RATCHX Jake

Posted in the Great Lakes Barn Hunt Facebook group Sunday July 27, 2014:

BIG NEWS FLASH. Jake von der Alte Baum "Jake", a German Shepherd Dog from Larsen, WI, owned and handled by Laurel Stone earned the first RATCHX in the history of the Barn Hunt, pending confirmation by BHA, today at Waukesha, WI.

Rat Champion Excellent requires that a dog earn 25 Master legs total, including the 5 earned in the RATM and the 10 earned in the RATCH. Very exciting for all of us!!!!

Taken at Waukesha County Expo Center

Moments after final leg required for RATCHX was earned in Trial 1 on Sunday morning, in a run judged by Susan Chapman. — with Laurel Stone and Susan Chapman at Waukesha County Expo Center.

• You, Kelly Mientke Butkiewicz, Karen Alvarez, Nancy Yeoman and 137 others like this.

• Nancy Yeoman Woo Hoo Jake and Laurel!!! So happy for both of you!

• Camp Pit-Weiler Congratulations Laurel Stone and Jake!

• Candy Henely Way to go Jake......and Lairel...

• Andrea Marie Great Job Laurel Stone and Jake!!!

• Melonie Arnold Boyll Congratulations Laurel and Jake!

• Ellen Bloomfield Way to go you two!!!!!

• Danae Steele Couldn't happen for a better team!

• Kelly Mientke Butkiewicz Congrats!

• Jean Richardson Whoopee!

• Ann Bergeron Congratulations Laurel and Jake! So honored to have been there to witness it!

• Chris Puls That's so awesome!! A record that will never be broken!

• Linda Milbrath Wohoooo! Way to Go Jake! Congratulations Laurel!!!!!!!

• Beth Haberkorn Sternitzky WTG! On to Nationals!!

• Sharon Keillor CongRATS1X Jake it was a ball rat wrangling for you!

• Paula King CongRATS!

• Ros Beaman Oh wow! Congratulations!

• Jim N Barb Berry CongRATS! So glad I was there to see it! You two are a GREAT team!

• Amy Wukotich Wow! Congrats!

• Kristina Phillips Wow! Congratulations!

• Karen Alvarez Congrats Laurel!!! I am so happy for you and Jake!!!!

• Kim Kern Congrats to Laura and Jake it was awesome to watch them hunt!!!!

• Heather Neldner Rock on Jake!!! Congrats Laurel! you guys rock!!

• Barb Krynski That is awesome!

• Susan Chapman Jake and Laurel are an incredible team!

• Kitty Check Congratulations!

• Ann Kraft Wow!!! That is awesome!! Congratulations!!

• Kari Olson A historical moment! Congratulations Laurel and Jake.!

• Renea L Dahms Very fun ... the pvc bar should have holes in it to look like a rat tube

• Patti Trudgeon-Muraczewski At first I thought she was holding Susan at gun point.

• Laurel Stone lol.. you had to be there Patti!

• Renea L Dahms - look under the photos and you'll see the purpose of the RATCH bar! it's a useful barn hunt tool!

• Brenda Jones Katz Someone did a clear RATCH bar with a rat in it.. adorable

Jake's personalized RATCHX bar and ribbon. — at Waukesha County Expo Center.

By the end of the weekend, Jake was a very decorated fellow! — at Waukesha County Expo Center.

• Kelly Mientke Butkiewicz, Karen Alvarez, Nancy Yeoman and 30 others like this.

• Laurel Stone And he was also very excited about all the attention he was getting! He actually sat beside the ribbons for 15 min. while I rearranged and took pictures and others came over and took pictures. He clearly likes to be the center of attention!

• Judith Walker It was a joy to wrangle his rats for that final run!
• Becky Harrison Focht That is so cool.
• Brooke Thomas What a boy! Congratulations!

Andrea Dugger - May 25 congRATulations Laurel Stone and RATCH Jake for becoming the 3rd? Barn Hunt Champions in the world! I can't wait to see the pics / videos!

