Page 74 - Chow Life - Summer 2017

I Smell A Rat!

by Cathy Clapp, FlamingStar Chows

I’ve been asked fairly regularly how Memorial Day Weekend (thinking did our Novice runs. One thing she
I got started with Barn Hunt, or why that I was going to have at least a few had not yet learned on command (due
I thought Marilyn (MBISS GCHS classes in before then). Fortunately for to lack of training) was the tunnel.
FlamingStar Some Like It Hot RATM) me, they were also offering a “Rat n You see, you have to do three things in
would like it. I’ll answer why I thought Go” and “Mini Clinic” the day before order to earn a qualifying score: find
she would like it first. A couple of they started the trials, so I signed up the rat, climb on the bales (all four
years ago I had a mouse run across the for those, too. So we went to our first feet must touch) and go through the
living room floor and under one of the trials with a total of one class, the mini tunnel within the time limit given. For
cabinets in the kitchen. (Yes, I live in clinic and a practice run through. Novice that’s 2 minutes and there is 1
the country and one does occasion- I didn’t quite understand how they rat. So on Saturday she found the rat
ally find its way inside.) Every night ran the trials when I signed up – I’m both trials, but didn’t do the tunnel for
since then, Marilyn would check every thinking “Trial 1” and “Trial 2” would one of them. But we came away with
night around the kitchen to make sure be run with one in the morning and our first Q (Qualifying run) of the
that mouse wasn’t there somewhere. one in the afternoon. While that is three needed for the title.
Plus, there was what I refer to as “the occasionally true, for the most part Sunday I learned a lesson in the
bunny incident” when a rabbit made it turns out they usually run back to Instinct that I have not forgotten and
the mistake of coming into the yard. It back. You see they have to change the it was a mistake I have never repeated.
took Marilyn about 30 seconds to run course between every trial, and the You see there are a lot of rules in Barn
it down, catch it and gut it. So she has higher up you go the more bales of Hunt. It doesn’t matter if your dog
a high prey drive. I was pretty certain hay or straw are added and the more does everything it’s supposed to if you
that she would like Barn Hunt. complicated the course gets. So the do something you weren’t. I took her
I campaigned Marilyn pretty heavily way most clubs run their trials is to lead off and there wasn’t anyone handy
in 2015 so it didn’t leave a lot of extra run each class back to back: Novice to give it to like the time before, so I
time for other activities, but I kept 1, Novice 2, Open 1, Open 2, etc. So, carried it with me, not even thinking
promising her that when we were since I had entered the Chow Special- about it. Turns out that’s a DQ. So she
through chasing breed points I would ty on Saturday in Kalamazoo I com- found the rat but didn’t pass because I
let her try Barn Hunt. I started trying pletely missed the
to get into a Barn Hunt class in Lou- Barn Hunt that day
isville pretty early last year but since because they were
they keep the classes small (4 dogs per all about the same
class) and they always posted them time in the morning.
on Facebook during the day while I Lesson learned. But
was at work, I wasn’t having much on the other hand,
luck. I was finally able to get into one we did get to make
in May, but they delayed the start of both runs along with
it until the middle of the month. I had Instinct on Friday
already decided to jump in and Sunday. The first
with both feet so I had entered Instinct she passed
the trials in Kalamazoo over no problem. Then we
72