Are pigs or dogs still used for truffle hunting in France and Italy today? The short answer: almost exclusively dogs. Pigs are in principle even better suited to the search — but they have a drawback that makes them unusable in professional work.
The pig problem
Pigs are biologically perfect: sows respond instinctively to the truffle's scent, because its aroma compound androstenol resembles the sex pheromone of a boar. In France and Italy truffle hunters worked with pigs for centuries — until a practical problem could no longer be ignored: the pig wanted the truffle for itself.
A grown sow can be prevented only with effort from devouring the find on the spot. Restraining the animal costs strength, sometimes injuries, often the truffle. Today pigs are taken into the woods at most for postcard photos — the actual work is done by dogs.
The Lagotto Romagnolo
Dogs of the Lagotto Romagnolo breed are the classic truffle hounds. Originally an Italian water-dog breed from the Romagna, they have been selected specifically for truffle hunting since the nineteenth century. Their advantages: an unsurpassed sense of smell, high work-readiness, a strong bond with the handler — and the right size to work in dense undergrowth.
A well-trained Lagotto in Italy quickly costs between CHF 5,000 and 15,000. Top dogs with proven parents and several seasons' hunting experience go above 20,000. An untrained puppy starts at around 2,500 — the training and first seasons are then your investment.
Other suitable breeds
In theory, almost any trained dog can be conditioned to truffle hunting. In practice, alongside the Lagotto, the following have proved themselves: Border collies, poodles, smaller spaniel breeds and selected mongrels. What matters is not the breed but sense of smell, work motivation, and a patient handler.
A hunt, anatomically
An experienced truffle hunt lasts a few hours, begins before sunrise and follows no plan a human would understand. The dog ranges widely, suddenly stops, scratches — and the hunter digs with a narrow, curved spade exactly where the dog has paused. Trained dogs work so precisely that the host tree's roots remain undamaged — a detail that decides yields in the seasons to come.
A good truffle dog is not a means to an end. The dog is the actual professional — the human only carries the spade.
Training in brief
- Puppy phase — playful introduction to truffle scent (truffle-oil-water on toys).
- Year 1 — finding buried training truffles, rewarded with food or play.
- Year 2 — first real season in the woods, with an experienced dog as teacher.
- Year 3 onwards — independent work. A fully fledged hunter.