You, Kelly Mientke Butkiewicz, Brenda Coffield, Karen Alvarez and 48 others like this.

• Brenda Coffield Sorry I didn't get back to see it, Laurel. But huge congRATS!
• Kitty Check Huge congRATS!. Great job!
• Kitty Check who is the 2nd RATCH?
• Ellen Bloomfield CongRats!!!!!
• Andrea Dugger 2nd? Carol Cagel and Gracie
• Nancy Yeoman Awesome!!! Woo Hoo!!!
• Darla Lacey Congratulations Laurel.
• Jean Richardson Whoopee!
• Sandra Hoesel Congrats Laurel & Jake!!
• Kathy Kimmeth Congrats what a great accomplishment.
• Sandra Hoesel Who are the three? Andrea, Carol and Laurel?
• Andrea Dugger As far as I know- unless there have been others that we just haven't about yet.
• Karen Alvarez Big Congrats to you and Jake!
• Paula King I'm so happy for you and glad I was able to film your winning run!
• Sandra Hoesel What I find interesting is in a true testament to Barn Hunt being a sport for all dogs, the 3 are a Weimaraner, a GSD and a GWP. Way to go ladies!!
• Andrea Dugger I disagree- apparently the Germans have a leg up in the sport. Bwahhaaaa
• Sandra Hoesel Well considering Weims and GWP's are two of my breeds and I competed in 4-H and AKC with a GSD, I think you are correct Andrea. German breeds have a leg up! (said somebody of German descent... )
• Nancy Yeoman We're going to get Dachshunds in there some day! Go short-legged Germans! hahaha
• Jean Richardson Beware, the Brits are coming. Terriers of the world, unite and get to hunting those rats.

Rock Star Jake

Let’s discuss it…

Training!! 

Menasha Trial July 5-6, 2014

WOOHOO! – a local trial!!  travel time 20 minutes! 
Entered both Jake and Brita! 
Thank you Paws Applause (Gail Donaldson)!!

Videos:

Jake:   Saturday Trial 1     Saturday Trial 2       Sunday Trial 1       Sunday Trial 2

Brita:   Saturday Trial 1     Saturday Trial 2       Sunday Trial 1       Sunday Trial 2

Brita got one open leg and Jake got 3 legs..  two 1st places, one high in class and one 2nd place.

and… Jake got 3 more legs towards his RATCHX and has only 3 more to go!!

I want to have fun with my dog–that’s all…

So I just got home from a Barn Hunt in Bloomington IL and as I was driving back a number of things were going through my head.  Most of the way TO Bloomington I was grumbling about driving, traffic and anything else that I could think of.  I had decided that I hate traveling and plan to do less and less which is still my plan.  On the way home I was thinking of how much fun I had or didn’t have.  

• The people were friendly. 
• It was fun seeing fellow competitors.
• It was really hot and I had to keep moving the van to keep the dogs cool. 
• The blinds were inside and awful because first we had to sit in line and then walk in order into the blind across from the dogs in the blinds in the other ring…  very stressful!

More thoughts crossed my mind.  I had been accustomed to Jake passing and if he passed he placed with one exception and that was his first barn hunt.  In fact, he passed every one until halfway through master (that’s 11 or 12 consecutive trials)  I should correct myself…  Jake ALWAYS passed, I, however, found numerous ways to make the wrong decision.   I did notice some consistencies:

• The shorter the run, the more I think he felt cheated.  This actually makes sense…  He does well so he gets taken from the course. 
• He finds the rats and they are taken away from him. It was adversarial and he didn’t want to give up the rat. 

A few things started happening. 

• He started going TO the rat and then continuing to hunt and then coming back to it.  This was not at all like him because previously he would immediately go to it and try to pick it up and keep it.  But it gave him more time to search (play) on the course.
• He started picking up litter tubes to take back to the van. Of course, I thought those tubes had rats in them so I called them.  He got to keep something or so he thought.

