While Barn Hunt is well established in the US, it’s just getting started in the UK. We found the sport while trying to find something which to harness our rescue girl’s love of following her nose, to help strengthen our relationship and build her confidence. In Barn Hunt, dogs and their handlers work together to find hidden tubes which contain rats in a ring which contains obstacles built from straw bales. The rats are responsibly sourced from reptile food suppliers.

Having been bitten by the bug, I took Fenrir to his first introductory workshop at 6 months old. He wasn’t sure what to think at first, but soon got the hang of the game. Through the session he grew in confidence and developed his own way of working which is methodical and deliberate. We now attend fortnightly classes and it’s amazing to see the progress and how he’s developing his own indication for when he finds his prize. He’s even learnt to ignore distractions in favour of the scent we’re looking for, this includes treats which for a foodie makes me so proud! As dogs are worked separately and in fenced rings, it’s ideal for reactive dogs (or even highly distractable puppies) and it’s really helped us build a relationship where he wants to play the game with me and work with me to find his prize.

Like all Vallhunds (and 9-month-old puppies in general), Fenrir is full of energy. The mental situation and enrichment from a session is amazing. He comes home completely satisfied and tired which everyone in the household, especially his sighthound siblings, are very grateful for. The added bonus is that it’s much easier on his growing body than lots of high octaine walks. While he’s such a clever boy and gets bored easily with brain games at home once he’s worked them out but with Barn Hunt, the game is always changing. Each time the rat is in a new spot and he has to search over, through and between bales in a variety of patterns to find his prize. He’s learnt to search in 3D and gained so much confidence. When we first started he needed real encouragement to climb onto bales, now there’s no stopping him.

by Netty Horton