Sniffing Out Truffles and Other Treasures

We all know dog noses are a superpower. With them, they sniff out all kinds of treasures; from delicious truffles nestled underground to human feces leaking into protected waters. Dogs' sense of smell is trumped only by bears, elephants, and cats. Come explore the many ways dogs put their spectacular sniffers to use.

Truffles are a delicacy prized by chefs and foodies around the world, but these finicky fungi are hard to find. It helps to have a family of Lagotto Romagnolo, or truffle hunting dogs, to do the dirty work. The Angerer Family runs a truffle orchard in Northern California that employs Lagotto Romagnolos to hunt for these elusive and valuable “fairy apples”.

Later in the show, learn more about canine olfaction as Jim and Clare share fun finds of pups using their Jacobson’s organ. Stories like that of Ammo, the Ukrainian mine sniffing Jack Russel Terrier, who shows that you don’t have to be a big dog, to be a good dog.

The Alexander Valley Truffle Company

Angerer Family Farms was started as a vehicle to diversify a connection to Sonoma County. For several years, as the family waited for their hazelnut trees, inoculated with the coveted French winter black truffle spores known as Tuber Melanosporum, to grow, they grew a variety of tomatoes and fruits which they sold to local markets. But as they near our first truffle harvest, attention is shifting below ground. And their five Lagotto Romagnolo truffle hunting dogs are ready!

https://www.avtruffles.com/home

ALTA Heritage Foundation

ALTA conserves heritage through applied archaeology, education, public outreach and research. They offer no cost support for victims of massive wildfires, dispatching trained ash recovery dogs. Homes that are destroyed due to wildfire often burn so hot they destroy the urns of loved ones who have since passed and been cremated. ALTA can recover the ashes among the destruction and provide some solace in a time a loss.

https://altahf.org/

Other Links

Why is your dog’s nose a superpower? Dog Edition Episode #42: https://shows.dogpodcastnetwork.com/show/dog-edition/why-is-your-dogs-nose-a-superpower-dog-edition-42/

Zigante Tartufi (Jim’s favorite truffle company): https://www.ziganteshop.com/products/dark-chocolate-with-black-truffle

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