Truffle hunting
Driven by nose, Guided by Nature
Truffle Hunting with Trufflemen
At Trufflemen truffle hunting is both our profession and our way of life. We work full time alongside our Lagotto Romagnolo dogs spending our days in the English countryside assessing land, reading soil and trees and following scent trails that most people never notice are there.
What keeps us doing it is simple: we believe truffle hunting is one of the purest ways to work with dogs and the land. It demands patience rather than speed, observation rather than force and a genuine partnership between handler, dog and environment. Every day brings something new, a lesson from the soil, a change in the season or a moment of quiet understanding between dog and handler.
We also care deeply about sharing this knowledge. Truffle hunting can feel mysterious or out of reach yet at its heart it is about curiosity, respect and learning to slow down. Whether someone wants to deepen their understanding or is simply curious about the practice there is space for them in this world.
Truffle Hunting: Tradition, Skill and the Story Beneath the Soil
Truffle hunting rarely begins with certainty. It starts quietly, a dog lowering its head, a subtle change in pace, the sense that something unseen is being read beneath your feet. Long before a truffle is uncovered the story is already unfolding through scent, soil and instinct.
This is how truffle hunting has always been slow, observant and rooted in partnership with your dog.
What Truffle Hunting Really Is
Truffles are underground fungi that grow in close relationship with certain trees and soil types. They develop over years, hidden from sight, shaped by seasons, drainage and the life of the land above them. Because they grow beneath the surface truffles cannot be found by eye alone.
Truffle hunting relies on scent and on dogs trained to read it with remarkable precision. A truffle dog moves methodically, following information carried invisibly through the ground. When a truffle is located it is uncovered carefully with respect for both the find and the place it came from. Done properly truffle hunting is low impact, sustainable and deeply connected to the landscape.
The Lagotto Romagnolo: The Original Truffle Dog
At the heart of truffle hunting is the Lagotto Romagnolo, the only dog breed traditionally bred specifically for this work. Originating in Italy the Lagotto is known for its exceptional sense of smell, intelligence and steady temperament.
A working Lagotto is calm and focused, content in the task itself. The breed’s strength lies not just in its nose but in its willingness to work closely with a handler to search carefully rather than rush and to remain engaged for long periods.
Truffle Hunting in England
England’s countryside offers real if subtle potential for truffle growth. Suitable soils, established tree and the right conditions can support native truffle species though no two sites behave in the same way. Truffle hunting here requires patience, observation and an understanding of how land changes across seasons and years.
Some approach truffle hunting more seriously, dedicating themselves to learning how soil, trees, climate and scent interact. Others arrive through curiosity, a love of food, dogs or the outdoors and explore it more gently fitting it around everyday life. Both approaches share the same foundations: care, knowledge and passion for the dogs who are at the heart of it.
From Professional Practice to Personal Interest
For those who wish to take truffle hunting further it is a discipline that rewards depth. Reading land, assessing potential, training dogs and understanding fungal life cycles takes time and experience. It is work shaped by consistency not speed.
At the same time truffle hunting does not have to be all or nothing. Many people are drawn to it as a weekend interest, a way to give a dog meaningful work, to spend time outdoors or to engage more closely with where food comes from. With the right understanding and responsible practice truffles found can be enjoyed in the kitchen too bringing the experience from land to plate.
The Moment of the Find
When a dog stops and scratches lightly everything becomes still. Attention gathers. The ground is opened carefully and something that has been hidden for years meets the air for the first time. The truffles found in England are often modest in size but rich in character carrying the scent of the land they came from.
Later, they may be used simply shaved over eggs or pasta, stirred into butter or added into a familiar dish. The reward is connection to the place, the process and the dog who found it.
A Shared Tradition
Truffle hunting brings together people from many walks of life united by curiosity, patience and an appreciation for skilled dogs doing purposeful work. Whether followed as a serious pursuit or a quiet interest at weekends it remains an old practice that continues to evolve.
At its core truffle hunting is a conversation between dog and handler, soil and scent, past and present. And for those willing to move slowly enough to listen the ground still has stories to tell.
