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Truffle the Doodle | Truffle Hunting Dog | CA

@truffledoodleadventures

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✨ Inviting you to pause, wander & notice
🍄 Working truffle dog life
🌿 Scent-led adventures & slow travel with Daisy
📩 Collabs • Portfolio ↓

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2 weeks ago, I shared why this space exists — and today, it only feels right to finally introduce the one who started it all.
Meet Truffle — two years of muddy paws, magic, and meaning.
We’ve never officially introduced her — which feels wild, because she’s the heart of it all.
Truffle joined our lives on July 8, 2023. She arrived with soft eyes, strong instincts, and a nose that somehow always knew where to go — even when we didn’t.
She’s a scent-led adventurer, a seasonal soul, and a truffle dog in training.
But more than that — she’s the reason we pause, wander, and truly pay attention.
Some days it’s a trail.
Other times, it’s a tiny inn tucked behind trees.
Sometimes it’s just a crumb on the café floor — or the way she stops for something I would’ve missed.
This space isn’t about having it all figured out.
It’s about learning to slow down — even when life pulls in the opposite direction.
And honestly? That’s still hard some days.
But Truffle makes it easier.
She reminds me to notice the in-between, to wander without rushing, to live by instinct instead of urgency.
Everything we share here —
🍂 Scent-led adventures inspired by a curious nose
🍄 A truffle huntress drawn to soul-filled places
↝ Inviting you to pause, wander & notice —
started with her.
This little world also includes our senior girl Hershey, two curious cats (Benjamin & Vienna), and my partner — who occasionally makes it into frame.
And I’m Claire — usually behind the camera, following muddy pawprints and quiet moments worth remembering.

If you’re just arriving — welcome to this slow, scent-led story.
And if you’ve been wandering with us for a while — thank you for walking this path.
We’re so grateful you’re here — part of this unfolding story, one slow step at a time.

#TruffleDoodleAdventures #SniffLedAdventures #ScentLedLiving
#wanderwithtruffle #SlowLivingWithDogs #TruffleHunterInTraining
#HiddenGemsWithDogs #DogFriendlyAdventures #SlowLivingMoments
#LifeWithDogs #SeasonalLiving #LetDogsBeDogs #MindfulMoments Truffle dashes straight toward the camera, ears flying and yellow ball in her mouth, bursting with playful energy. taken in San Francisco Bay Area by @truffledoodleadventures

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a year ago

For years, I lived in service to others. Fourteen-hour days, always on call. Slowly, I was disappearing.
My health declined. Our relationship was strained. And I barely had energy left to enjoy the simplest things — walks, nature, cozy mornings, time with friends.
I’d hold it together all day, then unravel quietly in the moments no one saw.
I had always dreamed of having a dog — especially while I was still active and young enough to explore together. So we got Truffle. And everything changed.
She needed me in a way I’d never let myself need me. She couldn’t be left alone for 10 hours a day. She needed walks, training, companionship. And honestly, so did I.
For the first time, I had to reevaluate everything. And I realized — I couldn’t keep living like that. So I quit.
It was terrifying. No job lined up. No income except savings. But I could breathe again.
I reconnected — with nature, with us, with friends and family. And with that came a new idea: Truffle could train as a truffle-hunting dog.
My family has a truffle farm. She’s smart, scent-led, and needed purpose — just like me.
Now we’re building something quieter. Exploring life at a different pace. Living more by scent than schedule.
This is why I started sharing here — to document the slower life we’re creating.
The everyday beauty. The soft trails. The dog-friendly places that feel real, not rushed.
It’s not about doing more — it’s about noticing more. Celebrating the small things. The quiet magic of being alive, together. And the joyful chaos too — the muddy paws, the beach zoomies, the nose-led detours that keep it fun. Truffle mid-stride, holding a large stick in her mouth while running across the beach. taken in San Francisco Bay Area by @truffledoodleadventures

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a year ago

The truth about “dog-friendly” travel when your dog isn’t a cute doodle.

After more than 2,000 miles on the road with Truffle and Daisy, it’s something I couldn’t help but notice.

Truffle is the kind of dog people instantly smile at. Curly. Friendly; looking.Approachable.

The “cute doodle” effect is real.

Daisy, on the other hand, often gets judged before she’s even done anything.She’s bigger.Darker.More imposing at first glance.

One moment that stayed with me happened while we were traveling.

Daisy was attacked by another dog.

Before anyone even understood what had happened, someone referred to her as the “mean big black dog.”

That moment honestly said a lot.

Since then, I’ve noticed similar patterns in dog-friendly travel spaces. We’ve had restaurants listed as dog-friendly suddenly hesitate once they saw Daisy, changing the conversation to “service dogs only.”

