Meet Diego
Diego is a handsome Australian Kelpie. First and foremost our family pet, we soon discovered that rather than mustering, Diego’s talents are his tireless exploration for truffles and chasing balls. Specially trained to smell out ripe truffles, Diego and Ian have a close bond, communicating with subtle cues to indicate a prize lies underneath the soil.
Diego loves his rewards, running after a ball, swims in the dam and lots of pats from the family.
How do our dogs hunt truffles?
As truffles grow underground, their enticing aroma attracts animals to unearth and consume them, spreading their spores throughout the forest. Historically pigs had been used to hunt truffles, whose scent, resembling a male pig pheromone, is irresistible. Unfortunately, pigs are not fond of turning their find over to their companions. In the past many truffle hunters lost fingers trying to prise a truffle out of a pig’s mouth. These days, dogs are preferred to hunt truffles as they can be trained to find, but not to eat the truffles.
So what is the process of using dogs to hunt truffles?
Diego is trained to locate the scent of a ripe truffle and will walk around the trees sniffing the ground until one is found. We wait with anticipation, watching Diego closely for subtle clues he has found a treasure. Once we see him put his paw or hold his nose to the spot, we start to get excited. Diego happily chases the ball as his reward. We dig carefully, noses to the ground smelling the aroma, deciding if the fragrance is strong and feeling if the surface is firm and rugged. If it is ready, we unearth the prize. Brushing away the dirt, we take a long sniff, savouring the scent of fresh truffle. After a few pats, Diego is off again, chasing the scent and more rewards.