Auzzie is 18 months old, and we have been training her to become our next truffle dog. She loves the smell of truffles and gets excited when we use truffle oil-scented toys on the farm, teaching her to seek out that amazing aroma.
This is the fifth growing season for the English oaks inoculated with Perigord Winter Black Truffles (Tuber melanosporum). Auzzie was excited for her first official truffle dog walk in blocks 1 and 2. Although she spends a lot of time with us and is familiar with the orchard, this was her first training walk, and she did great.
Our goal was for her to stay close to us, no more than one or two rows as her nose started working for the scent, including releasing from her work to come when called. One of the main focus was for her to focus on using her nose without getting distracted by other things. Towards the end of her walk, she began to lose focus, so we put her in her harness and used some correction to end on a positive note.
Ultimately, these truffle dog walks will enhance her ability to perform her farm job. Here is a short video of Auzzie’s first truffiere walk.