Coming from the hospitality industry, I completely understand pet fees. But over the years, I’ve learned that behavior rarely comes down to size alone.

I’ve seen tiny dogs bark through entire hotel stays, and I’ve seen large dogs quietly curl up and sleep through the night without leaving a trace.

Personally, I’m happy to pay pet fees when traveling with dogs. I just wish more dog-friendly hotels, patios, and travel spaces focused on behavior, training, and responsible ownership rather than appearance alone.

Have you ever noticed people treating your dog differently because of their size, breed, or appearance?

I’d love to hear your experience below.

Follow along for dog-friendly travel, honest road-trip experiences, and life with a working truffle dog and her very different sidekick. 🍄

#DogFriendlyTravel
#BigDogLove
#BlackDogSyndrome
#TravelWithDogs
#TruffleDoodleAdventures taken in San Francisco Bay Area by @truffledoodleadventures

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4 months ago

Three months without her
and I wonder…

what do dogs feel
when one of them doesn’t come home

Today marks three months since little Hershey went over the rainbow bridge

We think of her in quiet ways
the hikes and walks we shared
the picnics together
the way she slept so peacefully on the couch

Her bed is still there
her toys, just as she left them
her collar, still matching her sisters

We miss her deeply
and some days feel heavier than others

They saw her leave with us
when we rushed to the emergency room

We came back
and she wasn’t with us

It’s often said that dogs should be present for the goodbye
so they can understand what changed
but they weren’t there for that moment

They didn’t see her go
they didn’t understand why

And I wonder what that felt like for them
to notice the quiet
to sense something had changed

Sometimes Truffle takes a toy from Hershey’s bed to play with
and I can’t help but wonder
if her scent is still there
if, in some small way, she still feels close

Maybe it’s something we’ll never fully understand

#dogloss
#grievingadog
#rainbowbridge
#DogMomLife
#slowlivingwithdogs taken in San Francisco Bay Area by @truffledoodleadventures

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6 months ago

She experiences the forest in a way we never will..
and once you see it, you can’t unsee it

Earth Day, through a truffle dog

Truffle & Daisy don’t see the forest the way we do
they read it

Every layer
Every shift
Every hidden trace beneath the surface

This is where truffle work comes alive

Not just scent
but learning how to move through the land
without disturbing what’s beneath it

We were hiking in the rain
cool air, damp soil, everything carrying scent

It changed the way I walk through nature
slower, more aware of what I can’t see

It reminds me how much we miss

What’s one thing your dog has taught you about slowing down?

Follow @truffledoodleadventures for scent-led adventures and real working dog life

#earthdayeveryday #slowlivingwithdogs #truffledog #workingdoglife #dogfriendlyhikes taken in Joaquin Miller Park by @truffledoodleadventures

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6 months ago

We were completely wrong about Daisy

For 8 months, we guessed
Lab mix… pointer… even Great Dane

But what mattered more was this

She found her place beside Truffle
Got strong, confident, and fully stepped into her life

Hikes, beaches, scent work
now training to become a truffle huntress

So we did a DNA test

And the results… surprised us
but somehow made perfect sense

Because a DNA test doesn’t change your dog
It helps you understand them
their instincts, their drive, even their health

And Daisy
she was already perfect to us

Now she’s part of Truffle’s story
and part of our pack

Did you guess right?

Follow @truffledoodleadventures for scent led adventures and dog friendly finds

#DogDNA #EmbarkVet #MixedBreedDog #RescueDog #DogTraining Daisy, a black mixed breed rescue dog, sitting outdoors and looking attentive, showing her strong build and calm, confident expression during a dog DNA reveal post taken in San Francisco Bay Area by @truffledoodleadventures

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6 months ago

What breed is Daisy… really?
We’re about to find out

Everyone guesses something different—
Lab… Pyrenees… Shepherd mix…
we’ve heard it all.

Daisy came into our lives as a rescue with a past we don’t fully know… just pieces, instincts, and the quiet way she moves through the world.

But one thing stood out during training—
she has real drive. Focused. Food-motivated. Eager to work.

I’m pretty sure there’s Labrador in her—
you can see it in the way she works.

So we finally decided to do a dog DNA test with @embarkvet
to understand her a little more.

What’s your guess?

We’ll share her results here when they come in 🫢😉

#DogDNATest #DogBreedGuess #RescueDogStory #WorkingDogLife #embarkvet taken in San Francisco Bay Area by @truffledoodleadventures

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6 months ago

She only found one truffle… and it changed everything about how we train.

On the surface, this season didn’t look like success.
But in the orchard, the quiet moments told a different story.

