No Marking during Barn Hunt: agree or disagree?

Somewhat similar-ish to the dogs in heat question.

I won't ever waste money on the sport of Barn Hunt again simply because I have a boy who, yes, likes to mark his territory when we're outside, in an outdoor environment, where other dogs have been. I don't think that's completely abnormal. And it was a complete waste of my $$$ after I realized he would always choose to do this first before finding a rat (well, we got through the instinct test, that was it). But it's kind of a shame because it is something I would likely do again if it wasn't for that.

Earthdog doesn't DQ your dog for lifting leg in the ring. A dog that was REALLY hunting in a real barn would likely lift it's leg. It doesn't mean they're not a good working dog.

And for how much trouble it seemed to be, I CONSTANTLY heard "nononononoNO!" to people with their boy dogs in barn hunt and clapping and more worried about preventing a leg lift than actually focusing on the hunt. And then everyone would freak out and clean the spot off so the next dog hopefully wouldn't smell it. Wouldn't it just be easier to allow it and not worry about it... they are dogs after all?

Peeing on bales can trigger mold growth and thus those bales must be thrown out. I think it's reasonable for marking to be penalized given this, especially since it's a training issue imo.

If your dog marked actual hay in any barn I have been in, someone would be flinging your dog out the door. Not only mold growth, but people have to touch the hay.

Well most sports they don't allow any marking in the ring. In nose work and agility you will get DQ'd for marking. To me it's definitely not just a barn hunt kind of rule.

Nosework can even put the hide near or in an area where dogs go and it's just fine! A lot of people end up calling dogs off because they think they're sniffing pee or poop. They see it as a training thing. You should be able to tell the difference between dog on odor vs dog smelling pee.

I've never found it terribly difficult to keep dogs from marking. I teach them to go on command, so we go before we compete, or step on the field for training. I reinforce it with play, pee during play, it's over. It's never been an issue. They get to mark our yard. That's it.

Also this. My friend is a judge and was telling us if your dog marks on the hay she's now asking for payment for a new bale because they have to throw it out.

I think it shouldn't be a complete DQ... Maybe they could penalize and add time to how long it took your dog to find the rats if that makes sense instead? I get their reasonings but ya it sucks. This is a reason I haven't tried barn hunt with Joey yet. He is a marker. I've thought about bringing him to one of the practices though to see how he does at least.

I don't know much at all about barn hunts, but if a dog marked in an agility or obedience ring it would signal disconnect from the game/task at hand.

I wasn't thinking about mold growth, good point, since it's re-used for competitions. but I don't know I've seen some pretty nasty stuff in real barns, lol... it's not like they're known for cleanliness? I see cats running around all the time, who knows what they pee on. Not to mention any mice etc that may be in there.

I see your point though. I'm not saying it's NOT necessarily a training issue, but I really don't care to fault my dog for doing something I normally would allow him to do. He never marks indoors, or in agility, or in public city walking etc, but let loose, in an outdoor new place where other dogs have been? It just doesn't bother me and I don't care enough to train it, tbh. Which is why we'll just skip out on this particular sport from now on. But we would try it again if this wasn't faulted.

Yeah, and I totally get sports like agility and obedience etc. It's super easy for me to control Jackson off leash because he's focused on me and the sport at hand, maybe he just wasn't focused enough for barn hunt in general and that was the main problem.

Oh yeah. I let him mark and pee everywhere else beforehand. It didn't matter lol. But again I didn't work terribly hard on the issue.

Dang. A lot of people would've been buying new bales at the competition I went to lol.

Seriously though haha.

That's why right now I only compete Cricket. She pees before we go inside and then she is good to go. She sometimes marks, but when she is in the ring she is working and marking doesn't seem to cross her mind at all.

I'm actually taking Sako to an intro to barn hunt thing tomorrow and am hoping he doesn't pee on anything LOL. He's neutered now and never really was a big marker as I don't allow that behavior, but you never know.

I don't disagree with the rule though.

I have a marker and I don't disagree with the rule. Watson doesn't mark in the house, but he will mark in agility and nosework, though almost always it's because he's stressed and unfocused (though sometimes he just can't resist the spot another dog has peed on). It annoys the crap out of me and I actively train against it, so I think it's legit to DQ a dog who marks (even if that dog is mine). If there wasn't a DQ policy, *tons* of dogs would be marking the bales just because their owners wouldn't be stopping it or training for it, and then things would get gross quickly.

Having grown up on a farm with cats running all over the place, I can tell you they don't pee/poop in the barns. At least ours didn't.

When I've taken Jack to the barn I've never allowed marking on the hay-there's mold growth, people touch it, and horses eat it. I don't remember cats ever eliminating in the hay-both barns I've boarded at have had indoor arenas and often the cats would go in there. Yeah, there is gross stuff in a barn but things like moldy hay is not something that is ever tolerated-it can make the horses sick.

Honestly if my dog marked on my hay I'd probably just removed the peed on flakes and feed the rest of the bale, but if you need the whole bale for a barn hunt set up I can see how that would be an issue.

I think it's disrespectful and very rude to permit your dog to urinate on the bales. It isn't permitted in other sports, why would this be an exception?

I didn't "allow" him to- it just happens... The moment he went to lift his leg of course I clapped my hands and said "NO" but some stuff prob leaked out. He can lift his leg w/O any warning. He wasn't even smelling anything and just boom- no real warning sign. He was off leash.

Like I said, a TON of dogs were getting Dq'ed for marking. It obviously happens.

I had signed him up for 3 trials in one day and paid $60 and didn't let him in the ring because I knew he would urinate.

Rude?? He's a DOG... Outside... In an area where other dogs have also been AND marked... Lol but okay.

And it is allowed in a similar hunting type sport- earth dog. I was informed that Dogs often mark their quarry by someone who does earth dog and said that's why it's not penalized.

I can see why they wouldn't allow it if it ruins the hay... Otherwise I wouldn't see the problem.

Dogs crap on the diving dock, pee on the disc field.. Never a problem there. I think sometimes the pee rule is a little bit ridiculous/what's the point? Indoors, sure... Outdoors? If it's not hurting anything... If the dog isn't breaking rules of an event (obedience or something).. Idk why not really.