The Barn Hunt Buzz
By now you have probably heard rumors of a “new” dog sport sweeping the nation, involving barns, straw, rats and PVC tubes. With THAT combination most people are immediately intrigued. Does Barn Hunt use wild rats? Are the rats scared? Do the dogs hurt the rats? This section shall explain what Barn Hunt is and is not, how it came to be and why you should give it a try with your dog!
Barn Hunt is the fastest growing dog sport to hit North America and is growing in leaps and bounds- daily. Registrations grew over 150% in 2014 and continue to increase exponentially. It is really no wonder- it is great fun for people and dogs! It takes a dog’s natural instinct to find quarry, builds in a requirement of teamwork and offers plenty of challenge and strategy for both dog and human!
“Barn Hunts” are not new in concept. Built on the age old canine job of vermin hunting…barn hunts were developed to showcase ratting instinct without risk to people, dogs or rats. Barn Hunts were often a side event to some Earthdog and Terrier trials and were purely for fun or as a special attraction. Enter Robin Nuttall- the founder of Barn Hunt Association or BHA, Inc. Robin has Doberman Pinshers and Miniature Pinshers and has tried for years to have her Min Pins allowed in AKC Earthdog events. AKC denied the requests so Robin took the sport she had seen at terrier trials (Barn Hunt) and created the venue “formally” so her Min Pins could employ their instincts. Robin left the event open to all breeds regardless of size and so begins the craze.
Barn Hunt is open to all breeds and mixes, age 6 months and up as long as they can safely navigate a course and fit through an 18” wide tunnel that is about 22” tall. Deaf and three legged dogs can participate. The venue is excellent for retired older dogs, people and dogs that have physical limitations and for anyone looking to enjoy a mock hunt in a fun environment. While overall the sport can be less demanding on teams, upper levels can be a very active and demanding sport. Runs are timed and can be QUITE challenging and competitive for human and dog alike.
For those that enjoy a good healthy competition…Barn Hunt offers titles from the instinct certificate (RATI) all the way up to a Championship (RATCH) with lots of titles in between.
The rats used are domesticated pet rats and are fully contained in a 4” diameter PVC tube with lots and lots of ventilation holes. Rat safety is of primary concern and rats are swapped out and given breaks periodically. Rat safety rules include prevention of rolling, skittering and picking up tubes. Dogs NEVER come in direct contact with the rats.
In addition to the ever important “RAT TUBE”- there are two additional and identical PVC tubes out there on each course to add to the challenge. One tube contains nothing “EMPTY TUBE” and the other contains a cup of bedding/litter which the rat slept on the night before “LITTER TUBE”. As dogs graduate into the next levels they are challenged with an increasing number of tubes and a change in the ratio of empty:litter:rat tubes.
At a trial, dogs are grouped together in things called “blinds”. This blinding area prevents handlers from knowing where the tubes are hidden on the course. The same tube locations will be used for all dogs in that blind group. Once everyone has run out…a new blind is assembled and new tube hiding spots are planted.
Judging is based on the handler calling the rat tube(s) to the judge based on observing their dog’s behavior. As long as the handler can read the dog…the team can be successful. Once the rat is confirmed by the judge the tube can be left in play or removed …it’s the handlers call. If the call was incorrect…the run ends as a NQ. Other NQ’s include overtime, touching bales/tubes or dogs, elimination in the ring, inability to get a climb or a tunnel.
Most dogs generally start at the INSTINCT level- which is the ONLY specified BH course layout. The “Instinct Fork”, as it is sometimes called, is laid out with the three tube types (empty, litter, rat) sitting out in the open. Teams leave a start box and head to the tubes. If they call the correct rat tube within 1 minute- they get a RATI title! Instinct is NOT a prerequisite for Novice, so you can enter Instinct AND Novice at any trial. Once you finish the RATN title- you can’t go back to Instinct.
The first “titling” level is the NOVICE level and is a course developed by the judge- just like an agility course. Teams need to identify the correct rat tube of the three (1 litter, 1 empty and 1 rat) as in Instinct…except NOW the three tubes are hidden amongst up to 30 bales of straw. In addition to the handler calling ONLY the rat tube, the dog must complete a tunnel and climb on the bales in 2 minutes. Three passes at Novice earns the RATN title.
Levels such as OPEN (2 rats), SENIOR (4 rats) have multiple numbers of all the different tube types. The quantity of bales on course gets bigger, the courses gets taller and the tunnels get deeper!
The highest level is MASTERS and 5 passes earns the RATM. Continued passes in masters beyond the RATM can earn the coveted Barn Hunt Championship or RATCH.
The difficulty and level of precision needed makes getting a RATCH a great honor. AKC also has partnered with BHA to allow for Barn Hunt titles to be reflected on AKC registrations, so you may be seeing a RAT title on the pedigrees of some Schipperkes!
It is a challenge to teams because it contains strategy as well as an instinctual element. Barn Hunt can show Schipperkes DO still have instinct to rat and fits nicely with a breed that can be used on farms or boats as vermin control.
Questions about getting into Barn Hunt? Go to barnhunt.com for rules and events.
Want to see what it looks like? Search youtube.com for Barn Hunt videos…plenty of examples are out there!
Still curious or want to come to a nearby Barn Hunt dedicated facility in Central New York? Check out central-bark.biz for more details.