I had watched video after video to try to understand his actions to come to these conclusions.  His times were amazing… 20 seconds in novice, 90 seconds in senior, under 2 minutes in master.  He did his job and is rewarded by being crated again for hours.  How fair is that??

So this past weekend I had time to think. 

• Why am I doing barn hunt?  Jake likes it… to spend time with my dog…  it’s fun… nice people.. All good reasons. 
• What about Jake?  He has fun when in the ring and then the rest of the time is in the crate in the van.  (I should include Brita here also because she most often is along for the ride if not entered.)

So this past Friday morning, load up at 830 to go – run errands – get him and Brita out of van for 5 min. at about 10am… take off – stop again at 1 or so, get them out …  arrive in Bloomington…  go to motel .. go outside a bit… no playing in room … sleep … up and into crate… trial … out of crate 2x to hunt and maybe 4x to potty… back to hotel – Subway sub for supper (meat to dogs)…  ice cream from McDonalds … next day..  crate … hunt.. out to potty several times..  drive home… 

On the way home I think to myself how much time they spent crated… how much time I actually spent with them …  did they really have fun?  We get home and Jake and Brita run like crazy through the yard, chasing each other, finding a REAL critter in the wood pile…  they finally looked like they were having FUN!

So as I mull over my thoughts about this whole thing I really do question myself and ask myself the question:  Is it really fun for Jake and Brita… really?  They seem to have so much MORE fun just playing in the yard and chasing critters through the woods.  So what to do??  We’ll see….

Straw and LOTS of it!

70 bales in all!!

RATCH Jake!

On May 25th Jake earned his Champion title in Oak Creek WI!!!

       

New training shed!!

..with no worries about rain!  What a project!

Before (a garden shed that never really worked out) and half emptied!  12x16 and DRY!

Emptied and blown out with the dogs’ coat blower and then cushy mats put on concrete (Note Jake hanging out in the back – he’s never far from me.)

Now to get the straw from the shelter to the shed and tried a few ways before I was successful at moving 3 bales at once.  Later I put the mower attachments on and filled those up with loose straw.

And voile! Bales and loose straw from opened bales.  Oh..  and this isn’t all the bales.  It got hot (note Jake who dug himself a hole in the dirt before lounging in it) and storms were on the horizon.  When this is done I can put sides on the shelter which is 20x20, level it out, and get more straw!

And the last of the straw is now out of the shelter area so I can level it off, fence it and then fill it up again with straw!  And the other shed now has crates in it so I don’t have to keep them in the garage during training!!

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Jake’s take from the Oak Creek trial

3 second place wins and one first place with a high in trial in master class.  He got an orange leash for the high in trial which is working out to be a great holder for the ribbons.

Getting’ it ready….Barn Hunt!

First the straw…. then protection from the rain  …..then miscellaneous fencing ….then a board and easel ….  now just put it all together!

And over 2 weeks we went from snow to green grass!

St. Louis - success!

 

 

Purina Farms…  great place for a trial! 

And even though there was snow still in Wisconsin, there were flowers here and it was warm and sunny!!

Barn Hunt stats through mid-March

Total Registrations so far: 5081

Total number of titles through mid-March:

• RATI: 1351
• RATN: 822
• RATO: 233
• RATS: 66
• RATM: 8

Barn Hunt Success!

3 High in Trial ribbons in one weekend!!  Woohoo!!

Collected Videos and Photos of Barn Hunt Runs

Great Lakes Barn Hunt competitors have joined together to share videos on YouTube. Please visit our account to learn and enjoy what we've done!

https://www.youtube.com/user/BarnHuntVideos

If you wish to upload videos of your dog or have a website of your dog's barn hunt adventures you would like to link to, please private message Laurel Stone on Facebook for the password to the account.

If you wish to upload a slide show, for more information, please contact Tammy Milbrath Strebe on Facebook.

