Simply put, without truffle dogs, there would be no Oregon truffle industry. Only dogs can sniff out the ripest truffles, and their precision makes for a low-impact harvest model. Dogs, with their well-trained noses, loyalty to their handlers, and eagerness to please, make for ideal truffle-hunting accomplices. The Oregon Truffle Festival has fostered a community of truffle-hunting dogs and their owners through dog training and an annual competition, The Joriad North American Truffle Dog Championship. These efforts have contributed to an exponential growth of truffle-hunting dogs--and by extension, a steady supply of high-quality truffles.