Cheering and barking radiated through the arena at the Joriad North American Truffle Dog Championship on Feb. 8 as 28 dogs competed to be crowned the Joriad champion and the ultimate truffle hunting dog. 

The typical barnyard smell of animal fur and manure of the livestock arena at the Lane County Events Center was replaced with the earthy, musky aroma of truffles buried beneath the dirt waiting for a dog to signal to their owner and yell, “Truffle!”

The first Joriad took place in 2014 several years after the Oregon Truffle Festival was founded in 2006 by Charles Lefevre, Ph.D. and his wife Leslie Scott. The Oregon Truffle Festival started as an educational event to prove to the world the caliber of Oregon truffles while “elevating their reputation into the pantheon of delicacies around the world,” Lefevre said.

According to Lefevre, one of the primary issues facing the Oregon truffle industry at the birth of the Oregon Truffle Festival was the way they were harvested. Truffle hunters were using rakes to harvest truffles, yet this often led to unripe truffles being collected and left environmental damage to the truffle patches. “Truffles don’t make any aroma until the spores are mature and ready to be dispersed,” he says. 

The answer to this problem? Truffle dogs. 

“We thought that there was a simple mechanism to elevate the reputation of the Oregon truffles, which was to introduce truffle dogs,” Lefevre says. “They would supply a dramatically better quality product than the market had seen up to that point.”

After a few years of training and gaining popularity, the Joriad was born. A place for truffle hunters and their furry partners to compete in a series of scent recognition tests, all vying for a spot in the exclusive final round where the dogs are tested in a real truffle patch.

For many competitors, the Joriad is also a place for this niche community to come together and connect over their love for the dogs. 

“The one thing we have in common is that we all love our dogs,” says Dee Dee Hansen, the owner of Hope, a rescue Golden Retriever from China. 

This year was Hope’s first time competing at the Joriad. Despite being 8 years old, Hope’s puppy-like demeanor and keen nose made her a strong competitor among the younger dogs. As she stood in line, waiting for her turn to enter the arena with her neon orange “truffle hunting harness,” her long tail swung rapidly as she eagerly looked up toward Hansen awaiting a treat and an accompanying “Good girl, Hope!”

Although Hope did not progress past the second round, Hansen says she is always proud of Hope, “no matter what.”

Brandon Scott Stimac and Vassilissa Semouchkina drove from Seattle to compete for the first time with their 3-year-old mini Australian shepherd, Moonmin. Backstage before the first round, the truffle odor recognition test or TORT, Stimac says he was feeling the nerves as he attempted to untangle his legs from Moomin’s leash. Yet, Moomin eased through the first two rounds, earning the fifth and final spot in the coveted truffle patch round. 

“The feeling is euphoric,” Semouchkina says after learning Moomin earned a spot in the final round. “We are so proud of him and we just feel so grateful to be involved in this community.”

Moomin placed fifth in the competition finding 16 truffles in one hour in the secretive truffle patch. Rosey, a black lab, won the competition with over 70 truffle finds. 

As the Oregon truffle industry continues to make a name for itself among a plethora of international truffles, golden retrievers, mini Australian shepherds, labradors, lagotto romagnolos and any other truffle-hunting dog is to thank.

“The dogs are great ambassadors for the Oregon truffle industry,” Lefevre says. “They elevate the culture and, of course, they’re cute.”