If you do join us in sharing, your dog will have an individual playlist for multiple videos. We hope you take the opportunity to tell us about your dog in the description of the playlist.

As of this writing (4/2014), there are 14 different dogs including the following breeds

1. German Shepherd Dog
2. Standard Poodle
3. English Cocker Spaniel
4. Weimaraner
5. Border Terrier
6. Parson Russell Terrier
7. Standard Dachshund
8. Miniature Dachshund
9. Yellow Labrador Retriever
10. West Highland White Terrier
11. Malinois
12. German Wirehaired Pointer
13. Icelandic Sheepdog
14. Mixed/Cross Breed

Treibball

The place to train!!

Whistle While You WORK!

I decided that I wanted to learn to use a whistle to direct the dogs in TREIBBALL so I purchased a shepherd’s whistle from Amazon.  I decided to go with the nickel silver one ($10) rather than the cheap plastic one ($4) or the quite expensive Corian one ($35) or the even more expensive Avonite or buffalo one ($45).

So it arrived and I confidently put it in my mouth to blow it and …… nothing… not a sound!  To the internet for instructions!  That’s when I can across this article and had to print a bit and link to the rest because it is SO entertaining!  Apparently I am not the only one that happened to!   SO… 

Whistle While You Work

The best kind of whistle you can use is the kind you are born with. ………  For those of us who can't whistle without help, some devious person, now long dead, designed the shepherd's whistle. This instrument of torture is designed to punish those of us who are already handicapped and can't make proper whistle noises with our mouths. It comes in plastic, acrylic, or metal. The basic shape is generally a half-moon.. They look innocent enough until you stick one in your mouth and blow. Nothing happens! Every whistle I tried at first was broke. Absolutely NO sound came out. This is how they are designed. The inventors figured that if you couldn't whistle without help, you really shouldn't be herding, so they designed this gadget to not work intentionally! On average, unless you really DO know how to whistle without the use of a mechanical whistle, it probably takes about 2 years to get any sound to come out of the shepherd's whistle. I'm not sure, but maybe this is the age the whistle needs to be before it can actually make sounds. I do know that when first bought, most whistles, at least those bought by neophytes to whistledom, do not work. There definitely needs to be a breaking in period.

Got your attention!  A few other gems:

• The first step in learning how to use a shepherd's whistle is to tie it on a string.
• The only wrong way to put a shepherds whistle in your mouth is to put the end tied to the string in first. This tastes funny which is why you don't do it.
• …..if you wear a whistle for looks, be careful because as soon as you do, someone will ask you to demonstrate it

And now, CLICK HERE to read “The Rest of the Story!”

TRIEBBALL!!!

Update 1/25/2014 – Ahh.. a work-around..  I think we’ll get it!
Update 1/20/2014  - We’re in week #4… why then are we still learning week #2 skills!! 

Update 1/13/2014
Click here for a great video..  no …not Jake..  he’s still learning to stand calmly behind the ball without biting it or jumping on it! 

*******Originally written 12/2013  This is when Jake started lessons with
Lynsie Bernier of Ideal Dog at Go Fetch in Winneconne!*******

Treibball is a positive-Reinforcement, competitive dog sport which originated in Germany and entered sanctioned competition in 2008. The dog must gather and drive large exercise balls into a soccer goal.

Eight balls of approximately 45–75 cm are set in a triangle formation, similar to billiards, with the point ball farthest from the goal. The object of the game is to get all eight balls into a confined space the size of a soccer goal within a set time period, usually about 15 minutes. The handler may not move outside of an area that contains the left half of and several feet beyond the goal area. The dog works in close cooperation with the handler, who is only allowed to use whistles, verbal or hand signals to direct his dog. No verbal or physical corrections are used in Treibball. The dog and handler must communicate effectively to herd one ball at a time into the goal, in fifteen minutes time. The dog and handler team are scored on cooperation and direction, within that fifteen minute time limit,and can earn extra points or accrue demerits accordingly.

