Barn hunting grows in popularity

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 14/03/2019 (2510 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Looking to help expand one of the fastest-growing dog sports in Westman, a group of barn hunters recently held trials that featured canines of all sizes and breeds racing to track down hidden rats.

Playing host to a barn hunt trial in early March at her dog-grooming business, Sola Dog Salon & Daycare owner Stephanie Inkster — who’s also a Westman Rat Wranglers Barn Hunt club member — was excited to introduce the sport to those unfamiliar, and give veterans the chance to shine.

“It’s like hide and seek for dogs,” Inkster said.

During a hunt, real rats are placed in “very secure” PVC tubes with treats and a blanket. Hiding the tubed rats in a hay bale obstacle course, dogs are let loose into the area and tasked with finding the concealed caches.

Courses can involve different levels of difficulty based on dogs and their owners’ experience in the ring.

The first level of barn hunting is strictly instinct-based. A dog is presented with three tubes, one containing a rat, a decoy tube with soiled bedding and an empty tube. Spaced about 18 inches apart, the dog is required to give some kind of indication which tube holds the rat.

“Depending on the dog, they’re all different (in how they indicate). Some dogs will bark at it, some dogs will paw at it,” Inkster said.

The experience of being introduced to barn hunting can be scary for some dogs. Inkster has a friend whose dog smelled the rat and jumped back three feet.

“It’s quite interesting to see how they all work very differently,” Inkster said with a laugh.

The next level up, Novice, has a rat hidden in hay along with a tunnel and hay bales the canine is required to traverse while hunting. The next level, Open, has two rats, followed by Senior with four rats, and ends with the highest level, Master, which can have anywhere from one to five rats hidden.

“They basically go up in difficulty. (Master is) where it starts getting really tricky,” Inkster said.

A fun separate event showcased at the Barn Hunt Trial was the game Crazy Eights, where a dog is given two minutes to find eight rats hidden in a course.

The Westman Rat Wranglers barn hunt trial saw around 50 dogs compete in the course from a diverse selection of breeds.

Seeing everything from a dachshund to a Great Dane compete in a barn hunt, Inkster herself has a Rottweiler she has trained to compete.

The openness of the sport to all types of dogs is what makes it great, Inkster said.

“You can train them if you put your mind to it,” Inkster said. “It’s a lot of training for the humans. For the dogs it’s usually natural ability.”

Inkster’s canine Marvel is a super dog at the trials.

A prodigy at the sport, Inkster said the most challenging part for the two of them was mastering the many different rules she had to follow as a trainer.

“It’s a different challenge for every dog,” Inkster said.

Watching the diverse skill sets and working styles of the dogs often prove to be one of the most interesting and entertaining aspects of Barn Hunt trials, Inkster said.

One race could be a border collie that tears through the course unearthing everything and anything it can get its paws on, while the next trial could feature a timid dachshund that tiptoes its way through hay bales searching for rats.

For those looking to get involved, Inkster recommends following Westman Rat Wranglers and Barn Hunt Manitoba on Facebook to find out about upcoming events and classes.

The best way to wet one’s nose in the sport is to start with basics in a one-on-one class.

“Your dog gets to sniff a tube with a rat in it and get a cookie,” Inkster said.

Watching videos on YouTube can also help one get a feel for the sport, along with downloading the rule book.

Travelling from a farm northeast of Regina to attend the Barn Hunt Trial, Barb Ring echoed these sentiments.

Using the basic aspect of a barn hunt trial — introducing their dog to new smells — a trainer can easily get their furry friend involved in the sport, Ring said.

“Have fun together,” Ring said. “Dogs have to use their nose, that’s brain work for them.”

Nose games offer a fun alternative to a walk when the weather falls below -40 C, even if it’s hiding biscuits around the house, she added.

“We’re all here to have fun, that is the keyword,” Ring said.

Having the chance to work as a team and enjoy each other’s company is what makes the sport a glorious activity.

“You have to trust your dog,” Ring said.

Competing in the master class with her dog Max, a three-year-old Dutch shepard, the duo made the sport look effortless.

Max has been training in the sport for two years. He entered into the arena after a muscle injury prevented him from doing agility work.

“He’s a quick learner. It didn’t take him long to put two and two together,” Ring said.

During the winter, one of Max’s favourite things to do is hunt the fields for rats. He can be spotted in a field hopping through the snow like a rabbit on the prowl for his latest find, Ring said.

The duo has travelled as far as Billings, Mont., for trials, and hope to go to North Dakota in the future for events, when the Canadian dollar gets better.

For now, Ring is happy to see the sport grow and relishes any opportunity to share the fun of barn hunts with others.

“We had fun. We just had a blast,” Ring said.

» ckemp@brandonsun.com

» Twitter: @The_ChelseaKemp