It is time to say goodbye to summer as we look to more seasonal and hearty products like pumpkins, squash, chestnuts, mushrooms \u2026.and let us not forget it\u2019s time for our black diamond\u2026 the black truffle. Despite the sun still not relinquishing her warmth, the cold reached our fields, and it is now time to enjoy harvesting with our dogs as well as some more unusual guests. Wild game and inquisitive rabbits keeping us company as we make our way to the truffles. Truffles are like mushrooms; high temperatures make them an easy target for maggots. We are extra vigilant in our maintenance and care when we harvest at the exact moment. – our dogs help us to achieve this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Today I will share our experience of training Tina, our truffle-hunting dog! Tina is a 4-year-old Brittany breed.\u00a0 Brittany breed dogs are specifically bred for truffle hunting.\u00a0 Coming from such a truffle-hunting genealogy makes work and harvesting faster – so we get to the freshest truffles in no time at all.\u00a0 We had to focus on training her sense of smell.\u00a0 Truffles are hidden in rocky and muddy ground so the dog can be easily distracted if not properly trained. We are already thinking about growing the family to be even more efficient as the harvest grows.\u00a0 The whole truffle-hunting training was based on gaming and positive reinforcement; and was easier than we thought! At the beginning we added truffle to Tina\u2019s food, so she associated the truffle aroma with food.\u00a0 Secondly, we taught her to find her toys and bring them to us. The toys were replaced with fresh truffles, firstly at home and progressing slowly to the woods. Remember to always to praise and treat your dog!<\/p>\n\n\n\n