The balls have been referred to as "rolling sheep" in recognition that this sport stems from herding for dogs who do not have access to regular sheep.

 

 

Training Videos on YouTube

Basics – Donna Hill (7 min.)
The Whole Intro – Sue Alexander (8:56) Black German Shepherd

Beginning Treibball – Sandi Persinger  (5:53)
Intermediate Treibball – Sandi Persinger (8:34)

Living With Dogs series

The Front Game (2:48)
The Serpentine Maze (:27)
The Platform Game: Training Orientation (2:17)
Teaching Orientation with Ball (:17)
Teaching Targeting to a Mat: Step 1  (:16)
Teaching the Distance Send: Step 2 (2:18)
Teaching Targeting to a Mat: Step 3 (:59)
The Mat Game: Distance Work (5:56)
Sending to a Target, Increasing Distance (:48)
Getting Distance: Luring with a Toy (3:35)
The Barrel Race Game (:29)
The Front Cross Dance (:24)
The Target Stick Game: Training the Push (2:28)
The Bowl Game: The Ball Push (:44)
The Bowl Game: Fun Basics (1:58)
Barrel Rolling Race Game (:32)
The Push Harder Game (:31)
Rainy Day Games: Treibbox (1:06)
Tiny Dogs Can Push Too! (:32)
Barrel Racing Intro (:45)

 

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Barn Hunt Videos

This page will continue to be updated. 
Any videos you may have and would like to add would be welcome!!
If you find links that are incorrect or don’t work, let me know.(send the YouTube links to lstonedogstuff@gmail.com) 

The following breeds are represented here so far:  American Staffordshire Terrier, English Cocker Spaniel, German Shepherd Dog, Great Dane, Icelandic Sheepdog, Malinois, Poodle (Standard), Weimararer, West Highland Terrier

 

2013.12.29 Trial in GA  Otter’s 1st Champion leg (English Cocker)

2013.12.28 Trial in GA 

Master – Otter – English Cocker (5th MASTER leg)
Master – Lexi – Weimaraner (2nd leg)

2013.12.14-15 Trial at the Sheboygan Dog Training Club

Master – Jake – GSD (2nd leg) time 2:49
Master – Jake – GSD (1st leg) time 3:18
Master – Jake – GSD
Master – Jake – GSD (run starts at 50 sec. 1st tube at 56 sec)
Master – Otter – English cocker
Master – Lexi – Weimaraner (1st leg)
Open – Vodka – Malinois

2013.12.01 Jake Training for Master

2013.10.26-27 Trial in Cascade, WI

Master – Nosi – Icelandic Sheepdog
Master – Nosi – Icelandic Sheepdog
Senior – Bean – Westie
Senior – Jake – GSD (3rd leg) time 1:29
Senior – Jake – GSD (2nd leg) time 1:59
Senior – Sniper – Standard poodle
Open – Vodka – Malinois (1st leg)
Novice – Vodka – Malinois

Miscellaneous

Open – Powerball – Am Staff
Open – Great Dane

     

Jake relaxing in his very own barn after practically
standing on his head to get a tube with a chicken back in it!
Who needs rats when chicken will do??

 

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What to do when there is no Barn Hunt?? …Treibball!!

Jake and I needed to learn something new.  The next Barn Hunt we plan to do is 3 months away and it’s a long winter so we are taking Treibball lessons!  OMG!  Challenging – YES!  However, it’s going to be fun learning the skills necessary for the sport! 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Treibball is a positive-Reinforcement, competitive dog sport which originated in Germany and entered sanctioned competition in 2008. The dog must gather and drive large exercise balls into a soccer goal.

