Live online · 4 weeks · Foundations 1 of 3

Foundations 1 — Introduction to Truffle Hunting

Three live Zoom sessions with instructor Victoria Gideon, plus our Trailhead (that’s the orientation, get ready for class session), and three fireside chats. Your dog meets truffle odor for the first time, learns that finding it pays extremely well, and starts building the indication everything later depends on. No experience needed, any breed, taught from your own home.

Starts

(Sept 2nd Trailhead, Sept 9 or 10, 2026

Length

4 weeks

Sessions

3 live
60 min each

Level

1 of 3

Section size

8 handlers max

Instructor

Victoria Gideon

Your class night

Same curriculum, same instructor, same price. Pick the night you can commit to for all three weeks. All times Pacific (PDT).

What you’ll learn

• Theory, gear and setup — including how to build your own training targets
• Introducing odor and building real enthusiasm for the scent
• First detection games, early distraction work and reward mechanics
• Reading your dog: what a change of behavior actually looks like
• Shaping a clear, repeatable indication you can trust later

What’s included

• 3 live Zoom sessions, capped at 8 handlers so Victoria can watch each dog work
• Every session recorded and kept in your library
• Full Online Classroom: written instruction and video for every skill
• Homework video review — send footage, get Victoria’s eyes on your dog
• Private class forum and direct instructor access for the run of the class
• Not included: Trailhead orientation and the nine Fireside Chats are cohort-only

Before you enroll

• Order your training kit at registration, not the week before class. Allow 1–2 weeks for shipping within the US, 2–3 weeks to Canada, 3–6 weeks to the EU or Australia. Your first working class is September 9 or 10 and you’ll want odor in hand.
• You’ll need 4 odor tins for this level. Oils available for Oregon White & Black, Périgord, Pecan, and a European Burgundy/Périgord farm blend — other species on request.
• You’ll need a phone or camera to film homework
• Allow 60 minutes per class night
• No prong, slip or choke collars and no e-collars are permitted in class
• Sections cap at 8 handlers, assigned first-come. The next intake doesn’t start until the new year — Foundations 1 in January, Foundations 2 in February, Foundations 3 in March.
• Finishing this level gives you a dog who knows truffle odor and indicates on it — not a dog who finds truffles in the woods. That takes all three levels plus field time.

See the full Foundations curriculum →Level-by-level breakdown, gear list, instructor bio, and answers to common questions.

• One dog and one handler per registration. Two working dogs? Please purchase two spots.
• No prerequisite for this level — open to dogs and handlers of all experience.
• Enrolling in Foundations 1 does not reserve a seat in Foundations 2 or 3.
• Eligibility for in-person Field & Forest classes requires all three Foundations levels.
• If your preferred night is full, we’ll offer you the next available section. Need to move nights later? Email us and we’ll accommodate where space allows.
• Not sure this is the right level for you? Email info@truffledogcompany.com — we’re happy to talk it through first.
• By enrolling you agree to our Cancellation & Rescheduling Policy and COVID & Weather Policy.