BCCC Education: What Is Barn Hunt?

What is Barn Hunt?

Beardie among bales of straw

"Barn Hunt is the new and quickly growing dog sport catching fire across the country! Barn Hunt is based on the traditional roles of many breeds in ridding farms, barns, crop storage areas, and homes of destructive vermin. Some breeds were specifically created to fill this role, and for many of those breeds, Barn Hunt provides their first true opportunity for responsible breeders to test proper working traits in their dogs. Barn Hunt is also open to any dog of any breed or mix who wishes to play the game and can fit through an 18" wide by bale-height tall tunnel. Barn Hunt has titles, levels of increasing difficulty, and championships. Barn Hunt is an independent sport, but titles are recognized by the Canadian Kennel Club (CKC), the American Kennel Club (AKC) and United Kennel Club (UKC).

Barn Hunt is committed to creating a safe and fun sport for dogs, that also holds rat care at the highest level of consideration. The rats used in Barn Hunt are often beloved family pets. They jump eagerly into their safe, comfortable aerated tubes and truly enjoy interacting with the dogs.

We're a great sport for older dogs, and older people too! Tripod dogs can compete, and so can deaf dogs. To get started first read the rules, then find a club near you, or even think about forming your own club. You can also find events on the event calendar. We hope you try it, we think you'll like it!" This is from the founder of Barn Hunt, Robin Nuttall.

This sport was founded in 2013. We started with our 2 beardies in 2014. At first, it is instinctual. The dog is introduced to 3 PVC tubes. One of the tubes is empty, one has rat litter and one has a live rat in it. The dog must give the handler an indication of which tube has the rat. For the next level, the tubes are hidden in straw bales. The bales are in an enclosed area. There is a tunnel made out of straw bales. The dog must climb on a bale, go thru the tunnel and indicate only on the tube that has the rat. Let me assure you that the dogs don't "interact" with the rats. Our girls understand that the game is to find the tubes with the rats and move on. This sport is for us. You and your dog must work as a team. Eventually, you get to a level in which there are 1 to 5 rats hidden. The rest are litter tubes. At this level, the dog must indicate on the tubes with rats in addition to working the entire course and telling the handler when there are no more rats. The different levels are all timed.

If you want to do something fun for you and your dog, I encourage you to give barn hunt a try. Please don't get discouraged if your dog doesn't "get it" right away. It takes patience and practice. You will be in for a treat when the light-bulb comes on. Our Brenna is currently the #1 Bearded Collie in the US. We bought an RV and travel all over to participate in different trials. Our world has expanded. We have met so many wonderful and friendly people who just love to do things with their dogs!

Webmaster Note: Resources for Barn Hunt:
Barn Hunt Association
https://barnhunt.com/index.html

Canada Barn Huts
http://www.canadabarnhunts.com