Eight balls of approximately 45–75 cm are set in a triangle formation, similar to billiards, with the point ball farthest from the goal. The object of the game is to get all eight balls into a confined space the size of a soccer goal within a set time period, usually about 15 minutes. The handler may not move outside of an area that contains the left half of and several feet beyond the goal area. The dog works in close cooperation with the handler, who is only allowed to use whistles, verbal or hand signals to direct his dog. No verbal or physical corrections are used in Treibball. The dog and handler must communicate effectively to herd one ball at a time into the goal, in fifteen minutes time. The dog and handler team are scored on cooperation and direction, within that fifteen minute time limit,and can earn extra points or accrue demerits accordingly.

The balls have been referred to as "rolling sheep" in recognition that this sport stems from herding for dogs who do not have access to regular sheep.

 

 

 

When we learn the most…

I’ve always said and truly believed that when I enter a dog trial and NQ (aka FAIL, NOT PASS, BLOW IT), is when I learn the most and identify the holes in my training with that dog!   I knew I had a problem with Jake pulling me to the start line from the blind and in the last few months did some “obedience for a bite” training with Terence hoping it would transfer to “obedience for a rat” so he would not try to pull me into the ring.

Take note:  Small dogs dragging their owners into the ring is cute people think…  “oh look at all the drive” spectators say…  “he really likes this!”  

Jake is not a a 20 pound dog, or even 30 or 40 pounds.  He is 80 pounds and clearly stronger than I am.  So today, as we approach the ring, I try to hold him close to me but he’s pulling and I give the leash a little slack which Jake apparently took to meant “lunge forward” so he did dragging me to the start line…  on the ground!  No, I wasn’t hurt, but, clearly, it took me by surprise!

I wrote this on Facebook:

Day 1 - lol... well let's say, it was another learning experience! Good news is that we did get our first MASTER leg this afternoon and he did walk nicely to the ring instead of pulling and then jerking me to the ground like he did in the morning!! (we had a discussion about that between trials!) And since he decided to poo in the ring in the morning trial, he was cleaned out in the afternoon so I didn't have to worry about that happening again! In the second run he found 2 rats in under a minute and then I spent 2 minutes wondering if there were more!! There weren't! It was fun!

Day 2 – Master leg #2 in the morning…good job Jake!!!  ….in the afternoon.. oh no..  ..more poo…  how can that be with the small amount of food I gave him…  well I yet again learned a new term … I need to “match” my dog before the trials..  THAT will be interesting!  Google it!

Overall -  I can’t complain!
2 legs in MASTER!!  2 BLUE ribbons!! 
Really..  that is a good weekend!

Look at the tail!  A hunter at 3 months!
No wonder he likes Barn Hunt!

Practice runs for MASTER!! :)

We went to Sheboygan to train at the Sheboygan Dog Training Club where the next trial is going to be held and did 3 Master runs which are included in this video.  After that we stopped at Gail’s on the way home and did 3 more runs.  Overall, he passed them all with 2 – 4 min. runs and 4 – 3 minute runs..  approximately.  Woohoo!! 

00:07 - Run #1 starts
00:30 – Rat #1 found and he releases it nicely
00:58 – Rat #2 found and again he releases it nicely
01:21 – Started tunnel but came back – it was a U and he hadn’t seen it before
01:41 – Rat #3 found – harder to get it from him
02:13 – Tunnel --- note to self…  don’t touch dog!
02:25 – Started sweep
04:02 – All done – 3 rats!  (3 min. 55 sec.)

04:08 – Run #2 starts
04:28 – Rat #1 found and he doesn’t want to release it
05:02 – Tunnel
05:11 – Started sweep
06:39 – Started to go under fence to get rats outside of ring
07:11 – All done – 1 rat!  (3 min. 3 sec.)

07:18 – Run #3 starts
07:28 – Rat #1 found – it’s getting harder to get it from him
07:42 – Rat #2 found – and harder and harder….
08:34 – Rat #3 found – we’re having a discussion about whose rat it is
09:12 – Started sweep
09:19 – Rat #4 found – ok.. we need to talk again about possession of the rodent
09:45 – Right about now I was trying to figure out how many rats he had found!
10:53 – All done – 4 rats!  (3 min. 35 sec.)