Barn Hunt

Barn Hunt is a timed dog sport in which dogs search a course built from straw or hay bales for rats, which are kept safely inside sturdy, aerated tubes so they are not harmed. Courses include a tunnel through the bales and a climb, and dogs indicate to their handler when they have found a tube containing a rat. The sport was created in the United States by Robin Nuttall and is run by the Barn Hunt Association. It is open to dogs of any breed or mix that can fit through a tunnel 18 inches wide and one bale high, with competitors split into height divisions. Entry begins with an Instinct test, in which a dog must pick out the rat tube from three tubes within one minute. Barn Hunt titles are recognised by the AKC, UKC and CKC.

Text from OyList