Truffle Hunter Biographies

Truffle Hunters for Hire

Several of our K9's and handlers have availability to survey mature Douglas Fir tree farms, harvest local truffle plantations, and offer private and semi-private forays for local eco-tourism organizations. Please call for more details.

Elizabeth Kalik

It could be said that Elizabeth has an uncanny ability to talk to animals! Early in her 10 years as a K9 obedience trainer she parlayed her understanding of how dogs learn into a highly effective training methodology, successfully working dogs in sheep herding, the show ring, and obedience competitions. Seven years ago she began training dogs for search and rescue, has herself been a certified K9 handler for 5 years, and has been instrumental in developing efficient, research-based training programs that consistently produce highly successful working scent K9's. Elizabeth's work with and understanding of both pet and working dogs gives her a unique ability to ensure both training performance and life satisfaction, the zeal and enthusiasm with which her dogs work a testament to her skill!

Kelly Slocum

One could rightly say that Kelly has a unique ability to communicate with people, a skill learned in her previous career as a public educator in sustainability practices. An avid outdoorsman and dog lover, she began six years ago training dogs and handlers for search and rescue, working in all SAR-related disciplines, and aiding in the training and certifications of many of the K9/handler teams currently saving lives in the cities and forests of northern Oregon and SW Washington. She and her dog, Joe, have been a certified SAR K9 team for more than four years. Kelly's ability to train handlers to work with and understand their dogs has made her a highly sought after training facilitator and test evaluator among regional working K9 groups.

Allan Kalik

Allan says that he is a musician and music teacher by trade, and a dog trainer by marriage. Animals are a way of life in the Kalik household, but it is Allan's understanding of how people learn, and his years of experience training even the timid and uncertain that make him an invaluable part of the NW Truffle Dog training program. A certified search and rescue responder, Allan has worked with and trained SAR K9/handler teams for more than four years in practical field exercises, helping handlers to overcome uncertainty, and to better understand what their behavior is communicating to their dogs - how to hone and improve that communication.

Roy Slocum

Roy is a dog lover and engineer, the combination of which led him, with his dog Andy, to train and certify in trailing for search and rescue, arguably the most challenging of all SAR disciplines. Roy has explored training methodologies from around the country, working with nationally recognized K9 scent detection specialists to identify the most reliable and efficient means of ensuring K9 performance. His broad knowledge of different training techniques and his methodical approach to scent detection work make him a valued resource who can address nearly every learning style.

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