I have found myself saying this phrase, “Where’s that guy?” when working my own dogs in Barn Hunt. I realized it’s something Katie Ball with Beau and Arrow says. I must have picked it up from her. What have you said or heard other people say when searching for rats?
Speaking of Katie, she initially came to CCA for private lessons to see if her dogs (specifically Arrow, her mini aussie) actually liked the game of Barn Hunt. They had struggled in training and trials initially. They were told “Barn Hunt is easy” and felt that it was far from easy. She was ready to end their career in Barn Hunt altogether. After a few private lessons, we were able to assess that:
- Arrow DID enjoy hunting for rats!
- Arrow was a bit timid to tell Katie when he found a rat.
- Trial pressure was a bit challenging for Arrow at times to perform as he did in practice.
In a nutshell, we unpacked what was going on and came up with a solid plan. We worked weekly with both boys and Katie. Eventually, getting them into a group class. In these sessions, we worked on Katie learning how to read Arrow’s body language better. We also worked on Arrow’s communication and boosted his play drive with the rat tube. It sounds simple when I write it out in a few sentences, but it was not instant nor easy.
I still remember the first trial I saw them at after our work together. Arrow was still being shy, telling Katie about the rats. Then she started calling them when he gave her what she refers to as the stink eye. She didn’t wait for him to give the full alert behavior. Then she played with him and the tube happily. OMG, what a change! I believe he realized she was understanding him and supporting him.
Fast forward one year later, and Team Arrow achieved their RATM (Master title)!!!! WHAT?! That’s not what we expected. It’s also not where we set our goal. Our goal was to build his confidence and have maximum fun. Now we get to do all that and have Q’s and titles.
I am over the moon about this team’s progress over the last 12 months. It’s been a true honor to be a part of their team.
If you or someone you know is on the Barn Hunt struggle bus, please share this story with them. We are here to help!