Truffles & Dogs

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Black Truffles

I have put my foot down and told Mrs Sensible that I am buying a puppy, well maybe I haven’t told her but I have dropped enough hints. One of our neighbours has a dog and they go truffle hunting, the pair of them run up and down the trees at the bottom of the vineyard making lots of noise digging around in the trees for truffles. It looks great fun.

One morning as I stood watching them I asked Mrs Sensible who our neighbour sells the truffles to and does he make much money. Restaurant pay a lot of money for truffles she told me and with one of her school marm looks she asked me why.

Just wondering I answered.

A while ago I broached the subject of buying a puppy and Mrs Sensible pointed out that we already have two dogs. “Really?” I answered more than a little puzzled. “Of course we do. we share Luigina’s dogs”.

Luigina has two dogs, a short fat dachshund called Gilda or sometimes called streger (witch) or even stregona whose only claim to fame is she will eat anything she can catch and despite her short legs and fat body the incredible ability to outrun and outpace anything that tries to catch her, this includes the huge German Shepherd that lives up the road and Luigina armed with a brush.

Her other dog is a one hundred percent pure breed mongrel named Lela or gamba lungo. Lela is a very timid dog that can jump over every fence on the land including the chicken run fence, which she does once or twice a week when she decides she wants an egg.

Lila & Gilda

Lila & Gilda.. the photo doesn’t do justice to Gilda’s belly

Neither of these two dogs are good material for truffle hunting. Lela is impossible to train, she even dares to ignore Mrs Sensible, even I don’t do that. As for Gilda I know she would make a great truffle dog, with her short legs her nose is already dragging along the ground. The problem is any truffle Gilda found would disappear into her belly before I could shout Oye.

So I have decided to get a small sensible house trainable truffle hunting dog.

Meet Fleabag

Meet Fleabag

Now I have heard that it is easier to beg forgiveness than it is to ask permission so I am going dog hunting and later hopefully truffle hunting.

17 thoughts on “Truffles & Dogs”

  2. I am going to be very un-British here, as I don’t really like dogs… (oh…. I forgot! I am NOT British… ) but that Fleabag looks like a bag of fun and adorable!

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  3. That fleabag – whom you will keep totally free of fleas with the aid of modern tech-tricks and meds so you can re-name him Fleafree – is a TERRIER; it looks like an Airdale, or a Welsh. Before you embark on owning any terrier it would be wise to learn about their sparkling INDEPENDENT personality. Even the tiniest Silky lords it over its owners. Since they are dogs that “go to ground” (terra ) they might do as truffle hounds but the training may be close to impossible. Fleafree will train you AND la signora instead. For a truffle-dog, seek out among the local farmers a small mutt that looks like nothing to show off – but the farmers and other locals will NOT tell you about those dogs…
    Research the terriers, I repeat, before you acquire one. If you fall in love with one, your passion will never cease to belabor you. I am that way about Scottish terriers which are NOT toy dogs, not toy dogs!

    I know you’re being facetious when you spell “witch” as “streger” for strega, but careful if you wish to get a sip of Strega, that slick golden liqueur that seems sweet but then burns your tonsils …
    Any white truffles in your vicinity ?

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  7. I’ll lend you The Flatpack, she’s a marvellous hunter. If you like badgers and rats that is. Hasn’t yet brought her spoils back to us though thank goodness so she might need a little training 😉

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