Truffle hunting dogs

About truffle hunting dogs

Britain has native truffles, and a trained nose is the most reliable way to find them. A truffle dog in the UK is usually a family dog first and a forager second: no national scheme breeds or certifies truffle dogs, so owners choose a puppy with the right aptitude and train it themselves.

What this work involves

Truffles grow underground on the roots of host trees and give off a strong scent only when ripe. The dog finds the scent and marks the spot by pausing or scratching; the handler then digs carefully so that the truffle and the tree roots are not damaged.

The Lagotto Romagnolo Club of Great Britain lists the most common British truffles as Tuber aestivum/uncinatum (the summer and autumn, or Burgundy, truffle) and Tuber brumale, with beech, oak, hazel and hornbeam growing on alkaline soil as the usual host trees. The club also notes that many truffle orchards have been planted around the country, and some training takes place in them.

Truffle hunting dog training is scent work. The breed clubs describe rewarding puppies for touching or sniffing truffle-scented objects, then playing “hunt the truffle” games, first indoors and then outside, with truffles hidden or buried in soil. A good truffle dog works methodically, stays close, is not distracted by the scent of game such as rabbits and deer, and does not eat what it finds.

Who trains and supplies these dogs in the UK

Truffle dogs are bred by private breeders and trained by their owners, often with help from workshops and breed clubs. Nobody on this site sells trained or certified truffle dogs; breeders listed here offer puppies from lines with an aptitude for scent work.

• The English Truffle Company runs full-day truffle dog training workshops near Banbury, Chichester and Yeovil for handlers with no previous scent-work experience. It describes its teaching as relaxed and positive, and also sells training truffles for practice at home.
• The Lagotto Romagnolo Club of Great Britain organises truffle searching training for members, including sessions with the Swiss truffle trainer Denise Stalder, and runs its own truffle tests in the UK. British members have entered their dogs in the Club Italiano Lagotto truffle trials in Italy, where a UK dog was placed third in the Open class in 2023, a first for a British entry.
• The Lagotto Romagnolo Association, a second breed club, has offered truffle training on a private truffle orchard in Scotland.

Breeds and lines

The Lagotto Romagnolo is the classic truffle dog. Its international (FCI) breed standard gives its use simply as “truffle dog”, and the Lagotto Romagnolo Club of Great Britain describes it as the only pure-bred dog recognised as a specialist truffle searcher, a role it took on after the marshlands of its native Romagna were drained. Lagotto Romagnolo truffle dogs are small-to-medium, curly-coated dogs, classed as gundogs by the Royal Kennel Club, with keen noses and a strong urge to dig.

Other truffle dog breeds are chosen for nose and motivation rather than history. The English Truffle Company says it has trained many breeds, from Jack Russells and other terriers to German Shepherds, and that the attitude of the individual dog matters more than its breed. Food-motivated gundogs such as spaniels and Labradors, and crossbreeds, can also suit the work. A calm, biddable dog that enjoys problem-solving and stays close is often a better choice than a very high-drive dog that may find slow woodland searching frustrating.

What to ask a breeder

• Have any dogs from your lines done truffle searching, gundog work or scent work, and can I see one working?
• Which health tests do both parents have, and can I check the results on the Royal Kennel Club’s Health Test Results Finder?
• How do the parents behave when they find food or something interesting: do they bring it, guard it or eat it?
• How are the puppies introduced to new smells, surfaces and outdoor places before they leave?
• Can I see the puppies with their mother, and do you hold a council breeding licence if your breeding needs one?

Legal and welfare notes

Get the landowner’s permission before your dog searches or you dig, even in woodland you are free to walk through: a right to walk somewhere is not permission to dig there. In England and Wales, the Theft Act 1968 says that picking wild fungi is not theft unless it is done for reward, for sale or for another commercial purpose, so digging truffles to sell from land you have no permission to use can be a criminal offence. Many woodlands and protected sites restrict digging and fungi collection, and the law is different in Scotland.

Keep the dog under close control near livestock and ground-nesting birds, and teach it not to eat its finds: many wild fungi are toxic to dogs.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best truffle dog breed?

The Lagotto Romagnolo is the breed most closely associated with truffle hunting, and its FCI breed standard names truffle searching as its use, but it is not the only option. Food-motivated spaniels, Labradors and terriers can all learn the job, and temperament and training matter more than breed.

Can any dog learn truffle hunting?

Most dogs with a good nose and a love of food or play can learn, but most need structured guidance. Workshops such as The English Truffle Company’s are aimed at complete beginners, and the Lagotto breed clubs run training for members.

Where can I go truffle hunting in England?

Only where you have the landowner’s permission. Truffles favour alkaline soils under beech, oak and hazel, so chalk and limestone country is promising, and some truffle orchards and training providers offer supervised sessions.

If your dogs work in truffle searching, or your lines have produced successful truffle dogs, list your breeding on Canine Breeder so owners looking for a truffle dog puppy can find you.