The Reading Room • Sport Guides
Rats in tubes, straw bales, and a dog that was born for this. Barn Hunt lets your dog do what terriers and hounds have done for centuries — find the rat. Here’s how it works and what each title takes.
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What barn hunt actually is
A course of straw bales hides several rat tubes — rigid, ventilated tubes with a live rat safely inside — mixed with empty litter tubes that smell like rats but hold none. Your dog must find the live rat tube(s), ignore the litter tubes, climb on the bales, and go through a tunnel, all against the clock.
You call “rat!” when you think the dog has found one. Right call: keep going. Wrong call: that’s an NQ.
The title ladder
Barn Hunt titles
RATI (Instinct) — optional entry test: 1 pass. A quick “does my dog get it?” before you commit.
RATN — 3 qualifying runs in Novice. RATO — 3 in Open. RATS — 3 in Senior. RATM — 5 in Master, under at least two different judges.
RATCH (Barn Hunt Champion) — 10 qualifying runs in the Championship (Master B) class, under at least two Judges of Record.
RATCHX (Master Champion) — RATCH plus 10 more Qs; each further X adds 10.
Your first run: what to expect
Try Instinct first. It’s one pass, it’s cheap, and it answers the only question that matters: does your dog care about the rat?
Learn to read your dog. The handler’s job is recognizing the “I found it” behavior — the freeze, the stare, the paw. Every dog tells it differently.
Don’t call “rat” on hope. A wrong call ends the run. When in doubt, let the dog work a little longer.
The tunnel is the boss level. Many capable hunting dogs lose their Qs refusing the tunnel. Practice tunnels before you trial.
Glossary
- Rat tube — A rigid ventilated tube holding a live rat — the target.
- Litter tube — A tube that smells like rats but holds none — the decoy.
- NQ — Non-qualifying run.
- BHA — Barn Hunt Association, the sport’s organization.
Sources: Barn Hunt Association, AKC Title Recognition Program. Verify current rules with the official rulebook.
Frequently asked questions
Are the rats safe in Barn Hunt?
Yes. Rats ride in rigid, ventilated PVC tubes and are never touched or harmed by the dogs. Rat welfare is central to the sport — stressed rats are rested.
Are Barn Hunt titles AKC titles?
No. They are Barn Hunt Association titles, recognized by the AKC through its Title Recognition Program, so they appear on your dog’s AKC record.
How many qualifying runs does RATN take?
Three qualifying runs in the Novice class.
What is the Instinct test?
An optional entry-level test: one pass. It’s a low-cost way to find out whether your dog is interested before you enter Novice.
What is RATCH?
Barn Hunt Champion: 10 qualifying runs in the Championship (Master B) class under at least two Judges of Record.
What is Crazy 8s?
An optional game class with its own titles (CZ8B, CZ8S, CZ8G, CZ8P): find as many rats as possible in a fixed time. Fun, but separate from the main title ladder.
Track your progress on ThePetAdvisor
Log every qualifying run, track the climb from RATN to RATCH, and plan your barn hunt weekends.