Australian dogs trained to hunt for $2,000/kg black truffle treasure

In Narooma, on Australia's New South Wales South Coast, a unique training class is teaching dogs of all breeds and sizes to sniff out a hidden treasure: black truffles. These luxury fungi can fetch up to $2,000 per kilogram, making them highly sought after.

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It's magical working with your dog and coming out to find the buried treasure. On a beautiful day, it doesn't feel like work; it is just fun.

Kate Le Bars, a self-taught truffle hunter, leads the classes. She explains that the process involves teaching dogs to associate the word "truffle" with a synthetic scent. When the dog successfully locates a hidden scented cotton ball, it receives a treat. "It's magical working with your dog and coming out to find the buried treasure," Le Bars said. "On a beautiful day, it doesn't feel like work; it is just fun."

While Lagottos are specifically bred for truffle hunting, Le Bars emphasizes that any dog with the right training, focus, and responsiveness to rewards can learn the skill. She noted that a small, hairy white dog once stole the show in a class that included a Lagotto.

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We had a Lagotto in one class, who were bred specifically to find truffles … and actually [a] little hairy white dog was the star.

Australia has become a significant player in the global truffle market, ranking as the fourth-largest producer in less than 30 years. Traditionally, pigs were used for truffle hunting, but their tendency to eat the truffles led to the adoption of dogs. With their highly developed sense of smell, dogs are now the preferred truffle hunters. Fiona Kotvojs, owner of the Gulaga Gold truffiere, explained that successful truffle hunters must avoid distractions and follow the scent plume of the fungus. Once found, the dog delicately marks the spot with a paw, allowing the truffle to be carefully excavated.

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It usually takes one truffle season for them to be able to get to a stage where they're good enough, and then the next truffle season they become a professional truffle hunter.