of Washington State and was wondering what to do there on days off. At the same time, Brosnan was considering her next breed after her smart and spunky Puli passed away.
A proud Cremini’s first wild truffle. Photo courtesy of Laura Brosnan.
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