Online truffle dog training · Self-paced · Foundations 1–3
DIY Foundations
train when it works for you.
All three Foundations levels in one self-paced course: your dog’s first introduction to truffle odor, through progressively harder searches, to buried hides in the forest or on the farm. You work through it whenever you can get out with your dog.
Enroll now, save 20% on training supplies
DIY Foundations opens October 15th, 2026. Enroll before then and we’ll email you a code for 20% off all Truffle Dog Company training supplies — odor, tins, kits — so your gear is ready when the course opens.
Course access begins at launch, not at purchase.
No scheduled class nights. No waiting for the next level to open. Move forward when you and your dog are ready.
WHERE THIS TAKES YOU
Start with a dog who’s never smelled a truffle. Build a team ready for real searches.
DIY Foundations is our complete self-paced online truffle dog training program. Think of it as DIY truffle dog training. It brings Foundations 1, Foundations 2 and Foundations 3 together in one place: introducing truffle odor, building a reliable indication, developing your handling skills and communication with your canine partner, increasing search complexity and preparing your team to transition into field and forest work.
You train your own dog where you live — in your home, your yard and eventually appropriate outdoor environments. Lessons combine video demonstrations with written, step-by-step instruction so you can watch the skill, understand the purpose behind it, practice it, and return whenever you need a refresher.
No previous dog training or truffle hunting experience is required. You do not need to live in the Pacific Northwest. You need a dog who enjoys using their nose, training odor, a few basic supplies and the willingness to practice.
- Format
- Self-paced online
- Access
- Lifetime
- Levels covered
- F1, F2 & F3
- Experience needed
- None
- Location
- Train worldwide
- Community
- Facebook training forum
- Personal feedback
- Add 30 or 60 min instructor-led lessons
- Price
- $497
Why DIY Foundations?
Serious training. Flexible schedule.
Some handlers want the full Foundations curriculum but cannot commit to a fixed class for thirteen plus consecutive weeks. DIY Foundations is for people who are comfortable doing the work independently and want guidance from first scent introduction to increasingly realistic searches.
The truffle trail is in front of you
This is not an introduction or a handful of scent games. All three Foundations levels live together in one program, so you can see where you are going and build one skill on top of the last.
Your dog sets the pace
Some dogs fly through a concept. Others need repetition, a change of environment or a few days off. There is no class calendar. Move forward when you’re ready.
Watch it. Read it. Try it.
Video demonstrations show the exercises in action, while written instructions break down setup, handling and training goals. Rewatch anything as often as you need.
You are not training in a vacuum
Enrollment includes access to our general Facebook training forum, a community space open to Truffle Dog Company handlers and other truffle-dog enthusiasts where you can ask questions, share training wins and talk through ideas.
Expert help is there if you need it
DIY does not include individual instructor review, but private Zoom lessons can be booked separately if you hit a sticking point and want an instructor to watch your team work.
A note about the Facebook forum
The forum is a general community training space and is open beyond enrolled students. It is a useful place to ask questions and compare experiences, but it is not a substitute for personalized instructor assessment and does not include guaranteed homework or video review.
The curriculum
Three levels. One complete arc.
You can follow the same progression we use in our live Foundations. The goal is not to race through lessons. Move forward when the current skill is working reliably for you and your dog.
Build value for truffle odor
Drive, focus, and a clear indication
This is where truffle hunting starts: teaching your dog that truffle odor predicts something wonderful, then turning that enthusiasm into a search you can read and reward.
- Gear, setup and building your training targets
- Introducing odor and creating enthusiasm for truffle scent
- Early detection games and reward mechanics
- Reading changes of behavior instead of guessing
- Building a clear, repeatable indication
- Early distraction work and handler mechanics
Make the search hold up in the real world
Harder hides, better handling, more honest searches
Now the environment gets harder. You will ask your dog to solve increasingly complex odor problems while you learn how your own movement, leash handling, and timing influence the search.
- New surfaces, elements, and unfamiliar environments
- More complex and better-concealed hides
- Leash work, pacing, and search-area handling
- Learning when to help — and when to stay out of the way
- Building independence and confidence
- Troubleshooting common problems that appear at this stage
Prepare for field and forest searches
Practical application and outdoor complexity
The final foundation level (or Intermediate as we call it) moves toward the conditions that matter when training becomes hunting: larger spaces, buried odor, distraction, negative space, digging, and the human skills required to work safely around real truffles.
