#BruiserGoesBarnHunting

I went to my first Barn Hunt class last night. Barn hunt is a sport based on the traditional idea of ridding farms, barns, and homes of destructive vermin. Rats are placed in tubes and hidden on a course made of bales of hay and loose straw. The goal is for the dog to quickly and efficiently find the tubes that contain the rats and let their handler know. No worries, the rats are very well taken care of and often beloved family pets…as was the case for the rats in my class last night.

This is me getting introduced to Joanne, the rat. I was curious, but a little unsure.

Teaching me that finding a tube with a rat is an awesome thing! Every time I sniffed and showed interest in the rat, I was positively praised, and got a treat! 

Hey, Dad, I found a rat, where’s my treat?

I got to do three rounds of practice. By the third round, I was showing interest in finding the rats. I’m now signed up for class starting in January. Bring it on rats!! (And, yes, in true Bruiser fashion, I left covered in straw!)

I also met a gigantic horse last night at class! He wanted to give me kisses…I wasn’t so sure!