Titling

Title Requirements

Dogs receive points for finding rats, crossing bridges and going into burrows. The point system varies according to the level. 

Dogs with a Barn Hunt Association Open title or higher, may enter at the Expert level if they prefer.

SUMMARY TABLE

Level Time Rats Other Tubes Height Other
Ratter
RAT
2 ½ minutes 1 rat 1 empty, 1 litter Max 1 foot At least one rat must be found while earning 300 points to title
Happy Ratter
HRAT
3 minutes 2 rats 2 litter Max 1 foot No points if no rat
Expert
XRAT
3 ½ minutes 3 rats 2 litter Max 18” No points if no rat
Champion
CHR
4 minutes 4 rats 2 litter Max 2 feet No points if no rat
Extraordinaire
REX
5 minutes 1-5 rats 2 litter Max 3 feet Call clear before time 10 point bonus.
Call clear rats remain, game over no bonus
No points if no rat
May be asked to wait in isolation or may be different # of rats per run.
Extreme Ratter
XREX
for 30 qualifying  100 or  110 point  Runs 10 of the 30 have to be 110 point runs.
The count starts AFTER the REX has been earned.

Titling Details

Ratter Level, (RAT)

2 ½ minutes, 1 rat, 1 Empty, 1 foot or lower
Title requires 300 points, 100 points are available each run.
Rat 60 points, burrow 20 points, bridge 20 points
At least one rat must be found while earning the 300 points to title.

No points will be awarded for any run above the Ratter level if a rat is not found.

Happy Ratter Level (HRAT)

3 minutes , 2 Rats, 2 litter, 1 foot or lower
Title requires 300 points, 100 points available each run.
Rat 40 points, burrow 10 points, bridge 10 points

Expert Ratter Level (XRAT)

3 ½ minutes, 3 Rats, 2 litter, 18″ or lower
Title requires 300 points, 100 points available each run.
Rat 20 points, burrow 20 points, bridge 20 points

Champion Ratter Level (CHR)

4 minutes, 4 Rats, 2 litter, 2 feet or lower
Title requires 300 points, 100 points available each run
Rat 20 points, burrow 10 points, bridge 10 points

Extraordinaire Ratter Level (REX)

5 Minutes. 1 to 5 rats, 2 litter tubes, 3 feet or lower
Title requires 500 points, 100 points available each run (5 legs)
All rats 80 points, each rat is a % of 80 points, burrow and bridge 10 pts each.
Calling clear correctly before time expires grants a 10 point bonus, the team does not have to be fault free to earn the bonus, just correct on rat finding.
Calling clear with rats remaining ends play, no bonus.

Extreme Ratter (XREX)
This prestigious award is given to the team that accomplishes 30 100 or 110 point extraordinaire run, after earning the REX.. the REX legs do not count towards the XREX. Ten (10) of the 30 must be 110 point runs.

Medallions at any level

At each level medallions may be earned.

  • Bronze requires 1000 points,
  • Silver 2000 points,
  • Gold 3000 points
  • Platinum 5,000 points.

Titles with medallions get the letter after the title – so a bronze Ratter would be RATB, A gold Happy Ratter would be HRATG

GAMES

Infestation:

  • 2-6 rats, quantity unknown to handler
  • only 2 moves of obstacles allowed
  • 3 1/2 minutes to find them all
  • all levels play, no distinction
  • Lots of “stuff” crazy “urban” alley
  • no burrow or bridge requirement
  • 100 points per run
    • 100/# of rats = points per rat
  • bonus for finding all and calling clear before time expires  (no bonus points if false alerts)
  • just rat tubes, no empty, no litter
  • call a location with no rat 30 point fault
  • bonus points if you call successfully when all rats are found and have no faults
    • call in 3.0001-3:2999 mins 30 points
    • call 2.000001-3 minutes 50 points
    • call less than 2 minutes 75 points

Infestation Titles

  • 300 points — Junior Pest Control – HRJP
    • after this level, competitors compete as though metallic – the levels are point levels in Infestation, not difficulty levels like Dump Hunter.  So those going for Pest, Terminator, etc are no longer beginners, so in the “metallic” although not medaling class (such as a B class in obedience, rally etc.)
  • 600 Points– Pest Control – HRPC
  • 900 points — Terminator –HRT
  • 1200 points — Exterminator – HREX
  • 2000 points — Master Exterminator – HRMX

Dump Hunter: A distance game
Objectives: Dog ability to hunt independently, to work at a distance, and handler read at a distance.

