On this podcast, we talk all things truffles, foraging and dogs. Helping you connect to nature and deepen your relationship with your canine companion. Hear from experts and enthusiasts as they share their inspiring stories and bits of wisdom with you.
In this episode, we tackle the question: Does traditional scent detection or nose work negatively impact truffle dog training? Learn about the benefits and potential challenges of mixing scent disciplines, how to ensure clarity for your dog, and why context and consistency are key to successful training.If you're passionate about truffle hunting and want to connect with like-minded enthusiasts, join the Truffle Dog Club at truffleforager.com for training, meetups, and a supportive community!
On this episode I chat with leading UK-based dog trainer, Nick Benger who recently decided to teach his new malinois, Onyx, how to hunt truffles. Nick is a highly regarded dog trainer and has been training dogs for nearly 20 years starting when he was just 15. He's become a bit of a celebrity after being called up to the Amazon Prime Hit TV Show The PACK, to be their lead trainer. He now resides in Bristol and has a successful pet dog training company called Hound Plus. Nick and I connected over a shared interest, dogs and truffle hutning. On this episode we talk about a wide array of general dog training principles and reveal some top tips for any aspiring truffle dog handler.
In this interview, Ben talks with friend and fellow truffle Nerd, Jon McGowan, who recently won 1st place at The UK Truffle Dog Championships 2023 with his Lagotto Romagnolo, Tembo. In this episode, we learn about how Jon did it, and what his experience was like and he reveals several bombshells of information when it comes to truffle hunting and dog training. Enjoy.
Alana McGee is the founder of The Truffle Dog Company and is a world-renowned truffle consultant and truffle dog trainer. Learn more about Alana here: https://truffledogcompany.com In this episode, we cover: 00:02:26 - Alana McGee's story and how she got started training truffle dogs 00:09:05 - What different truffle species do you find in North America - An Overview 00:18:14 - Alana's favourite truffles and what different truffles smell like? 00:24:00 - Are there undiscovered areas where wild truffles might be growing? 00:28:00 - Truffle oil vs. real truffles for dog training 00:32:50 - How do you make your own truffle-scented oils? 00:37:10 - Alana shares what science and truffle research projects she's excited about 00:41:00 - Alana talks about her dogs 00:43:10 - What are the most common things new truffle dog handlers struggle with? 00:46:50 - How to teach a dog to alert and stay at source 00:50:20 - What is the ideal truffle dog sequence to train for 00:58:00 - What do your advanced students commonly struggle with? 01:04:20 - How much do we need to worry about scent contamination when training our dogs? 01:08:50 - What is the best way to explore new truffle areas with your dog? 01:16:00 - How to use your “que” when training your dog hunt truffles 01:17:35 - Alana shares what she loves most about her work in the truffle industry 01:20:45 - Alana talks about truffle hunting in Europe 01:29:12 - Raking for truffles vs using dogs 01:40:18 - Alana's favourite way to eat truffles Subscribe and share if you enjoy this episode!
In this captivating podcast episode, I interview UK wild food expert and foraging guide, Sam Webster for www.foragingforages.com. Sam delves into the fascinating world of unconventional laundry techniques, intriguing facts about deadly fungi, mouthwatering recipes featuring fermented wild garlic, and the therapeutic benefits of foraging for your mental health. Join us as we explore innovative ways to wash your clothes using conkers, uncover the mysteries of poisonous mushrooms, discover delightful culinary creations, and delve into the healing power of nature. Get ready for an engaging and enlightening journey through the realms of truffles, nature, and unconventional living. Tune in to the Truffle Forager Podcast with Sam Webster and embrace a unique blend of knowledge, inspiration, and natural wonders.
Join The Truffle Forager email newsletter community here
In this video podcast episode, I talk to master dog trainer, Nate Schoemer about truffle dog training, scent detection training and many other foundational principles to do with dog training including; free shaping, obedience training tips, positive punishment, rewarding your dog and much more. Please consider leaving a review of the podcast on iTunes if you're enjoying this content (it helps a lot, thanks). Nate has a fantastic YouTube channel, which you should definitely check out. His dog scent training video series are amazing and I highly recommend them. If you enjoy this episode, let me know in the comments and I'd be happy to answer any questions you might have. Join the Truffle Forager email community -
In this podcast interview, I talk with mycologist and herbologist, Jesper Launder. Jesper is a super knowledgeable guy and also shares a particular fascination with truffles. We cover a wide range of mushroom-related topics including, 90 species of truffles found in the UK, how to spot the signs of truffles in your local village or park, medicinal mushrooms and how to prepare your own, and a lot more besides.
