River and I took a barn hunting class last August and did well. She's participates in scent work trials already and barn hunt is similar. She has to find a rat in a tube vs. scent. Barn hunting is an off shoot of Earth dog. Earth dog classes are where small dogs, usually terriers, go "underground" or go under a faux ground and hunt rats hidden in PVC piping. Big dogs can't go through little tunnels so barn hunting was developed for bigger dogs. Terriers can still participate but now your bigger dogs such as Dobermans and mixes like River who is a Shepard/Husky mix can join in the fun too.
In barn hunting, a search area is roped off and a course is built with bales of straw. PVC pipping is hidden on the course which can contain a rat, litter or nothing. The pipping can be on the floor or up on bales and are covered with loose straw. The dog must go through the tunnel, climb on bales (all 4 feet off the ground) and of course locate the rat. And of course, you are timed. If you get all the elements within the time frame you qualify or "Q". Qualifying ribbons are given to everyone who qualifies and additional ribbons are given to 1st, 2nd and 3rd places. If you get 3 Q's on any level that's considered a title for that level and a title ribbon is awarded.
We participated in our first Barn Hunt trial in Marysville, Ohio at Anything Goes for Dogs. Although River does scent work, you could tell she was really a lot more interested barn hunting. She really liked that "hunt" feel to it. She had to dig in straw piles of straw and climb up on bales to get to possible rat hidey holes.
Our first trial consisted of 2 runs. I got too anxious and when she started digging at some loose straw I called the alert and it was a litter tube. I called it way too quickly, although River is usually pawing at the tube she thinks the rat is in. So it can be tricky. The next trial we qualified. River's alert was to try to shove herself under a small ramp to get to the pipping so it was obvious. We qualified and got 3rd Place.
The next day, we had 2 runs at the Novice level. The first run was beautiful but once again I screwed it all up. I told myself not to be too quick to call the alert but I apparently wasn't listening to myself. River ran through the tunnel, did a climb and found the rat immediately. She sniffed then went on and continued searching around the room. She found a little cubby of loose straw and starting digging, I called the alert without even seeing if there was even a tube! How dumb was that? And of course, the rat was in the first tube she found and checked out. We would've had a time of 15 seconds but no. So the second run was better. She found the rat tube but didn't show much interest and continued searching. I got her to tunnel and climb and she went back to the tube she found first, but I was more on board. She started pawing and I called the alert for a 55 second run.
I thought we had a good time but some other dogs we're getting around 20 seconds so I wasn't sure where our time would fall but out of 5 dogs, River had the fastest timeout of those who qualified. We got a qualifying ribbon, a 1st place blue ribbon and a High in Class Novice ribbon. Not a bad weekend and certainly not bad for our first Barn Hunt trial although I could've done better. River did great!
In barn hunting, a search area is roped off and a course is built with bales of straw. PVC pipping is hidden on the course which can contain a rat, litter or nothing. The pipping can be on the floor or up on bales and are covered with loose straw. The dog must go through the tunnel, climb on bales (all 4 feet off the ground) and of course locate the rat. And of course, you are timed. If you get all the elements within the time frame you qualify or "Q". Qualifying ribbons are given to everyone who qualifies and additional ribbons are given to 1st, 2nd and 3rd places. If you get 3 Q's on any level that's considered a title for that level and a title ribbon is awarded.
We participated in our first Barn Hunt trial in Marysville, Ohio at Anything Goes for Dogs. Although River does scent work, you could tell she was really a lot more interested barn hunting. She really liked that "hunt" feel to it. She had to dig in straw piles of straw and climb up on bales to get to possible rat hidey holes.
Our first trial consisted of 2 runs. I got too anxious and when she started digging at some loose straw I called the alert and it was a litter tube. I called it way too quickly, although River is usually pawing at the tube she thinks the rat is in. So it can be tricky. The next trial we qualified. River's alert was to try to shove herself under a small ramp to get to the pipping so it was obvious. We qualified and got 3rd Place.
The next day, we had 2 runs at the Novice level. The first run was beautiful but once again I screwed it all up. I told myself not to be too quick to call the alert but I apparently wasn't listening to myself. River ran through the tunnel, did a climb and found the rat immediately. She sniffed then went on and continued searching around the room. She found a little cubby of loose straw and starting digging, I called the alert without even seeing if there was even a tube! How dumb was that? And of course, the rat was in the first tube she found and checked out. We would've had a time of 15 seconds but no. So the second run was better. She found the rat tube but didn't show much interest and continued searching. I got her to tunnel and climb and she went back to the tube she found first, but I was more on board. She started pawing and I called the alert for a 55 second run.
I thought we had a good time but some other dogs we're getting around 20 seconds so I wasn't sure where our time would fall but out of 5 dogs, River had the fastest timeout of those who qualified. We got a qualifying ribbon, a 1st place blue ribbon and a High in Class Novice ribbon. Not a bad weekend and certainly not bad for our first Barn Hunt trial although I could've done better. River did great!
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