This is the third blog article devoted to truffle hunting in Tuscany. After presenting the truffle hunting in Mugello we made a round trip on the types of truffles in Tuscany. Then we opened a discussion on the characteristics of the ideal truffle dogs.
In this post we want to resume the discussion on the dogs for truffle hunting in Tuscany. We start from the difficulty of finding the ideal dog breed for truffle hunting in Tuscany and beyond. Probably the most used dog for truffle hunting in Tuscany and Italy is the ” lagotto romagnolo”. Such a short-paced dog is best suited to more flat or hilly areas. The lagotto is less frantic in truffle hunting, making it more manageable to the call of the truffle hunter.
There is a reverse of the medal though. The lagotto just for its short step is less suited to the steep slopes of the appennines. In these environments perhaps it is better to have a long-paced dog as the pointer or the bracco along with their various cross-breeds. Generally, mongrels are better off than pedigree dogs because they are more gentle and more resistant to fatigue. Lagottos and mongrels are therefore more suitable for beginners. Experienced truffle hunters will also handle more agitated dogs such as the pointer and even jack russels. Watch this video on truffle hunting and cooking class in Mugello with 2 of our recent guests from England
On the market there are dogs of several breeds trained for truffle hunting in Tuscany. However, it is likely that an expert truffle hunter prefers to employ unskilled dogs. In fact, the professional truffle hunter can count on his own experience to educate the new dog in the best way. For beginners it is best to equip themselves with an already trained dog and a more tranquil breed like a lagotto or a hunting dog mongrel.
We will never cease to emphasize that what matters in the end is the special relationship between dog and truffle hunter. The closer the tie is, the higher the quality of truffle hunting in Tuscany and everywhere. The relationship between truffle hunter and his dog is the real secret of a winning team more than the breed of the dog. Better a well-trained mongrel in tune with the truffle hunter than a poorly trained pedigree dog. Let’s end with the experience of Mauro our peak in-house truffle hunter for the best truffle hunting in Tuscany. Mauro is really fond of her “Stella” a beautiful springer spaniel to another 2 lagottos he also owns. Why?