Truffles may be a delicacy enjoyed around the world, but we owe compliments not only to the chef who prepared the dish, but also the dog who found the truffle. That’s right, dogs around North America have been trained in the fine art of truffle hunting and they are heading to the Lane Events Center Feb. 8 to compete in The Joriad North American Truffle Dog Championship. The Joriad, run by the Oregon Truffle Festival, is the only competition of its kind in North America. “The Oregon Truffle Festival and The Joriad lay the foundations for a thriving truffle industry in Oregon,” says Charles Lefevre, Oregon Truffle Festival co-founder and member of its Board of Directors. The competition consists of three rounds. The first round is called the TORT, or truffle odor recognition test. In this round, the dogs are presented with 17 trays, and of those 17, five have a scented target. The dogs must successfully identify the five trays with truffles to move on to the next round. The second round is a hunt in the arena. The arena is divided into separate areas, each with a certain number of hidden targets. The dogs must race against the clock to find five targets within each area and the top five fastest competitors advance to the final round. In the final round, which is not open to spectators due to the secret location, the dogs are tested in a real truffle patch. The dog who collects the most truffles in one hour is crowned the champion.

The Joriad North American Truffle Dog Championship is 9 am Saturday, Feb. 8, at the Lane Events Center, 796 West 13th Avenue. Tickets are $20 in advance at OregonTruffleFestival.org or $25 at the door.