🍂 Truffle found her first real truffle — not a training target
🍂 One morning, she went out on her own… and brought one back
🍂 We trained alongside @atrufafresca and began to understand the why behind the misses — scent, depth, timing
🍂 And Daisy took her first steps into truffle work

What looked like “just one” was actually:
→ clarity
→ instinct
→ trust

This is what real truffle dog training looks like.

Training in orchards isn’t linear.
This isn’t about truffles — it’s about how progress actually works.

We’re incredibly grateful to Raul @atrufafresca for the training and tools to continue, and to my cousins who made this experience possible.

Truffle dogs aren’t made in a season… they’re shaped between them.

Now the real work begins:
off-season training, repetition, refinement.

Because next season isn’t about one find — it’s about consistency.

If you’re here for working dogs, real training, and scent-led living — you’re in the right place.
Follow along for what comes next.

Have you ever worked toward something where progress didn’t show at first?

#truffledog #trufflehunting #workingdog #dogtraining #truffledoodleadventures Woman in a Northern California truffle orchard kneeling beside a black curly-coated truffle dog during scent training. The dog focuses on the ground while the handler rewards her, surrounded by leaf-covered soil and winter trees. A small training target sits near a disturbed patch of earth, capturing a real truffle hunting moment, working dog behavior, and hands-on truffle dog training in an orchard setting. taken in Northern California by @truffledoodleadventures

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7 months ago

Most people visit Sequoia National Forest and Three Rivers the wrong way.

They come in summer.
They stop at the viewpoints.
And they miss the quiet.

Earlier this winter we spent three days exploring the forests around Three Rivers with the dogs.
A waterfall hike that turned into a thunderstorm with hail.
Snowshoe trails with no footprints.
Miles of forest where the only tracks were ours and muddy paws.

The secret?

* go off-season
* visit on weekdays
* walk deeper than the first viewpoint

That’s when the forest finally becomes quiet again.

When Truffle isn’t truffle hunting, this is where her nose leads us.

I put together a short Sequoia off-season guide with the trails, gear tips, and dog-friendly areas we discovered.

Follow @truffledoodleadventures and comment SEQUOIA — I’ll send it to you. 🌲🐾

#TruffleDoodleAdventures #SequoiaNationalForest #ThreeRiversCalifornia #DogFriendlyHikes #CaliforniaAdventure taken in Sequoia National Forest by @truffledoodleadventures

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7 months ago

What does it mean when a truffle dog smells a truffle underground… but chooses not to dig?

In the orchard we know there were ripe truffles underground, another trained dog found several in the same area.

Truffle searched carefully, circled trees, caught the scent… and then moved on.

No digging.

So it made me wonder:

Was the scent too faint?
Was the truffle deeper than usual?
Were there too many distractions in the orchard that day?
Or did I do something wrong in the training?

Working with a truffle dog means trusting a nose that reads a world beneath the soil we can’t see.

Some days the orchard gives a truffle.
Other days it gives a question.

And both are part of the journey.

Curious what experienced truffle hunters or scent-work handlers think — would your dog dig or move on?

Follow @truffledoodleadventures to follow the real journey of a working truffle dog.

#TruffleDoodleAdventures #TruffleDog #TruffleHunting #WorkingDogLife #TruffleTraining Black curly-coated truffle dog standing in orchard soil between handler’s boots during a truffle hunting outing. taken in Northern California by @truffledoodleadventures

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7 months ago

Hershey, we miss you. 🤍

#InLovingMemory #RainbowBridge #TruffleDoodleAdventures Senior black poodle mix wearing a red harness standing in tall green grass on a sunny forest trail, outdoor dog adventure portrait. No taken in San Francisco Bay Area by @truffledoodleadventures

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8 months ago

This is the moment she became a real truffle dog.

Not a training hide.
Not a planted reward.

Under the orchard trees, she paused… shifted… and began to dig.

She was following something I couldn’t smell.

A true black truffle — resting naturally in the soil.

The next morning, she carried another one toward the farmhouse. Almost playful. Almost proud.

That 20.2 oz truffle in my hand isn’t just weight.

It’s what months of truffle dog training build:
Patience. Partnership. Trust in scent.

And I am so, so proud of her.

This is what scent-led work looks like in a working truffle dog’s first true season.

If you’re curious how truffle hunting dogs are trained, what orchard mornings feel like, and what happens when you let a dog lead by scent —

Follow along. We’re just getting started.
Would you have trusted her?

#TruffleDoodleAdventures #WorkingTruffleDog #TruffleDogTraining #TruffleHuntingDog #BlackTruffleSeason

ScentWorkDog OrchardLife WorkingDogLife DogTrainingJourney NorthernCaliforniaLife Claire holding a freshly harvested black truffle in a Northern California orchard while her black curly-coated working truffle dog, Truffle, stands beside her after her first successful find. taken in Northern California by @truffledoodleadventures

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8 months ago