What does a Professional Truffle Dog Service offer?
Specially trained truffle dogs are universally recognised as the most reliable and efficient way to find truffles. By using our service, you will:
- minimise leaving mature truffles in the ground
- be supported when harvesting truffles for ripe truffles
- always receive services from dogs in their prime years of truffle hunting
Truffle Hunting
Truffle Dog Services offers professional truffle finding services across the north island country. Our dogs are trained to locate all three varieties of edible truffles found in New Zealand, which are:
- Black Truffle (Tuber melanosporum) – this is named after the Périgord region of France. Coloured a very dark brown, these truffles normally reach a size of about 10cm. The price for black truffles grown in New Zealand is usually between $2,000–3,000–per kilogram.
- Bianchetto Truffle or White Truffle (Tuber borchii) – these have a brown or pale yellow appearance and can grow up to 5cm in diameter. Whitish truffles grow under a wide variety of trees. The price varies between $500-$2,500 per kilogram.
- Burgundy Truffle (Tuber aestivum/uncinatum) – With a hazelnut aroma, these truffles can grow up to 10cm or more in diameter. Burgundy Truffles sell for between $50 and $800 per kilogram.
Location is only the first step. The next step is to validate that the truffle is mature and ready for harvesting. Karen works with truffle orchardists to teach them how to identify and harvest mature truffles, then clean and grade them.
Supporting Your Truffle Dog
Some truffle orchardists choose to train their own dogs to find their own truffles. Truffle Dog Services can help get your own dog ready for the up and coming season through their online Truffiere owners Dog Training Course.
Whether you have an established truffle business, or are looking to harvest your first crop, we are here to help you realise the value of your investment.