Barn Hunt

[Stacy]

I am learning about so many new things at dog school. Is anyone familiar with a Barn Hunt title? (Is it just me who missed it?) I was speaking with the Westie lady and she was saying that last weekend she put a Rally Novice title on the little guy she was working in class that night. He is only 10 months old. I am so impressed with these people. I just keep thinking back to Katie at 10 months old. Based on maturity I would have guessed that dog was 2 or 3 years! 

Then she went on to say that it wasn't the youngest dog she had put a title on. Another dog had gotten a barn hunt title at 7 months. I sat there for a minute and nodded like I knew what she was talking about. Then I asked. Is there a... class for that? 

She went on to explain that Barn Hunt is basically scenting, only using rats. The dogs (and I'm sure I'm explaining this at the lowest common denominator here) go through a course with hay bales and tubes, and they have to find the tubes with the rats in them. Just for the record, they never have any contact with the rats. There is a test where they take three tubes. One empty, one with litter, and one with a rat and the dog is supposed to signal the tube with the rat. And the nice Westie lady has the barn and the hay bales (and rats) and that they train there. And that I could come! 

Maggie lives to chase squirrels! And squirrels are just rats with fluffy tails. I bet she would love it! Maggie is turning into such a cool dog. And we are having so much fun. I love rally! I have no idea what half the signs mean, but she's doing so well. I have to brag on her a little. I think she's keeping up with the more experienced dogs. There are some things I'm not quite sure how to teach her. One of the commands I'm impressed with is "get in" where if the dog is sitting crooked or wide they scoot themselves back into proper heel position. How do you teach them to do that? But for the most part Maggie just seems to get it. I'm not fooling myself into thinking I'm suddenly a good dog trainer. She's smart. She's also confident and happy and driving me nuts barking at squirrels out the window. 

I'm just thrilled to have found this group of dog people. These are my people. I'm finally doing all the things I have always wanted to do!

[J and Riley (and Luna)]

Luna would have loved that :)  She always had a good nose and loved to play hide and seek.  

No advice on how to teach any of this stuff but it sounds great and I'm glad you've found a good training group!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Jasper has a full brother from a previous litter who has a barn hunt title. It seems like something Jasper would be really good at if I could find a place that does this. 

[Stacy]

Finding a place seems to be the hard part. I think it's like the good breeders who don't have a website. You have to find someone who knows someone (who apparently owns a barn.) This kennel club seems to do it all. My only (tiny) complaint is that nothing is close. There seems to be a lot of travel involved in dog training.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

My problem exactly. Also, a huger amount of travel when you get to the upper competition levels. 

[Stacy]

Have you had any luck finding a place to train? 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Nope.
We've enrolled in a plain old basic obedience course for lack of something better. I am sure there are kennel club groups who offer classes in the performance title sports, but part of the problem of living in the Chicago metropolitan area is that it can be a two hour drive each way to get to the suburb that's offering them, and that's on the kinds of expressways I don't drive. 

[Stacy]

Basic obedience is a place to start, at least. I think it's funny. Dog training seems to be all the rage these days. I can find dozens of people who will come out to the house and train my dogs for hundreds or thousands of dollars, but they really just do basic obedience and house manners. No one seems to do dog sports. They don't even seem to know anything about dog sports. The real dog training place costs a fraction of all the other trainers, and they do it for the love of dog stuff. The trainers don't get paid and the fees pay for the building so they can do more training themselves. 

I can't even imagine the traffic over there. Our rush hour makes me grumpy, but it doesn't compare. I could be halfway across the state in 2 hours. I guess that's the grass is green part of living here. It's not glamorous, but I don't need a transporter to get to dog class. 

I hope you're able to find a rally class though. There's something about it that I really like. I think it's that I can talk to her and encourage her while we're doing it. I think we might have actually passed if we were competing the last time we went through. Maggie makes me look good!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Rally would not be my thing. I need to know in advance exactly what I will be doing. I am too uncoordinated and don't think well enough on my feet to have to read little signs several feet ahead of me to know what we need to be doing next, lol. I'm sticking with straight obedience. :D

[Stacy]

Ha! I have the same problem. You do get to do a walk through before you have to do it with the dog, so it isn't completely blind. I'm at the point where they're walking with me and explaining what I'm supposed to be doing. And sometimes you have to walk around all these cones and I get dizzy. I'm terrible. But I think I might be better at reading the sign than turning on command. "Left turn" *oh crud, which way is left?* I also have a feeling that trying for a title is going to give me stage fright. It's fine when we're just out there having fun, but it's going to be a whole different story when we're being judged. But I really would like Maggie to have some titles. We're not ready yet so I guess we will see what happens when we get there.

[Stella]

I took Hartley and Chase to a Barn Hunt workshop earlier this year. They had both done scent detection previously, so already knew how to play the game. I just had to show them the new scent. It was a lot of fun and they both enjoyed it. You can find clubs and seminars at the Barn Hunt Association:

http://www.barnhunt.com

[Marni and Hanna]

I love that you are having so much fun with Maggie!  Your posts are fun to read, you can hear the enjoyment.  (I did like the line about "squirrels are just rats with fluffy tails" !!!)  I think Hanna would really like Rally, I may have to look into that..... 

I had never heard of the "get in" command, but somehow Hanna knows when I have her sit in the heel position, if it isnt very good, I "tsk" at her or say "Really?" and she somehow knows what I mean and scoots in line.  I never consciously taught her "get in" and wouldnt begin to know how to describe it, but maybe having a dog smarter than me helps ! 

Keep us posted on Maggie's progress!

[J and Riley (and Luna)]

lol my brother had a roommate in university who was Australian and had never seen a squirrel... he asked my brother "What are those rats with the fluffy tails and dextrous hands?"  

It's a pretty accurate description I think :p