I woke this morning with this question on my mind! If you train your dog to find the native British truffle— could they also find other varieties? Please hit me with the answers— happy Sunday

I must be honest—I never used to think much about the "rules" of truffle hunting. But as this hobby becomes more popular, I feel it’s an important topic to discuss. I imagine new members joining our club will be eager to ask, “Where can I go to hunt truffles in the UK?” In other words, asking others to reveal their secret truffle spots—places that likely took a LONG time and effort to find. This got me thinking, and I wanted to start a conversation with all of you to help us decide what should—and shouldn’t—be considered ‘unwritten rules’ within our club (and beyond, for that matter). To share or not to share—that’s the question. This is something I’ve seen come up a lot in foraging circles: how we treat the “secret spots” we’ve worked so hard to discover. I get it. If you’ve been searching for truffles for what feels like forever and keep coming up empty-handed, it’s frustrating. Trust me, I’ve been there, and I’m there again now since moving to new digs. But here’s the thing—finding truffles isn’t just about hitting the jackpot. It’s about the journey, learning the craft, and exploring the outdoors with your dog. Now, let’s talk about these ‘unwritten rules.’ Some feel that asking for specific truffle locations—especially GPS coordinates or “What Three Words” spots—is a bit rude and certainly it's lazy. And I tend to agree. Why? Because finding these places typically takes hours of research, footwork, and a lot of trial and error (which is part of the joy—don’t rob yourself of this experience!). That said, it doesn’t mean we can’t help each other. Sharing information on environmental factors to look out for—like tree species, soil types, or general areas—is, to me, totally fine and a great way to support each other’s learning. Pointing people toward helpful research, books, or resources is also great. But directly asking someone for their truffle hotspot for free without building much of a connection with that person? That’s where I think it crosses the line.

Otto has had a busy morning

This matter would greatly benefit from a member vote I feel, so let's try it. (I told you Founding Members would help shape the future direction of this club 😃) My view: Although this is a UK focused community, which is awesome, I feel that if non-UK residents find us and want to join, they should be permitted. I'm open to being over ruled on this but keen to hear what thoughts members have too. Please vote below to help us get a better sense on this matter. Much appreciated 🙏 PS - I'm also testing the "Send email to all members" feature with this post as an experiment. FYI - I won't do this often unless its important or valuable content updates etc.

Hey! Welcome to the Truffle Dog Club. This community helps UK based dog handlers + aspiring truffle hunters connect with each other and get all the support, tools, and resources they need to become 'Weekend Truffle Hunters' with their dogs. It's the best way to bond with your dog and connect with folks who love truffle hunting, dogs and food just as much as you do. 𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗣 𝟭: 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗼𝘄 (✄ copy/paste template 👇) - Where are you from? - What's your dog's name and breed? - What initial help + support do you need? - Don't forget to share a pic of your dog 🖼️ using the 🖇️ icon 👍 𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗣 𝟮: Discover How to Unlock FREE BONUSES in the Classroom and get your TRAININGS! 𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗣 𝟯: 𝗔𝗻𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗼𝘄 Bye for now Ben