Truffle dog
To search for real truffles , detection dogs are trained and used, which are known as truffle dogs . One breed that is preferred is the Lagotto Romagnolo , but other hunting dogs also have animals that are suitable for truffle hunting .
Unlike in France , where female domestic pigs are sometimes still used to hunt truffles , this has been banned in Italy since 1982.
education
In the Piedmontese town of Roddi , Antonio Monchiero founded the Università dei Cani da Tartufo in 1880 , an institution officially recognized since 1935, in which truffle dogs are later trained by his descendants Giovanni, Pietro and Pasquale up to the current rector Giovanni Monchiero. The basic training there lasts 15–20 days, a complete training 3–4 years.
While the individual suitability only becomes clear after about six months, the training should ideally be started by the future dog handler when the puppy is about 2 months old .