Barn Hunt rules simplified

So you want to try Barn Hunt but that giant rulebook looks confusing and intimidating? We've got you.

Let’s start strong: Barn Hunt was one of the hardest rulebooks for me to memorize. Once I understood it it became pretty easy but up until that point, I made a lot of mistakes.

Barn Hunt is what I would refer to as a gateway sport. It’s accessible, gets your dog engaged with you, and gets you hooked on competition. Lower levels of competition, like Novice, also tend to be cheaper than higher levels which means the investment starting out is a little less than what you’d find if you got really serious about the sport.

For the purpose of today’s letter, we’ll be specifically discussing Barn Hunt Association rules for regular tests. We’ll talk about extra games like crazy 8s later on!

So… what are the basics? What is Barn Hunt?

Barn hunt is a dog sport where dogs hunt rats. That’s the short and sweet answer. If we want to get more specific, Barn Hunt was built off of the work of rat catchers and their working dogs. These dogs and their people used to travel around getting rid of pests on farms. They helped protect crops and prevent disease.

Now, we can test dogs for their ability to do that same task in a more humane way. Rats are placed in tubes that are hidden within a few stacks of hay bales. The tube keeps the rats safe from pointy canine teeth.

To play, dogs will search through the hay bales to find the rat (more on the other tubes in the ring later). For a qualifying score to move towards a title, your dog will need to find a specific number of rats in the ring, hop on top of a hay bale, and complete a tunnel through a stack of bales.

How do I get started?

Like we said, Barn Hunt is a gateway sport. With that said, there is plenty of training involved (but it’s mostly training you, the handler). You’ll have to learn to see how your dog follows scents, what they do when they found the source, and how to manage your dog in the environment. Sure, there’s some training for the dogs too, especially for dogs who aren’t super prey driven natural hunters, but the person training tends to be the more difficult part.

Classes are key. I would go about finding group classes or private lessons (whatever is more your speed) by finding trials near me on the Barn Hunt Association website. That lets you know what clubs have Barn Hunt facilities and might be hosting classes soon. Reach out to the trial hosts and say hey!

Ok so… the rules?

Time to get into it. First, what are you allowed to wear? There’s no specific dress code for Barn Hunt but there are a few common items you can’t bring into the ring:

• Treat bags. I bring a treat bag with me into the blind (more on that later) to help my dogs settle. I make sure to take it off on my way out of the blind and leave it outside of the ring.

• Timers and stopwatches. I’ve been asked to remove my Apple Watch once in all of the Barn Hunt trials we’ve been to, but for safety I just don’t bring it in anymore. Judges won’t tell you what you did wrong until you are heading out of the ring without a qualifying score.

• Cameras. We all want a good video of our dog doing something cool for social media. Ask someone outside of the ring to video for you!

• Dangly Jewelry. This one is going to depend on how strict your judge is. If you bend over to praise your dog and have a necklace hanging down, that could get you in a bit of trouble.

The other consideration, one I’ve seen too many handlers lose a score to, is what your dog is allowed to wear in the ring. I tend to bring my dogs on a slip lead or slip collar with nothing else on to avoid issues with this. Your dog is not allowed to wear:

• An electronic collar anywhere on the grounds

• A head halter anywhere on the grounds

• A GPS collar (like a Fi) anywhere on the grounds

• Uncovered prong collars anywhere on the grounds

• Muzzles anywhere on the grounds

• Leashes and collars with dangling items in the ring (including collar tags and poop bag dispensers)

• Retractable leashes in the blind

You are allowed to bring your dog into the blind with multiple collars and leashes on to discard one before you enter the ring. With that said, make sure you dress your dog in something that can be removed and put back on quickly. Your dog will have to compete with nothing on so you’ll be expected to remove it all.

In the blind

The blind is a sectioned off area for people who are about to compete. I’ve seen separate rooms used, tents, and partitioned off areas. The purpose of the blind is to keep competitors from being able to see where the rat is hidden before their dog finds it. You’ll be in close quarters with other dogs and handlers here. There are rules specific to being in this area:

• Do everything you can to keep your dog from being disruptive. They can’t interact with other dogs in the blind but you can set them on a place mat, use treats, bring in a toy (no noise), or do anything else inside the space to help your pup settle.

