# Truffle Hogs

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/truffle-hogs/520329>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 7, 2009, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/truffle-hogs/520329 "2009-12-07T16:55:24Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![miss\_eliss](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7cd45c/32.png) [@miss\_eliss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/miss_eliss)\
**Post date:** [December 7, 2009, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/truffle-hogs/520329/1 "2009-12-07T16:55:24Z")

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I am aware that modern day truffle hunters are much more likely to choose a dog for their foraging companion, but how much does a truffle hog cost? Do all pigs have a natural nose for truffles or do truffle hogs undergo some sort of special training?

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**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\
**Post date:** [December 7, 2009, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/truffle-hogs/520329/2 "2009-12-07T17:02:36Z")

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I believe both require training. They have good sniffers, but they get trained. Truffle hogs are more likely to want to eat their finds and dogs find and move on.

That’s the high-level overview. Others will be in with details.

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**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\
**Post date:** [December 7, 2009, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/truffle-hogs/520329/3 "2009-12-07T19:52:17Z")

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I was under the understanding that hogs hunt truffles because they smell like sow pheromones.

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**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\
**Post date:** [December 7, 2009, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/truffle-hogs/520329/4 "2009-12-07T20:08:07Z")

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For some reason I though this was about people who pick out their favorite candy out of a box leaving the less desirable ones for everyone else.

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**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\
**Post date:** [December 7, 2009, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/truffle-hogs/520329/5 "2009-12-07T21:00:00Z")

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> [@Philster](#):
>
> I believe both require training. They have good sniffers, but they get trained. Truffle hogs are more likely to want to eat their finds and dogs find and move on.
> 
> That’s the high-level overview. Others will be in with details.

My understanding (based on the incidents-guaranteed-exaggerated-for-effect _A Year in Provence_, so don’t bet your life savings on it) was that hogs pretty much instinctively hunt truffles. Which makes it easier on the one hand as they don’t need training, but harder on the other as they can’t really be trained to give up the truffle once they find it. And as hogs grow a little bigger than your average hound, it’s not a physical contest a human can easily win.