September Chicagoland NASDA Trial - open for entries!

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    • About
      • About the Trainer
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    • Training Info
      • Springfield
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      • Training Policies
      • Training FAQs
    • Rat Hunt Club - Trials
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  • Home
  • About
    • About the Trainer
    • About the Rat Hunt Sports
    • About the NASDA Sports
    • Contact Us
  • Training Info
    • Springfield
    • Evanston
    • Chicago
    • Training Policies
    • Training FAQs
  • Rat Hunt Club - Trials
    • Barn Hunt Trials
    • BHA Special Award History
    • CPE Speedway Trials
    • Games Leagues (Downstate)
    • Happy Ratters Trials
    • HR Special Award History
    • NASDA Trials

DUPLICATE PAGE - ARCHIVED CONTENT

4 games on straw bale courses + 4 games on "urban" courses

Teams may play either City OR Country games OR both. Extra Madd Ratter trials offered on Sunday afternoons only (great for Crazy 8s practice)! 


Two ways to participate to maximize flexibility (you can also mix & match them):

  1. Play in a bigger group on the designated Sundays...
    OR
  2. Complete league run(s) when you come for scheduled training that month.* 


Read on below for detailed schedule and game descriptions... 


*Note: With this option, you either come a bit early or stay a bit late after your class or private lesson - league runs don't cut into training time.

Online Entries Now Open!

Country Rat Runs: $16 all games


City Rat Runs:

  • $15 Dump Hunter & Ult. Distance
  • $18 Silent Hunt & Rat Trap
  • $20 Earn a Rat


**Read Game Descriptions**

Online Entry Form

League Schedule: Winter-Spring 2025

GAMES LEAGUE SCHEDULING GUIDANCE

Please read before submitting your entry!

About Sunday Afternoons:

  • Check in will be between 1:45-2:00 pm: please arrive as early as you can  within that window. We will hold briefing at 2:00 and then form and run  blinds accordingly for each game, starting ~2:15 pm.
  • Madd Ratter will run last, after all league games are complete. Once final counts  are known, we will send an email with that info as well as projected  timing for the start of Madd Ratter.
  • A second judge may be added to Sunday afternoons depending on # of runs.


About Attaching League Runs to Training Visits:

  • With this option, you either come a bit early or stay a bit late after your  class or private lesson - league runs don't cut into training time!  These runs are only judged by Megan.
  • This means, however, that  buffer time has to be blocked out on the training schedule. I will be  monitoring training bookings as they come in and will do this  automatically based on your league selections on this form. The sooner you can book training slots the better, however, to ensure maximum time  availability!
  • Please do go ahead and book/pay for Month 1  training now. But since we're doing Month 2 a bit further out, if you would like me to block out your desired Month 2 training slots but wait  to invoice your training, I'm happy to do so. Just email me with the  time slots you want to book for Month 2.


To help keep league available to all who want to play, please consider the following:

  • When you are able to attend on a Sunday afternoon,  please do so! This helps to consolidate more teams into one time block.  It's also a great experience for dogs that need acclimation to or  practice in a trial-like environment, as the setup will be very similar to (but not quite as busy as) a typical trial.
  • For those attaching league to training visits,  if you have more than one dog playing, ideally please split their  league runs across TWO visits per month. For those of you who already come to train twice a month, hopefully this will fit right into your  plans!
  • The option to combine league runs into just one training visit per month is really intended to increase access for those with very limited  schedules and/or who are traveling from further away. For those doing  this with two or more dogs, please first email me to check the training  time slot you are planning to use so that I can ensure there is room for  me to block sufficient buffer time.


If the training schedule starts to clog up too much, we may not be able to continue these flexible participation methods in future, so your support is critical to ensure we can maximize opportunities for everyone!


Have questions or need help scheduling training visits? Email me here. 

Game Descriptions (as played in Spring 2025)

Country Rat Style

Played on straw bale courses; one fault (false alert) allowed in all Country games.

