Barn Hunt is the new and quickly growing dog sport catching fire across the country! It is based on the traditional roles of many breeds in ridding farms, barns, crop storage areas, and homes of destructive vermin.   Barn Hunt is a fun sport for all dogs of any breed or mix that can fit through an 18” wide by bale height tall tunnel. Dogs search for one or more rats (safely housed in aerated tubes) on a course made of straw bales. The dog has to find the correct number of rats within a set time limit. The judge does not tell the handler when a rat is found; instead, the handler must tell the judge. Each dog hunts and indicates differently—the handler’s ability to understand the dog’s signal is important. Dogs also have to go through a tunnel and climb on at least one bale. In addition to rat tube(s) there will also be empty tubes and tubes with used rat bedding but no rat. There are levels of difficulty from Instinct on up through Master with increasing challenges. You can find all the rules at www.barnhunt.com.