FAQ
You CAN Teach an Old Dog New Tricks!
Can I Make Money?
Like any other venture you should do you homework. Oregon Truffles frequently go for $300 per pound, but as with any crop your gambling with mother nature. You may also find opportunities harvesting truffles for people who have planted truffle orchards. According to What's Cooking America "truffles are common in the Pacific Northwest - especially in Douglas Fir forests" but they go on to add that "most of the harvest takes place on tree farms".
Why don't you have Professional Truffle Dogs for sale?
We pride ourselves on training awesome working dogs. To keep a cadre of six or eight dogs fresh and ready to go takes an incredible amount of time and money to cover food, vet costs, and training….which would have to be passed on to the purchaser. Furthermore, we believe that the best professional dog is the dog that the handler loves. For this reason, we will help you select the right breed to fit your needs and lifestyle and train that dog to do the job.
Old school para-military style trainers may tell you that you need a law enforcement style of dog and training, but that simply isn't supported by the facts. The US Department of Agriculture use Beagles to inspect shipments. We aren't suggesting you run out at get a Beagle, but we do believe that there are many wonderful breeds of dog in the sporting/hunting category that would be well suited to life on the plantation and in the home. We have experience training, certifying and deploying a wide variety of breeds and guarantee results. If you have immediate harvest needs, we do have certified dog and handler teams ready to go, just call for a referal.
Dog Versus Hog
It is true that pigs were once traditional truffle hunters and they are no doubt the better of the two at locating the delicacy possessing a voracious appetite for the fungi. However, trying to fish a truffle from the mouth of a hungry hog is a treacherous task. Dogs are easily trained and transported and is often a better fit for the average foraging family.
What Breed Can I Use?
Absolutely any breed can be used to locate truffles. It is true some breeds may be easier to train, or easier to work with, and some may do better working on-lead versus off-lead, but ultimately any dog is far superior to humans at locating truffles and all dogs have some potential to aid the process. Some dogs have outstanding potential such as working and sporting breeds. Another consideration is longevity and stamina if you want the best return on your investment. The most important thing to remember is to not have unreasonable expectations of your dog, and to make sure they are physically sound before starting training. You are making an investment in your pet after all.
How Old Should/Can My Dog Be?
Again, with physical soundness the most important criteria, there is no age restrictions on training your truffle hunter. If your dog is nearing his life expectancy, you may want to take that into consideration when deciding how much you would like to invest, but there is no reason that an eight or ten year old dog that is active and in good shape, cannot be ready for the 2011/2012 Truffle Season.
Can I Sell My Truffles
According to a feasibility study by David Pilz, Charles Lefevre, Leslie Scott, and James Julian, demand for truffles outstrips supply and the industry outlook for Oregon is very positive, rivaling even that of the wine industry.
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