Live online · 3 weeks · Foundations 2 of 3

Foundations 2: Developing a Reliable Truffle Dog Team

Three live Zoom sessions with instructor Victoria Gideon. Your dog already knows truffle odor; this level makes it hold up outside your kitchen — harder hides, unfamiliar ground, and the handling skills that turn two individuals into a team.

Starts

Oct 7 or 8, 2026

Length

3 weeks

Sessions

3 live
60 min each

Level

2 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

• New surfaces, new elements, and unfamiliar environments
• More complex and better-concealed hides
• Your handling: leash work, pacing, and when to stay out of it
• Holding the indication steady as the problems get harder
• Troubleshooting the honest problems that surface at this stage

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 — at this level it’s often where a stuck problem finally breaks
• 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

• Check your odor supply now, 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.
• 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.
• Access to varied practice environments helps — a yard, a park, a garage, a patch of woods. You don’t need truffle habitat.
• 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.
• Long gap since Foundations 1? Expect to spend part of this class rebuilding, and put in short daily reps beforehand.

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

• Foundations 1 or equivalent training with instructor approval is required for this level.
• One dog and one handler per registration. Two working dogs? Please purchase two spots.
• Enrolling in Foundations 2 does not reserve a seat in Foundations 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 your dog is ready for this level? Email info@truffledogcompany.com — we’ll tell you honestly.
• By enrolling you agree to our Cancellation & Rescheduling Policy and COVID & Weather Policy.