The Lagotto Romagnolo – Truffle Dog Extraordinaire

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100 – June, 2026

By Amy Fernandez

Truffles have been a celebrated delicacy throughout recorded history, and for all that time this celebrity fungus has been linked to a few select regions of Europe. Italy is known for its white truffles; black or Perigord truffles are named for that region of France. Okay, truffle sourcing is not our topic, but their scarcity ensures that truffle prices remain sky high, generally ranging from $3,000 to $8,000 per pound. Those are the average prices; they can go way higher. The current record-setting truffle sold for over $330,000. It’s the familiar story of insatiable demand and extremely restricted supply.

Things are changing in the truffle biz. Several new players have entered the field, among them the Pacific Northwest. Oregon’s American white truffle has steadily made headway into that exclusive market. And that, in turn, has spawned the annual Oregon Truffle Festival–now in its second decade. Okay, fine, let’s get to the dogs. As we know, or should know, at one point in time, the Truffle Dog was an established and highly prized breed. The dogs, along with the ancient art of truffle cultivation had just about disappeared by 1903, when Drury offered this description in British Dogs.

“There is an offshoot of Poodle that is turned to good account as a Truffle Hunter.” He then described his visit to “truffle country”. “…in Dorset these dogs are often found but their owners are very chary of parting with them as they constitute their living. As it is well-known that from November onwards to Christmas prices for the underground fungi called truffles are very high.” Drury went on to detail truffle dog training protocols, stressing the fact that a good truffle dog will merely indicate the precise spot to dig rather than digging and possibly disturbing the crop. Drury sought to document the last remnant of a dying breed.

Click here to read the complete article
100 – June, 2026

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