The truffle dogs... and not just
Yes, it will be trained "in the field" in just three weeks and at the end it will receive a certificate. The fee to pay to register your dog to the only university that graduates truffle dogs is 500 €. Not even that, if you think that this investment could bring in your hands so many precious truffles...
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In Roddi, a few kilometers from Barolo, there is even the University of Truffle Dogs "Barot" (which in Piedmontese dialect indicates the truffle hunter’s stick), where these special helpers have been trained since 1880. The Monchiero family is now fourth generation, and it is Gianni Monchiero ("Barot IV") who manages the whole "school". Everything started in the late nineteenth century from an idea by Antonio Monchiero nicknamed "Barot", as it was said to be very strict with their truffle dogs so much to use the stick when it was necessary. On the other hand, he obtained excellent results in terms of collection: his dog Zurin was a real prodigy. At the beginning the school was designed to train the family dogs and those of friends, then with the son Battista Monchiero called "Barot II", it turned into a real university. It was Battista who met Giacomo Morra and together created a real business of white truffles and more. In fact, he brought almost every day the truffles collected to the Savona Hotel in Alba owned by the Morra family. Battista also took part in the Alba Truffle Fair and every year he presented himself with a fenced wagon with some specimens of truffle dogs on it and the sign "Dog University - prof. Barot". Pasquale Monchiero was "Barot III" and during his mandate, so to speak, a terrier dog arrived at the university ... from Canada! The curious event made news, as you can imagine. In the '70s and' 80s the school remained closed, but in 1989 Gianni Monchiero reopened it, achieving success and even today he is the one that directs it.
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Even if it is a bucolic image, no, in Italy it is forbidden to use the pig, as it damages the ground because it digs holes that are much bigger and deeper than those of dogs. Since 1985 only the dog is allowed, indeed, by law it is mandatory to use a specially trained dog. In France, however, you can go to the search with the pig, but many are still the disadvantages: it is much more difficult to transport it, it gets tired after a short time, it is less obedient than the dog and its main purpose is always to eat the truffle. In addition, by digging furiously with the muzzle, it often ruins the roots of the plants near the truffle, precisely those that with this establish the precious relationships of mycorrhizal symbiosis.
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There is no definitive answer to this question, but there are pros and cons for each one. The female matures earlier than the male, in fact she can already go in search of the truffle bringing good results from the second year of life, instead the male from the age of three. The female is certainly more tame and balanced, even if, in case it was not sterilized, it can cause some problems when for example it goes into heat (they have two heat per year on average). Males on their side may not be so obedient and run away if they feel the presence of a female in heat. In any case there is not a sex that is better than the other in the search, they can both learn very well this activity and give a lot of satisfaction to their master.
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