- Large, complex open-area searches
- Buried hides in forest and orchard-style conditions
- Proofing around distraction and working negative space
- Solidifying alerts for precision
- Digging without unnecessary damage
- Sustainable harvest practice, ripeness and truffle care
Self-paced does not mean “do it all this weekend.”
The curriculum is progressive because the skills need time to settle. Short, frequent practice sessions are more useful than rushing through lessons. If you want structure, follow the suggested three to four month path. If your dog needs longer at a stage, take longer.
Included with enrollment
The complete DIY training system.
Foundations 1, 2 & 3
Our full online Foundations progression from first odor introduction through intermediate field-preparation skills.
Video demonstrations
See exercises, setups and handling concepts demonstrated instead of trying to translate text into dog training on your own.
Written step-by-step lessons
Clear instructions for what to set up, what you are teaching, what to watch for and how to practice.
Scent dynamics & how dogs hunt
Learn how odor moves through an environment, how dogs work scent, and what those scent dynamics mean for your setup, handling and search strategy.
Suggested training progression
Use our recommended sequence and pacing as your roadmap, even though you are free to move more slowly when your dog needs it.
Lifetime course access
Train through the curriculum at your own pace, revisit earlier exercises whenever you need them, and return for refreshers as your dog develops.
Facebook training forum
Join our general training community to ask questions, share progress and connect with other people training truffle dogs.
Private lessons available
If you need individual troubleshooting, book a 30- or 60-minute private Zoom lesson with a Truffle Dog Company instructor.
A path toward Field & Forest
DIY graduates can move toward our advanced in-person work after the required private lesson and/or instructor approval.
How it works
Open the lesson. Train the skill. Let the dog tell you when to move on.
Get your gear and training odor
Start with the supply list and choose the training odor that makes sense for where you live and what you eventually hope to hunt.
Work through Foundations 1
Build value for odor, learn to read your dog’s search behavior and develop a clear indication you can trust.
Increase difficulty deliberately
Foundations 2 adds environment challenges, concealment, handling, and distraction without throwing away the clarity you built in the beginning.
Move toward real-world searches
Foundations 3 continues the work outside in increasingly more complex scenarios and adds buried odor, larger search areas, negative space, precision and responsible digging.
Get eyes on your team before advanced field work
Because DIY does not include regular instructor observation, complete the required private lesson and/or receive instructor approval before joining advanced Field & Forest classes.
Meet the team behind DIY Foundations
Built from years of training dogs, handlers, and real truffle-hunting teams.
DIY Foundations is self-paced, but the training behind it comes from years spent teaching dogs and handlers — and successfully working truffle dogs in the forests, farms, and producing orchards these skills are ultimately designed for. Together, Alana and Victoria bring two complementary perspectives to DIY Foundations: extensive practical experience working truffle dogs in the field, and deep experience teaching handlers how to build those skills from the ground up. The course is designed to give you that same progressive Foundations pathway while allowing you and your dog to move through it on your own schedule.
Alana McGee
CPDT-KA · Founder, Truffle Dog Company
Alana McGee has spent more than 15 years training dogs and handlers with reward-based methods and has worked professionally in the truffle industry since 2008. Her experience extends far beyond the classroom: she trains and handles truffle dogs for wild harvest, works with cultivated truffle orchards and growers, consults on professional truffle-dog programs, and has helped advance the use of trained dogs in the developing North American truffle industry. Her work has taken her into truffle orchards and forests across North America and internationally, collaborating with growers, mycologists, scientists and professional handlers on canine scent detection, harvest practices, and the transition from training exercises to reliable work in real truffle-producing environments. That real-world experience is an important part of the philosophy behind DIY Foundations. The goal isn’t simply to teach a dog to recognize truffle odor. It is to build the indication, search skills, handler mechanics, and the partnership that can eventually hold up when you leave the training room and step into the woods or orchard.
