Imagine having one of the world's finest delicacies waved repeatedly under your nose, only to have it whisked away at the last minute.
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Such is the life of Jack Russells Frizbee and Gecko, two of the truffle dogs helping to bring the rare treat to Canberra tables for this year's truffle festival.
Frizbee, aged two, and Gecko, aged four months, and their trainer Damien Robinson put on a show for ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr and other guests on Thursday, showing off their skills in hunting out the rare fungus.
The pair sniffed around for the hidden truffle and dug at the spot to show they had found their prize. Once the truffle was discovered they were rewarded with a tasty meaty treat, while the prized truffle was carefully removed.
Rewarding the dogs with treats is one of the most important steps in training, Mr Robinson said. Gecko's favourite treat is lamb and garlic sausage and Frizbee's favourite is a meaty bite.
Fellow truffle dog trainer and co-owner of Macenmist Barbara Hill said once a dog is rewarded with food, they are less inclined to eat the truffle. "That's why we use dogs instead of pigs to find truffles, because pigs will eat the truffle."
Hundreds of different types of truffles are grown in Australia that are hunted for in the five-to-eight-week truffle season during winter. The fungus can fetch up to $2,000 for a kilo.
But the most important step in training a dog to become a truffle hunter is to find one with a nose for the pungent treat.
Lagotto romagnolo were breed primarily for truffle hunting and are the type of dog that Ms Hill uses for truffle hunting. But both Ms Hill and and Mr Robinson said that you don't need a certain breed of dog for truffle hunting; rather you need a dog with a nose for truffles and a working dog.
Mr Robinson said the best way to find a truffle-decting champion was to throw a ball with traces of truffle up at an animal shelter and find the one or two dogs that respond.
The Truffle Festival enters its ninth year in 2017 and has become the largest festival of its kind in Australia.
The Canberra region specialises in the Black Winter Truffle and the Perigord Truffles, but each truffle has it's own particular taste. Running from from June to August, the festival features more than 250 individual events run by truffle growers, hospitality and tourism operators across Canberra and the region.
