Barn Hunt Intro class #1 GET THE RAT!!!

[Dianne]

We signed 2yr old Katie  for a 4 weekly class of Introduction to Barn Hunt classes. We were unable to attend the first session due to a prior commitment, so we were apprehensive as to what we had missed.

No problem. No one else showed up for the second class!

The teacher was wonderful, calm, patient and gentle. 

Out teacher brought out the tube that contain a pet rat to introduce it to Katie, Katie not interested, So teacher opened up the tube end for a closer inspection… Katie is held back about 8 inches so as to avoid being nipped on the nose by the rat. Some interest. The next 15 minutes was spent trying to interest her in the rat tube. She is not interested unless a treat is ”on” or “under” the tube.

 OK. Lets change focus.

We entered the “barn”:  an enclosed area with orderly stacked bales of hay. During a Barn Hunt the dog would try and locate the buried rat tube. Stacked  4 feet high and with tunnels.  Katie is off leash. She loved the idea of running up and around the bales and through the tunnels as we encouraged her with calling her name, clapping  etc. As for the rat tubes? Not interested. Maybe if we put peanut butter in them?

 At home she has excavated several gopher holes, deemed moths and birds of the upmost killer instinct attention.

 We enjoyed the outing, and will continue to profess our mantra of “if it isn’t fun, we ain’t doing it”. We look forward to our final 2 classes, even if only to watch her happily jump onto hay bales, run through tunnels and forget the rats!

Next class option? Fun with Agility.

A tired Cairn is a happy Cairn!

Cheers!  

I will try and remember to take the camera to the next class..

[bradl]

After watching a fair number of runs of other people and their dogs I learned that even dogs who do not "stick" on the tubes and work them do often give a subtle (sometime *very* subtle) indication of an occupied tube .  Dundee for instance will give them a glance that I only rarely caught as a mark. I usually ended up trying to "sell" him on what I thought was a live location. Incorrectly.  

Agility looks like fun too  

 

[Hillscreek]

As long as a cairn has something to do which keeps him "at work" he/she is happy - and we are too!

[Pepper Bug's Mom]

We gave up on Brodie for Earthdog - he had absolutely NO interest in the live rats in the cage or anywhere...I tried for 2 months and finally threw in the towel.  He goes crazy if he sees a squirrel in the yard but nothing for a rat.  Pepper on the other hand tried digging her way to china the other day over something in the bushes.  Brodie went over and took a look and walked away.  Even Teddy the Yellow Lab reacts to the rats...boo hoo.

On the plus side, Brodie is not an escape artist and does not try to run out the door and through the gate and down the street.  He prefers to stick close to home. 

[Sam I Am]

Brodie knows where his next meal is coming from.

Haven’t tried the barn hunt thing yet...but pretty sure Sam would go postal if he caught sight of a rat...bunnies practically give him a stroke when he notices them on the front lawn.

Edited July 3, 2019 by Sam I Am

[Dianne]

Delayed Barn Hunt update...misplaced the camera sim card!

We finished the classes in mid July.

Instructor Cathy would place treats around the rat tube in order to entice her to the rat. 

Even when nose to nose with the rat, Katie not interested..

She did like to run around the piled hay bales!

Oh, well, we will try agility next.

A tired Cairn is a happy Cairn

Cheers all!

[Kathryn]

Just finished a puppy agility class with Angus! He showed talent - probably because treats are involved. His tail wagged during the entire session, though. And he was always exhausted for the rest of the day. 

If Katie like jumping around on straw bales, she seems a natural for agility. 

Will probably get Angus to a barn hunt experience later this fall. He likes to chase squirrels, so who knows?

[calypso]

We had to give up Earthdog after getting JE for Bella and Greta. Even though we had really amped up the recall practice before our last attempt, both girls had to be dug out after an eternity of trying to coax them from the tunnel. We just couldn’t bear the understandably reproachful glares of the long line of Dachshund folks standing in the rain waiting their turn, so that was our last event. 

We tried Barnhunt once, and it was great fun. Greta has a couple of legs toward a title, but we haven’t been able to make it to any of the local tests since then. CTCNC is going to have Barnhunt at the Specialty in Pleasanton October 18,19,20, and we’re signed up for all three days. Is anybody else planning to be there?

[Dianne]

Drat! Since Katie showed very little interest we won't attend.

Would love to be around all those fuzzy faces!

We did attend the CTCNC co=sponsored gathering in Gilroy in April. It was a total bust for us as we had never seen a barn hunt before and not a clue as to how to do it! That's what led us to the "Introduction to Barn hunt" classes that were held in Santa Cruz.

Enjoy the Pleasanton gathering.

Cheers!

[calypso]

Sorry you won’t be there!

It will be interesting to see how Greta does this time. She used to be a mighty hunter, but recently has let the yard be taken over by gophers. I wonder if her sense of smell of hearing has made her lose interest, or if at 12 1/2 she just doesn’t feel like going to the trouble. Our 3 1/2 month old Aila is now taking over the gopher patrol.