  • 1 rat
  • No bridge no burrow
  • Placed so the tubes cannot be seen but not buried deeply
  • Handler has to stay on the start box, can reward dog once they call rat and judge confirms
  • 2 minutes to play
  • Handler can call and direct, call dog back to them, but may not leave the box or NQ if they do
  • No Faults allowed
  • Scoring — points then time
  • Level 1 5’ rat distance
  • Level 2 10’ Rat distance
  • Level 3 15’ rat distance
  • Dump Hunter Titles (300 points needed per title)
    • Level 1- HRDN – Dump Hunter Novice
    • Level 2 – HRDP- Dump Hunter Pro
    • Level 3 – HRDM – Dump Hunter Master
    • continuing on earns metallic titles, so even if the team doesn’t move up, they could earn a bronze HRDN or silver or gold…

Ultimate Distance : A distance game
Objectives: Dog ability to hunt independently, to work at a distance, WHILE THE HANDLER SITS IN A CHAIR!!!! and handler read at a distance.

  • 1 rat
  • No bridge no burrow
  • Placed so the tubes cannot be seen but not buried deeply
  • Handler has to stay SEATED….can get up reward dog once they call rat and judge confirms
  • 2 minutes to play
  • Handler can call and direct, call dog back to them, but may not leave the chair! or NQ if they do
  • No Faults allowed
  • Scoring — points then time
  • Level 1 5’ rat distance

Ultimate Distance Titles (300 points needed per title)

  • Level 1- HRUDN – Ultimate Distance Novice
  • Level 2 – HRUDP- Ultimate Distance Pro
  • Level 3 – HRUDM – Ultimate Distance Master
  • continuing on earns metallic titles, so even if the team doesn’t move up, they could earn a bronze HRAUDN or silver or gold…

Rapid Rat Relay
Objective
: Dog ability to find a rat quickly, handler ability to read dog quickly

  • 4 rats on course, no extra tubes, no bridge no burrow
  • Initially 35 seconds, if a rat is successfully found in first 35 seconds the team earns another 30 seconds to hunt for next, each rat found earns another 30 seconds up to 4 rats.
  • Game ends with a false alert or when 4 rats found in time, team keeps points earned
  • 25 points per rat, no false alerts allowed, time ends on false alert
  • Scoring – points than time
  • Will need 2 timers , one doing 30 seconds , one running overall clock, or a multasking timer

Rapid Rat Relay Title

  • 300 points  HRR Happy Ratter Rapid
  • continuing earning points earns metallic HRRB, HRRS, HRRG

Earn A Rat – a handling game
Objective: teamwork of dog and handler, ability to do obstacles (burrow or bridge)

  • 3 rats, no empty tubes, no litter tubes
  • 2 ½ minutes
  • Obstacles, bridge: table or ramp or ladder,   burrow, chutes, tunnels barrel
  • Can reward at bridge or burrow as well as at rat
  • Rats are not placed in close proximity (at least 12′ apart)
  • Start in start box
    • Performing a bridge or burrow earns the right to hunt a rat
    • After rat is found, must do another bridge or burrow (either) to hunt next rat
  • Rat found and called followed by rat found and called, team is done NQ
  • If there is a false alert, have to do a bridge/burrow to earn right to hunt again
  • No more than 2 things can be moved

Earn a Rat Title

  • 300 points for HRH – Happy Ratter Handler
  • further points earn HRHB, HRHS, HRHG

Double Dutch – a pairs game
Challenge is to work individually with another dog honoring
Setup: two start boxes on opposite sides of the ring.

  • A visual divider at the lowest level
  • Number of rats increases as levels increase
  • Time increases as # of rats increase
  • lf a handler wants to run two of their own dogs, they’ll need people as holders
  • Before start, both dogs on leash and under control
  • Dog 1 runs, dog 2 waits on leash, small dogs may be picked up and held (note, slip leads might
    save time)
  • Dog 1 either finds a rat and returns to start box or has a false alert and returns to start box
  • When dog 1 is on leash, dog 2 runs
  • Dog 2 either finds a rat and returns to start box or has a false alert and returns to start box
    lf all rats not found, repeat back at dog 1, rinse, repeat till time runs out
    Dog returning must be on leash and under control before next dog runs
    Level 1

    • Two rats
    • 2 minutes
    • Visual divider between honoring dogs
    • Rats no closer than 10 feet to starting box
    • Scoring: 100 points, 25 point fault if a dog doesn’t find a rat
      Both teams get the points

    Level 2

    • 4 rats
    • No visual divider
    • 4 minutes

    Titling
    HRDD1 – 300 points