Happy Barn Hunting!
By now you have probably heard rumors of a “new” dog sport sweeping the nation, involving barns, straw, rats and PVC tubes. With THAT combination most people are immediately intrigued. Does Barn Hunt use wild rats? Are the rats scared? Do the dogs hurt the rats? This section shall explain what Barn Hunt is and is not, how it came to be and why you should give it a try with your dog!
Barn Hunt is the fastest growing dog sport to hit North America and is growing in leaps and bounds- daily. Registrations grew over 150% in 2014 and continue to increase exponentially. It is really no wonder- it is great fun for people and dogs! It takes a dog’s natural instinct to find quarry, builds in a requirement of teamwork and offers plenty of challenge and strategy for both dog and human!
“Barn Hunts” are not new in concept. Built on the age old canine job of vermin hunting…barn hunts were developed to showcase ratting instinct without risk to people, dogs or rats. Barn Hunts were often a side event to some Earthdog and Terrier trials and were purely for fun or as a special attraction. Enter Robin Nuttall- the founder of Barn Hunt Association or BHA, Inc. Robin has Doberman Pinshers and Miniature Pinshers and has tried for years to have her Min Pins allowed in AKC Earthdog events. AKC denied the requests so Robin took the sport she had seen at terrier trials (Barn Hunt) and created the venue “formally” so her Min Pins could employ their instincts. Robin left the event open to all breeds regardless of size and so begins the craze.
Barn Hunt is open to all breeds and mixes, age 6 months and up as long as they can safely navigate a course and fit through an 18” wide tunnel that is about 22” tall. Deaf and three legged dogs can participate. The venue is excellent for retired older dogs, people and dogs that have physical limitations and for anyone looking to enjoy a mock hunt in a fun environment. While overall the sport can be less demanding on teams, upper levels can be a very active and demanding sport. Runs are timed and can be QUITE challenging and competitive for human and dog alike.
For those that enjoy a good healthy competition…Barn Hunt offers titles from the instinct certificate (RATI) all the way up to a Championship (RATCH) with lots of titles in between.
The rats used are domesticated pet rats and are fully contained in a 4” diameter PVC tube with lots and lots of ventilation holes. Rat safety is of primary concern and rats are swapped out and given breaks periodically. Rat safety rules include prevention of rolling, skittering and picking up tubes. Dogs NEVER come in direct contact with the rats.
In addition to the ever important “RAT TUBE”- there are two additional and identical PVC tubes out there on each course to add to the challenge. One tube contains nothing “EMPTY TUBE” and the other contains a cup of bedding/litter which the rat slept on the night before “LITTER TUBE”. As dogs graduate into the next levels they are challenged with an increasing number of tubes and a change in the ratio of empty:litter:rat tubes.
At a trial, dogs are grouped together in things called “blinds”. This blinding area prevents handlers from knowing where the tubes are hidden on the course. The same tube locations will be used for all dogs in that blind group. Once everyone has run out…a new blind is assembled and new tube hiding spots are planted.
Judging is based on the handler calling the rat tube(s) to the judge based on observing their dog’s behavior. As long as the handler can read the dog…the team can be successful. Once the rat is confirmed by the judge the tube can be left in play or removed …it’s the handlers call. If the call was incorrect…the run ends as a NQ. Other NQ’s include overtime, touching bales/tubes or dogs, elimination in the ring, inability to get a climb or a tunnel.
Most dogs generally start at the INSTINCT level- which is the ONLY specified BH course layout. The “Instinct Fork”, as it is sometimes called, is laid out with the three tube types (empty, litter, rat) sitting out in the open. Teams leave a start box and head to the tubes. If they call the correct rat tube within 1 minute- they get a RATI title! Instinct is NOT a prerequisite for Novice, so you can enter Instinct AND Novice at any trial. Once you finish the RATN title- you can’t go back to Instinct.
The first “titling” level is the NOVICE level and is a course developed by the judge- just like an agility course. Teams need to identify the correct rat tube of the three (1 litter, 1 empty and 1 rat) as in Instinct…except NOW the three tubes are hidden amongst up to 30 bales of straw. In addition to the handler calling ONLY the rat tube, the dog must complete a tunnel and climb on the bales in 2 minutes. Three passes at Novice earns the RATN title.
Levels such as OPEN (2 rats), SENIOR (4 rats) have multiple numbers of all the different tube types. The quantity of bales on course gets bigger, the courses gets taller and the tunnels get deeper!
The highest level is MASTERS and 5 passes earns the RATM. Continued passes in masters beyond the RATM can earn the coveted Barn Hunt Championship or RATCH.
The difficulty and level of precision needed makes getting a RATCH a great honor. AKC also has partnered with BHA to allow for Barn Hunt titles to be reflected on AKC registrations, so you may be seeing a RAT title on the pedigrees of some Schipperkes!
It is a challenge to teams because it contains strategy as well as an instinctual element. Barn Hunt can show Schipperkes DO still have instinct to rat and fits nicely with a breed that can be used on farms or boats as vermin control.
Questions about getting into Barn Hunt? Go to barnhunt.com for rules and events.
Want to see what it looks like? Search youtube.com for Barn Hunt videos…plenty of examples are out there!
Still curious or want to come to a nearby Barn Hunt dedicated facility in Central New York? Check out central-bark.biz for more details.
Happy Barn Hunting!