MEET THE TRUFFLE DOGS
Truffle dogs are the key ingredient for a successful truffle season – using their snuffly superpowers to locate ripe truffles buried in the ground.
Check out our gallery of good boys (and girls) who will be front and centre during The Truffle Festival, Canberra Region in 2022. Vote for your favourite pooch for your chance to win two tickets to a truffle hunt at one of our featured farms, plus 100g of premium truffle. (And yes, we don’t mind if you go on looks alone…. we’re the first to admit our truffle hounds are handsome as heck).
Dusty
Breed
Border collie cross kelpie
Farm
Tarago Truffles
Top skill
Sniffing and marking several truffles almost at once
Favourite food
Warm spaghetti Bolognese
Embarrassing habit
Not necessarily embarrassing, but an annoying habit of wanting to sit in the hole from which the truffle is being excavated.
Frisbee
Breed
Jack Russell
Farm
Turalla Truffles
Top skill
Sausage disposal
Favourite food
Sausage
Embarrassing habit
Begging for food at our truffle lunches.
Rocco
Breed
German Short Hair Pointer
Farm
Bluefrog Truffle Farm
Top skill
Chasing bubbles
Favourite food
Pumpkin soup
Embarrassing habit
Singing… yes when he is excited about what we are doing he sings…
Bella
Breed
Kelpie cross
Farm
Durran Durra Truffles
Top skill
Engaging with people and finding truffles
Favourite food
Chicken and cheese (or anything edible)
Embarrassing habit
Showing off
Pepper
Breed
GSP X English Pointer
Farm
Contract harvester
Top skill
Disappearing when chasing rabbits
Favourite food
Cabanossi
Embarrassing habit
Snoring
ruby
Breed
Kelpie blue heeler cross
Farm
Contract harvester
Top skill
Shadowing other farm animals, such as poddy calves
Favourite food
Cabanossi
Embarrassing habit
Annoying bark
Roxy
Breed
NZ Huntaway
Farm
L’Air du Wombat Truffles
Top skill
Being a wonderful mother to very large litters and top watch dog
Favourite food
Schmackos
Embarrassing habit
Not finding her own truffles and claiming Barry’s find
Arrow
Breed
Jack Russell
Farm
Turalla Truffles
Top skill
Very accurate with marking truffle position
Favourite food
Schmackos
Embarrassing habit
None, she’s perfect!
Barry
Breed
Australian kelpie
Farm
L’Air du Wombat Truffles
Top skill
Mr 100%, if he marks it, there is definitely a truffle there
Favourite food
Chicken necks
Embarrassing habit
Cocked his leg on National TV, when he appeared on Channel 7’s Sunrise
JJ
Breed
Kelpie x NZ Huntaway
Farm
L’Air du Wombat Truffles
Top skill
Still in training to find truffles but has a great nose and loves to smile
Favourite food
Licking the dog’s dinner pot at the end of each week
Embarrassing habit
Barking after his father Barry whenever he wants to play ball
Ralph
Breed
Kelpie x NZ Huntaway puppy, six months
Farm
L’Air du Wombat Truffles
Top skill
Loves smooches, butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth
Favourite food
My chickens, four kills to date
Embarrassing habit
Not listening, but I think that’s a teenage thing, right?
Max
Breed
Kelpie
Farm
Durran Durra Truffles
Top skill
Instinctively rounding up cattle
Favourite food
Chicken
Embarrassing habit
Over enthusiasm and jumping up on people
Fahren
Breed
Lagotto Romagnolo
Farm
Macenmist Black Truffles & Wines
Top skill
Hunting truffles and rabbits
Favourite food
Devon
Embarrassing habit
Barks at people
Tawdiffu
Breed
Lagotto Romagnolo
Farm
Macenmist Black Truffles & Wines
Top skill
Digging
Favourite food
Steak
Embarrassing habit
Jumps on people when excited
Songlu
Breed
Lagotto Romagnolo
Farm
Macenmist Black Truffles & Wines
Top skill
Praying
Favourite food
Anything the big dogs eat
Embarrassing habit
Snores
Vote for your favourite truffle dog
Winners will be drawn by random ballot and contacted on July 5, 2022.
Fun facts about truffle dogs
Truffle dogs don’t need to be a particular breed. All sorts of dogs can become certified truffle hunters. The dogs involved in the 2022 Truffle Festival – Canberra Region, for example, range from Jack Russells and NZ Huntaways to GSP x English pointers.
The ground rules
Most dogs use a combination of air and ground sniffing to locate truffle. Many lightly paw at the ground to show their handler where the treasure can be found. And if X marks the spot, it’s reward time!
It’s a proper job for some
Not all truffle farms have their own dogs. There are several businesses in Australia who specialise in training truffle dogs, and they travel around to truffle farms to let them uncover the fresh, delicious truffle.
Check out these super-cute canines in action by booking a truffle hunt during this year’s festival.