In this podcast interview, join me and the founder of Learn Your Land, Adam Haritan as we discuss his journey into foraging and mushrooms and a lot more besides. We dive into tree identification and its importance to the forager. We get his view on invasive species and how he views them... Maitake mushroom prep and also boiling your mushrooms instead of frying them... who knew! I was very grateful to speak with Adam, and his knowledge and enthusiasm for wild foods is infectious. I hope you enjoy watching and listening as much as I did talking to him. Check out more from Adam here
Welcome to this Episode of the Truffle Forager Podcast, where it's my job to chat with Truffle Hunters, Mushroom Experts and Enthusiasts from around the world and tease out their stories of Inspiration and Wisdom with you... helping you to deepen your connection with mother nature. Special guest: Julie Stopforth Since 2015, Julie and her family have been hunting for white truffles professionally in an undisclosed location in southern Europe. A retired truffle hunter took them under their wing and was able to give them the key information to get started truffling. Now they sell the white truffles they find direct to the consumer in 24 hours from ground to table to maximise freshness and quality. Julie's website: https://pelagaggia.com/ YouTube: Pelagaggia Truffles - The Ultimate Truffle Guide Like this type of content - let me know in the comments? ////////////////////// ✌️ \\\\\\\\\ Join the Truffle Forager community & stay updated with the latest
Welcome to this Episode of the Truffle Forager Podcast, where it's my job to chat with Truffle Hunters, Mushroom Experts and Enthusiasts from around the world and tease out their stories of Inspiration and Wisdom with you... helping you to deepen your connection with mother nature and your dog. Special guest: Melissa Waddingham Since 2011, Melissa has been a professional truffle hunter in the UK. Together with her dogs, she respectfully and sustainably hunts for truffle mushrooms. She's a student of forestry and woodland management, which has, along with her quest for truffles, developed a profound respect in her for the associations between truffles, mushrooms and the woodlands they can be found in. 10 years ago, she later turned this passion into a career, launching her mushroom foraging business; Truffle and Mushroom Hunter. For anyone interested in truffles, Melissa does it all... from leading truffle foraging courses, training truffle dogs, carrying out woodland surveys and collaborating with landowners to nurture environments for truffle cultivation. She's a member of the British Mycology Society and sat on the board of the Professional Foragers Association for several years. You can visit here website http://truffleandmushroomhunter.com/ Instagram and Facebook @TruffleAndMushroomHunter Like this type of content - let me know in the comments? ////////////////////// ✌️ \\\\\\\\\
Welcome to this Episode of the Truffle Forager Podcast, where it's my job to chat with Truffle Hunters, Mushroom Experts and Enthusiasts from around the world and tease out their stories of Inspiration and Wisdom with you... helping you to deepen your connection with mother nature. Special guest: Gareth Renowden Despite being a photographer, writer, magazine editor and publisher, over the last 25 years Gareth Renowden has turned himself into a truffle grower. Born and raised in the UK, Gareth now lives in New Zealand on his farm, Limestone Hills, based in the Waipara Valley (near Christchurch on the South Island). His truffle farm is unique in that, they are the only farm in New Zealand to produce four different speicies of truffle. His award winning book on truffles, The Truffle Book, is a perfect introduction into the pleasurable and mysterious world of truffles. He's a truffle grower because he likes eating them, and perhaps he'll explain why… ;-) You can learn more about Gareth by visiting https://limestonehills.co.nz/ Also please follow him on Twitter and on Instagram @grenow Like this type of content - let me know in the comments?
Welcome to this Episode of the Truffle Forager Podcast, where it's my job to chat with Truffle Hunters, Mushroom Experts and Enthusiasts from around the world and tease out their stories of Inspiration and Wisdom with you... helping you to deepen your connection with mother nature. In this first episode, James Feaver is our special guest, where he talks about finding massive english truffles and shares some great tips for training your truffle dog, and much more. More about James: Since 2012, James has been the owner of The English Truffle Company - where he not only sells truffles to Michelin star chefs, private individuals and truffle dealers but he also sells truffle inoculated trees, unique truffle hunting experience days and much more. James and his truffles have been featured on Radio 4, BBC News, ITV, a host of newspapers & magazines including The Guardian, Financial Times, CountryFile and the Great British Food magazine (just to name a few)... He's also been featured on an "Insider" video series titled "21 Jobs You Probably Never New Existed" as well as a "Business Insider" video all about Truffles, which went viral and now has more than 14M views. Also, James and his truffles have been used on a number of special occasions over the years, including a dinner cooked at the 2020 BAFTA awards. Learn more about James at: www.englishtruffles.co.uk Follow him on Twitter @EnglishTruffles Like this type of content - let me know in the comments?
© 2020-2025 Ivy Podcast Discovery LLC
