Would your dog enjoy a barn hunt?
Not to worry as no animals are harmed in this event, but have you heard of barn hunting? In this sport, a canine’s natural instincts are stimulated when the aim is to locate a special ‘dog proof’ ventilated tube containing a rat. The tube gets hidden from view and it’s up to the pooch to locate it. The tube is big enough for the rat to turn around and contains bedding. There are certain criteria to be met as far as completing a course e.g. the dog must go through a tunnel, must stand on a bail with four legs and so on. The game is operated in some places at competition level.
Once the rat is detected the dog doesn’t get to harass it. Now I cannot vouch for how rats feel about this game but I guess that’s more up to who’s running the show. The rats used are supposedly pets that have been socialized around dogs. I’ll let you do some homework and draw your own conclusion about that.
And you don’t even need a barn. You can create your own course with straw bails. Barn hunting suits many breeds of dogs. Canines enjoying nose-work especially will benefit. It also suits dogs who are older and perhaps not agile enough for lure coursing and the like.
If you’d like to read more or look up the Barn Hunt Association.
Check out their Frequently Asked Questions page.
Here’s a short video to give you an idea of the concept…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSZHOubp8S4
Leah & Angela OMeara
Hound Dog Day Care (Specialists in Dog Minding & Dog Boarding, Pet Sitting Brisbane & Doggy Day Care Brisbane)