NZ Truffle Dogs
Welcome to TruffleDog Truffle Hunting service. We are based on the Coromandel Peninsula and travel to North Island truffieres in the winter.
We train our dogs to seek truffles, using techniques that produce reliable, controlled dogs that know exactly what to look for.
We check all trees and take time to ensure the trees and surrounds are searched for truffles. We search on and off lead to ensure all available truffles are found and the dogs are focused and intent on their work. The dogs are rested at intervals so their noses are refreshed and they are ready to search again when asked.
The dogs use a combination of air and ground scenting to locate truffles. When a truffle is located, the dogs indicate the find and we decide whether or not to harvest the truffle or leave it to further mature. We have very close bonds with our dogs and we notice small changes in their behaviours which would not be noticed by an observer.
In the truffle season, we recommend searching the truffiere at regular intervals. Once the dog indicates, we mark the spot and move on to search the whole area. The decision to harvest is made on colour and odour and we don’t want to disturb the truffle until the optimal ripeness is reached. If truffles are not mature when indicated, then a follow up search can be scheduled.
Truffle odour radiates from the source and more truffles are likely to be found when the dogs work methodically through the truffiere. We work through all trees to give the dogs the best chance of scenting and finding truffle. Customs, police and drug dogs work in a similar way. Methodical searching means that the dogs get the best opportunity to succeed in the task they have been trained to do.
Perigord (Peri) is a feisty little Jack Russell rescue dog, who has been hunting for many seasons. Commonly called the “Jack Terrorist” or the “Nail Gun”, she’s an enthusiastic hunter and gets very excited when she finds truffles. Peri is extremely accurate when it comes to locating truffles. She’s always right! Her record is 39 truffles under one tree.
Caph, our Belgian Malinois is a rather shy girl who likes to work quietly on her own. She’s become a very good hunter who is always willing to work.
Our boy Maze is another another Belgian Malinois. He’s a young dog who has been working and training hard to be ready for the 2022 season.
In mid 2021 we lost our lovely old Labrador Sirius. She was our first truffle dog and found many hundreds of kilos of truffles for growers in New Zealand and Australia.
