HI - YOU CAN TRAIN ANY HUNTING/WOODS DOG TO HUNT MORELS FOR YOU. IT'S VERY EASY TO DO; THE DOG KNOWS YOU FIND THEM AND GET ALL EXCITED, SO THE DOG DOES THE SAME. IF YOU HAVE A GOOD WOODS DOG, HE OR SHE WILL CATCH RIGHT ON. TRY IT. IT'S EASY.



Note from The Great Morel:

Here is a link to a site for only the serious of inquiries seeming how the typical trained dog will cost you about $12,000.00.

Truffle Hunting Dogs Frequently Asked Questions page. They can also train dogs to hunt morels even though truffles are their specialty.

Also see More on Truffle Dogs.

The Great Morel plans on adding a link to this site in the near future.

The Great Morel

Just the other day I showed my yellow lab and she wanted to eat the morel. I think if worked with her we would make a great hunting pair.

How diod uyou get the dog to look for them I never had any luck getting one interested in them

I would think you would have to use positive reinforcement. Show the dog every morel you find. Show it to them on the ground. Then when you pick it reward your dog with a treat and pat on the side, including some "good boy" or "good job". Make hunting shrooms positive for the dog and they should want to learn how to do it, to make you and them happy. Maybe?

HI - I THINK IT DEPENDS ON THE DOG. THE DOG I AM REFERRING TO WAS A COUNTRY DOG; ALWAYS IN THE WOODS, LIVED OUTSIDE AND FREE TO ROAM THE WOODS. HE WAS A MIXED BREED; HOUND, SHEPARD, COLLIE AND WHO KNOWS WHAT ELSE. I DO AGREE WITH THE OTHER COMMENTS ABOUT REWARDING THE DOG; SOME DOGS REALLY LOVE BEING REWARDED AND WILL DO ANYTHING TO PLEASE; SOME DOGS JUST DON'T CARE. THE DOG WHO HUNTED WOULD FIND A PATCH AND JUST SIT THERE AND WAIT FOR ME AND WHEN I PICKED THEM ALL, HE WENT OFF TO SEARCH FOR MORE. OF COURSE, HE WAS REWARDED AND PRAISED AND I ALWAYS GAVE HIM A RAW ONE TO EAT AND GAVE HIM THE COOKED ONE'S TOO. I HAVE AN ENGLISH SPRINGER SPANIEL FEMALE NOW WHO I AM TAKING OUT TO TRAIN THIS YEAR AND IT WILL BE INTERESTING IF SHE TAKES TO IT. HER NOSE IS ALWAYS TO THE GROUND. WITH HER, MY FEAR IS THAT SHE WILL START DIGGING AND EATING THEM HERSELF!

You are so right. I had a dog that hunted morels. I would show her one once I found it and off she would go. She was a border collie mix. That was years ago. I wish that I hadn't had her fixed. I can testify that it can be done. Good luck shrooming.

Oh ya, breed of dog is very important. I have a brtiney spaniel that dosent like morels at all but she knows what they are. She will also act strange "birdie" when she can smell them when I go mushroom hunt. Trust me when I say she will NOT point a morel. She hunts birds and its her CRACK and she's addicted. But most of the time she is really more interested in the squirrels. Find a dog that LIKES shrooms and is a pointer, you might have shroom huntin dog. :) Kind of a fun topic to think about. I never had tried such a thing. But recently researched the topic. I guess pigs are really good at hunting truffels. But not too many people really want pigs for pets. LOL

I HAVE A TWO YEAR OLD ENGLISH SPRINGER SPANIEL THAT MY FRIEND GAVE TO ME A FEW MONTHS AGO, AND YES, SAME THING WITH HER. WHEN I COME TO AN ELM TREE, SHE WILL SNIFF AROUND IT. SINCE I HAVEN'T FOUND ANY MUSHROOMS, I DON'T KNOW HOW SHE IS GOING TO REACT OR IF SHE WILL "TAKE" TO FINDING THEM. MY GUESS IS THAT SHE WILL EAT THEM. I COULD USE THE TREAT REWARD SYSTEM WITH HER; IF ANYTHING, THAT WOULD WORK THE BEST. I WOULDN'T MIND HAVING A PIG FOR A PET; BACK IN THE SEVENTIES SOME PEOPLE I KNEW WHO LIVED OUT IN THE COUNTRY HAD A VERY LARGE HOUSE PIG AND IT WAS A GREAT PET. WOULD THERE BE LEASH LAWS FOR PIGS; MANDATORY LICENSES AND RABIES SHOTS?

BY THE WAY, I LIVE IN RICHLAND CENTER WISCONSIN, AND I HAVEN'T HAD ANY LUCK FINDING MUSHROOMS HERE; I HEAR STORIES OF PEOPLE FINDING SOME BUT I AM WAITING UNTIL THEY ARE OUT IN FULL FORCE.

Oh ya, breed of dog is very important. I have a brtiney spaniel that dosent like morels at all but she knows what they are. She will also act strange "birdie" when she can smell them when I go mushroom hunt. Trust me when I say she will NOT point a morel. She hunts birds and its her CRACK and she's addicted. But most of the time she is really more interested in the squirrels. Find a dog that LIKES shrooms and is a pointer, you might have shroom huntin dog. :) Kind of a fun topic to think about. I never had tried such a thing. But recently researched the topic. I guess pigs are really good at hunting truffels. But not too many people really want pigs for pets. LOL