Victoria Gideon
KPA-CTP · CPDT-KA · CNWI · TAGteach
Victoria Gideon specializes in positive-reinforcement training, canine scent work and developing confident, reliable working teams. A Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner, Certified Professional Dog Trainer and Certified Nose Work Instructor, Victoria has spent years teaching Truffle Dog Company’s Foundations curriculum from the very first introduction to truffle odor through increasingly complex searches and Intermediate-level work. Her background in both truffle training and broader canine behavior gives Victoria a particular strength in breaking complex skills into clear, achievable steps. She has worked with recreational and professional truffle dogs for both wild hunting and orchard work, while continuing advanced education in learning theory, behavior, scent detection and humane, evidence-based training. Victoria’s teaching is a major influence on how DIY Foundations is structured: build the skill clearly, give the dog enough repetition to understand it, increase difficulty thoughtfully, and teach the handler to recognize what the dog is communicating rather than simply chasing the end result.
A note about DIY: Alana and Victoria’s experience informs the course, but DIY enrollment does not include ongoing personalized instructor review. If you want an instructor to watch your team or troubleshoot a specific challenge, 30- and 60-minute private Zoom lessons can be booked separately.
Choose the format that fits you
Same Foundations pathway. Different level of support.
DIY is for independent handlers who need flexibility. The live Cohort is for handlers who want an instructor watching the dog, reviewing homework and troubleshooting alongside them for thirteen weeks.
| DIY Foundations $497 |
Live Foundations Cohort $987 |
|
|---|---|---|
| Foundations 1, 2 & 3 curriculum | Included | Included |
| Video + written Online Classroom | Included | Included |
| Train from home, worldwide | Yes | Yes |
| Set your own schedule | Yes | Fixed class times |
| Live instructor coaching | No | 10 live sessions |
| Homework video review | No | Included |
| Live Fireside Q&A | No | 9 Firesides |
| General Facebook training forum | Access | Access |
| Private cohort / alumni community | No | Included |
| Immediate Field & Forest eligibility | Requires approval | On completion |
If you know you learn best with someone watching your dog and correcting your timing, choose the live Cohort. If your schedule is the limiting factor and you are comfortable practicing independently, DIY was built for you.
Gear
What you’ll need.
You do not need a room full of specialized equipment, but you do need appropriate training odor and enough odor tins to progress through the exercises. The course walks you through the setup and supply list.
Basic Kit
Odor and a tin to get started. Source additional supplies as you progress.
Shop the kit →Class Starter Kit
A practical starting setup for handlers who want the essentials in one order.
Shop the kit →Deluxe Training Kit
The easiest choice if you want the supplies needed across the full Foundations progression together.
Shop the kit →Training oils are available for Oregon White & Black, Périgord, Pecan, and a European farm blend of Burgundy and Périgord. Other species may be available on request. For the complete Foundations series you will need 12 odor tins.
After DIY Foundations
Foundations is the beginning of the hunt.
DIY Foundations gives you the odor work, indication, handling and search skills your team needs before moving into more advanced field scenarios. From there, you will be able to choose the next step that fits how you want to learn.
Forest / Field DIY — in development
We are building a separate self-paced Forest / Field program for handlers who want to continue the training journey remotely. It will focus on the transition from structured Foundations searches into the variables and decision-making of outdoor field work.
In-person Field & Forest
If you want an instructor beside you in real truffle-producing ground, our in-person Field & Forest classes remain the most hands-on path. DIY Foundations students must complete the required private lesson and/or receive instructor approval before joining advanced in-person classes.
Build toward the real thing
The goal is not simply to finish an online course. It is to build a dog-and-handler team with the skills to progress toward real truffle hunting, using the learning format that works best for you.
Forest / Field DIY is a separate program.
It is currently in development and is not included with DIY Foundations enrollment. Details and pricing will be announced separately when the program is ready.
20% off training supplies when you enroll early
Enroll before October 15th, 2026 and we’ll email your discount code within two business days. Use it on odor, tins, and starter kits so you’re set up before your first lesson.
Your course access opens October 15th, 2026 — you’re reserving your enrollment now, not starting today.
Enroll in DIY Foundations
The complete Foundations pathway, on your own schedule.
Foundations 1–3 · Self-paced · Lifetime course access
- 3 levelsF1, F2 and F3 in one course
- 3–4 monthsTypical time to complete
- LifetimeCome back for refreshers
Questions before enrolling? Email info@truffledogcompany.com and we’ll help you decide whether DIY or the live Cohort is the better fit for your dog.
Questions
Frequently asked
Do I need dog training experience?
