Tips For Training A Dog to do Barn Hunts
Barn hunts are a fun competition for dogs that are looking to maximize their hunting skills.
Now, it is not an easy competition to win, and most dog owners don’t know where to begin. If you are in this position, it is time to start to look at training a barn hunt dog the right way. How are you going to go about this? You will need to focus on the four tips mentioned in this post.
A barn hunt dog will develop nicely as long as you follow this advice to a tee.
1) Recreate The Setting
You want to look at recreating the setting because that is a must in the long-term.
The dog has to get used to the setting before he/she can start to participate in the proceedings. If the dog is not aware of his/her surroundings, this is going to make it hard for him/her to build the appropriate connection. They will not know what to do when the setting pops up in front of them.
You want to work on this and make sure it is drilled into their head immediately for long-term results.
2) Emphasize Connection With You
This is one of those things dog owners don’t think about when it comes a barn hunt dog. You have to put in the time to build a connection with the dog. IF they are not able to associate the setting with your directions, it is going to be a long day out in the barn.
You have to make sure things are done based on what you are telling the dog to do.
This will come with time, but you have to emphasize this connection and don’t just assume things are working out because they can quickly turn on a dime.
3) Solidify Act Before Timing Dog
You want to make sure the action is focused on rather than the timing. It is easy to look at the clock and wonder if your barn hunt dog is going to get better. Yes, it is a competition, but that doesn’t mean you have to only look at the timer all the time.
You can take the next step and make sure you are focusing on building that act and making sure it is a part of what they stand for as a dog.
If you do this, they will start to do it quickly because it will become a part of who they are.
Remember, the goal is not to harm the rat, and that isn’t how the barn hunt is going to work.
This is why you have to train with a fake rat to make sure your dog understands this. It is going to take time for them to lose some of their natural aggression, but one of the best ways to do this is with socialization. By socializing them, they will focus on the action rather than harming the rat.
These are tips anyone can incorporate as long as they are willing to put in the time. You are not going to see results immediately because this is a new sport and it is going to take time to learn. You are going to need to learn it as well before you pinpoint what to do with the dog.
Go in with an open mind and make sure you are learning on the go as well.
This is how you are going to dominate with the dog and win the barn hunt as a partnership. Those who don’t focus on this will see inferior results.