About Valley Dog Sports Barn Hunt Trials & Training Facility

Barn Hunt in Sherwood

Valley Dog Sports is a Barn Hunt club in Sherwood that provides trials and training to the Portland Metro and Willamette Valley area. Founded in 2012, it describes itself as the first Barn Hunt club in the Pacific Northwest. Founder Karla Sanders sold the club to Nancy Griffith in 2021, and Nancy continues to build on her legacy.

The sport

In Barn Hunt, dogs and handlers work together to find rats hidden in safe, aerated tubes in a maze of straw or hay bales, within a time limit. Any breed or mix can play if it fits through an 18-inch tunnel, and the club says it is a sport where even a reactive dog can shine.

Classes and trials

Newcomers start with a Barn Hunt 101 class. The club also runs classes by level, workshops on topics such as tunneling from Novice to Masters, and trials.

What to ask

Ask about upcoming class dates and trial entries.