No. DIY Foundations starts at the beginning and is open to dogs and handlers with no previous truffle hunting experience. Previous nosework or scent training can help, but it is not required.
Is this just Foundations 1?
No. Your enrollment includes Foundations 1, Foundations 2 and Foundations 3 / Intermediate in one complete program.
When do I get access to the course?
DIY Foundations opens October 15th, 2026. If you enroll before then you’re reserving your place at the pre-launch price, and you’ll receive a 20% discount code for training supplies by email within two business days of purchase. Your course login arrives on launch day. If you’d rather not wait, our live Foundations Cohort and in-person classes start September 2nd.
How long does it take to finish?
Most handlers who follow the progression as intended finish in three to four months. There are thirteen weeks of lesson material, but dogs need repetition between steps, and the outdoor work in Foundations 3 depends on weather and access to appropriate training ground. If your dog needs longer on a skill, take longer — your access doesn’t expire.
How much should I practice?
Short sessions done regularly are generally more useful than long training marathons. Many handlers work for ten to fifteen minutes at a time, several days a week.
Do instructors review my training videos?
No. Personalized homework and video review are part of our live Foundations Cohort, not DIY Foundations. If you want an instructor to watch your team and troubleshoot a specific issue, you can book a private Zoom lesson separately.
What is the Facebook training forum?
It is Truffle Dog Company’s general training community on Facebook. It is open to people beyond enrolled students and gives you a place to ask questions, discuss training, share progress and learn from other handlers. Participation does not include guaranteed instructor review or personalized feedback.
How long do I have access?
Your enrollment includes lifetime access to the DIY Foundations course, so you can move at your dog’s pace and return to earlier lessons whenever you need a refresher.
Can I take this from outside the Pacific Northwest?
Yes. The training curriculum can be practiced with training odor anywhere. Choose an appropriate odor for the species or region that matters to you, then build the dog-training skills at home before transitioning outdoors.
What breed of dog can hunt truffles?
Truffle hunting is scent work, not a breed-exclusive sport. We work with many breeds and mixes. What matters most is whether your dog enjoys using their nose and whether you enjoy training together.
Can I train a puppy or senior dog?
Dogs across a wide age range can enjoy scent work. Adjust session length, physical demands and difficulty to the individual dog. If you have a very young puppy, ask us whether our Puppy class is the better first step.
Can I work more than one dog?
The course material can be applied to multiple dogs in the same household. If you plan to pursue instructor evaluation, private lessons or advanced classes with more than one dog, each working team may need to meet the relevant prerequisites separately.
Does finishing DIY automatically qualify me for Field & Forest?
No. Because we have not watched your team throughout the course, DIY students must complete at least one private lesson and/or receive instructor approval for the required criteria before joining advanced Field & Forest classes.
Will there be a self-paced Forest / Field course?
Yes. We are developing a separate Forest / Field DIY program for handlers who want to continue beyond Foundations without relying solely on in-person field instruction. It is not included with this course, and details and pricing will be announced separately when it is ready.
Should I choose DIY or the live Foundations Cohort?
Choose DIY if you need schedule flexibility and are comfortable training independently. Choose the live Cohort if you want an instructor watching your dog in real time, homework video review, live Q&A and a private cohort moving through the program with you.
Fine print
- DIY Foundations includes the full course curriculum with lifetime online access.
- Pre-launch enrollments purchased before October 15th, 2026 receive a one-time 20% discount code for Truffle Dog Company training supplies, emailed within two business days of purchase. The code applies to training supplies only and cannot be combined with other discounts.
- Course access for pre-launch enrollments begins on October 15th, 2026, not on the date of purchase.
- Live classes, Fireside Chats, private cohort forums, homework video review and personalized instructor feedback are not included.
- Access to the general Truffle Dog Company Facebook training forum is included; the group is also open to people who are not enrolled in this course.
- Private Zoom instruction may be booked separately at the current private-lesson rate.
- Completion of the DIY curriculum alone does not automatically qualify a handler for advanced Field & Forest classes. Instructor evaluation and/or approval is required.
- Training gear is sold separately unless your product configuration explicitly states otherwise.
- Not sure this is the right starting point for you and your dog? Contact us at info@truffledogcompany.com and we’ll help you find the right fit.
- Please review our Cancellation & Rescheduling Policy before enrolling. By enrolling you agree to the applicable terms.
