How to Train Your Dog to Barn Hunt

Hello Nedra, I would work toward getting pup to tunnel following a scent. I would see if you can put something like a fake rodent with added rodent scent you can buy online. I would set up the toy so that there is a long thin rope attached to it, to where you can place the toy at the entrance of the tunnel then pull the toy through the tunnel quickly using the rope. When pup spots the "rodent" give pup a command to signal he should go into the tunnel, then let pup's prey drive motivate them by wiggling the rodent by dragging it with the rope through the tunnel a bit, and then pulling it through quickly once you release pup to chase it. After practicing this enough that pup is excited about the chase whenever he sees the tunnel, I would then use just the scent used on the fake rodent to scent the tunnel with a little line of scent - like a real rodent scent trail would do. At the end of the scent trail on the other side of the tunnel have the fake rodent waiting for pup. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

July 23, 2021

Hello! The best way to get started is to work on scent tracking. I am going to give you some very beginner tips on training this skill. After you work with your dog on this, you can contact a local trainer in your area for more advanced training. Start Early in the Morning To teach scenting a track, you need some treats and a grassy area, such as a baseball field or park. Although hot dogs are not the most nutritious food, I find they work best, and you won’t over stuff your dog’s belly. Begin early; many people start by 6 a.m. before anyone has walked on the grass. Create a Treat Track Have your dog sit or lie down and stay. Take a couple of inch-long pieces of hot dog and use your shoe to mash them into the grass. Make sure to crush the grass under the hot dogs, which will release a grass scent. Then, with the hot dog residue on the bottom of your shoe, walk a straight line away from your dog. Every six or ten feet, drop a piece of hot dog. Stop after about 20 feet and drop one of your gloves or one of your dog’s toys; your dog needs to find something at the end of the track. Drop another piece of hot dog on top of the item. Command Your Dog to Find the Treats Go back to your dog and release him from his stay, encouraging him to smell the ground where the hot dogs were. Tell your dog “Find it!” and let him sniff. If he begins to follow the track, praise him quietly by saying, “Good dog!” and let him lead the way. Don’t be too enthusiastic or you may distract the dog from his sniffing. Also, don’t try to lead him; let your dog figure it out. At this point, your dog is following several scents: the trail of hot dogs, which helps motivate him, the crushed grass where you mashed the hot dogs and the crushed grass where you later stepped. Your dog is also following your individual scent, which he knows well because he smells your scent every day. But now your dog is learning to combine the scents, to follow them and to find the item at the end of the track. Start Increasing the Length of the Track When your dog successfully completes this trick, make another one by taking 10 steps to the side. If your dog is excited and having fun, you can do three or four short tracks per training session. As your dog improves over several sessions, make the track longer, add curves and corners, and drop several items along the way, but put the hot dog only on the one you want him to find. When making tracks longer or adding curves, use small pegs, stakes or flags to mark the track so you can tell if your dog is off track. Air scenting requires your dog to find someone by sniffing the scents wafting through the air instead of following a track. Most search-and-rescue dogs have both skills; they can follow a track, but if people walking over the track spoil it, they can also use their air-scenting skills. Please let me know if you have any additional questions. Thank you for writing in.

Dec. 28, 2020