• No talking to people outside of the blind. You can chat with the other people in your competition group who are sitting with you, but no whispering to folks outside.

• No communication devices in the blind. Put your phone away in your pocket or just leave it in the car.

• Stay in the blind. You can’t leave and come back. Once you’re in the blind, you have to wait there until it is your turn to enter the ring.

Entering the ring

These are some of the hardest parts to remember because nerves start hitting when you get in the ring. The bit about picking up a leash before your run is over knocked Hiccup and I out at our first trial. Here’s what you need to know:

• You can pick up small dogs to carry them into the ring.

• Dogs have to run “naked.” Basically, if they weren’t born with it, they can’t have it on.

• Wait to take off your leash and collar until the gate is fully closed and you’re in the start box.

• You can’t carry your leash while in the ring. When you take it off, drop it or hand it to someone in the ring. If there is a fence nearby you can hang it there. Don’t pick it up again until you’re completely done with your run. Your run ends as soon as that leash is back in your hand

• Wait for the judge to tell you to start.

• Make sure you start in the start box, the timer starts as soon as you get out of it.

In the ring

While you’re competing, it’s hard to keep your head on straight. One of the rules I follow to avoid any issues is to just not touch anything (you’ll see why) and keep my hands behind my back. That’s not a real BH rule, it just helps me get through a course without any problems. Here are the real rules:

• You can follow your dog around, talk to them, and gesture to them to get them to do things. You can’t crawl on the ground or lay down to do this, stay upright.

• You can touch hay bales to get to a rat tube to take it out and hand it to someone else for removal. If you’re not grabbing a tube, don’t touch the bales, it’s not allowed.

• You can use obedience in the start box (like telling your dog to sit so you can take their collar off).

• You can’t touch your dog except to praise them. If you need to catch your dog to let someone pick up your rat tube, you have to do it with flat hands. Think paper in rock, paper, scissors. With that said, you can restrain your dog after they’ve found the rat for someone in the ring to come take the tube away. You still have to do this with flat hands.

• You can’t curse in the ring. This one has almost gotten me a few times! I have a sailor’s mouth and have to remind myself to limit my vocabulary a bit.

• You can’t drop a tube or hold it at more than a 45 degree angle. This is for the rat’s safety!

• You can’t look inside of tubes before calling “rat.”

• You can’t pick your dog up to leave if it makes them obviously uncomfortable. If you want to pick up your dog, I’d do a little extra research on dog body language so you’re able to keep an eye out for signs of discomfort!

• You can praise your dog and wiggle the tube as a reward after you’ve called “rat.” That includes petting for a minute! This is where the touching your dog rule could get a little confusing, but petting as a reward is allowed.

• You have to call “rat” clearly when your dog has found the rat. You can’t question it, it’s a statement. In higher levels, you’ll also need to say “clear” when you’re done with the course as the number of rats can differ per run.

What does your dog have to do?

This is where a little bit of dog training comes into Barn Hunt. Your dog has to do more than find the rat, they have to be confident enough while hunting to take on a few obstacles. That means your dog will need practice with tunnels and some practice climbing up onto objects. We practice climbing on our couch. Here’s what they’ll need to do in their time limit:

• Tunnel. They have to enter on one side and come out of the other, turning around in the middle doesn’t count.

• Climb. This means they need to be completely on top of any hay bale on the course with all four paws.

• Find the rat. This is arguably the most important part, and there will be obstacles to try to trick your dog. There will be a rat tube (or multiple) hidden away, but there may also be empty tubes and tubes full of bedding from the rats’ cage.

• Not use the bathroom. You’d be surprised how hard this is. Hay smells like the perfect place to pee and dogs know it. You’ll be dismissed immediately if your pup uses the bathroom in the ring.

Those are the basics! We’ll get into differences between the levels later, but if you’re just starting out this is a good jumping off point. Getting started in Barn Hunt doesn’t have to be intimidating. It’s meant to be fun! If you break a rule and get dismissed, don’t sweat it. Your dog probably had fun either way and we’ve all had it happen to us at some point.

That’s it for today! Much love,

Mackenzie