I have been competing in Barn Hunt trials since 2014 when the sport was only 2 years old. I started with Tango, my golden retriever/hound mix since she seemed to enjoy anything that involved using her nose. We experimented with Shed Antler hunting but quickly moved to Barn Hunt when I discovered the sport.
I found in working with my own dogs that each one brought a different attitude to the sport. And each required a different approach to training. In all of the dog sports in which I have been involved, Barn Hunt is the one that seems to require the handler to be REALLY aware of a dog’s body language. Dogs read us all the time…. In Barn Hunt, we have to learn to read our dogs. Their indications on the rats can sometimes be so very subtle: simply a tip of the head or flick of an ear.
The Saratoga (NY) Kennel Club held their first Barn Hunt trials just about the time that I was getting interested in the sport and so it was a natural collaboration. I began holding training sessions in my barn and am very proud of the success that many of my students have had – moving quickly through the levels from Novice to Masters. At the current time, four of my own dogs have reached the Masters level and two more are on their way. The Kennel Club usually holds two local trials a year.