Near & Far

4 rats, 2 litter, 3 minutes (3:00); handler stays behind distance line ~4-5 feet into ring; 2 rats close to line + 2 rats farther into ring; farther rats worth more points 

Ups & Downs

4 rats, 2 litter, 3 minutes (3:00); 2 rats on ground + 2 rats elevated; higher rats worth more points 

Burrow Bonanza

1 rat, no litter, 2 minutes (2:00); up to 8 tunnel opportunities of various types; only tunnels earn points, more turns worth more 

Flip A Coin

4 rats, 2 litter, 3 minutes (3:00); course divided into 2 halves; coin flipped for each run to determine which side handler must stay on; other side is a distance challenge; far rats worth more points than near rats 

Madd Ratter (extra game offered group weekend times only, not tallied for m

8 rats, 4 litter, 2 minutes (2:00); played with CZ8 rules

Offered group weekend times only - not counted in league tallies, but offered as an option for Crazy 8s practice! Note: Results WILL count as Madd Ratter Qs towards the future potential Country Rat games organization... 


City Rat Style

Played on "urban" courses; no litter tubes in City games.

Silent Hunt

Levels 1-3 offered, course along 2 walls - once handler cues dog to hunt they must remain perfectly still and silent; judge calls find

  •    Level 1: 1 rat, 2 minutes (2:00)
  •    Level 2: 2 rats, 3 minutes (3:00)
  •    Level 3: 3 rats, 3.5 minutes (3:30)

Rat Trap - 2 trials offered

Levels 1-3 offered, including same-day move-ups - tubes secured inside gift bags but visible from top; ; 12-20 total tubes; 2 faults allowed; no litter - all non-rat tubes are clean/empty

  •    Level 1: 1 rat, 2 minutes (2:00)
  •    Level 2: 2 rats, 2.5 minutes (2:30)
  •    Level 3: 3 rats, 3 minutes (3:00)

Dump Hunter & Ultimate Distance - 2 trials offered between these 2 games*

Levels 1-3 offered for Dump Hunter; Level 1 only for Ultimate Distance; both will use same course along 1 wall - 1 rat, 2 minutes (2:00)

  •    Level 1: 5' distance
  •    Level 2: 10' distance
  •    Level 3: 15' distance


For Dump Hunter: handler stays behind start line a distance away from "dumped" objects


For Ultimate Distance: handler stays seated behind start line


*Teams may either play one game twice OR play each game once.

Earn A Rat

No levels in this game - 3 rats, 2.5 minutes (2:30); performing a bridge or burrow earns the right to hunt a rat; after rat is found, dog must do another bridge or burrow to earn next rat

All City Rat game results will be reported as official Happy Ratters runs for all dogs registered with the national organization. (Get your HR number at www.happyratters.com.) With Country Rat games, City Sniffers is piloting this league format as part of explorations about forming a new games-focused organization. If this endeavor does gain traction, any qualifying runs and points earned during our pilot games leagues will be recorded with the NEW entity at no additional/future cost. Thus during this pilot period, Country Rat runs are slightly discounted due to the lack of a recording fee.

Game Descriptions

Country Rat Style

Played on straw bale courses; one fault (false alert) allowed in all Country games.

Near & Far

4 rats, 2 litter, 3 minutes (3:00); handler stays behind distance line ~4-5 feet into ring; 2 rats close to line + 2 rats farther into ring; farther rats worth more points 

Ups & Downs

4 rats, 2 litter, 3 minutes (3:00); 2 rats on ground + 2 rats elevated; higher rats worth more points 

Burrow Bonanza

1 rat, no litter, 2 minutes (2:00); up to 8 tunnel opportunities of various types; only tunnels earn points, more turns worth more 

Flip A Coin

4 rats, 2 litter, 3 minutes (3:00); course divided into 2 halves; coin flipped for each run to determine which side handler must stay on; other side is a distance challenge; far rats worth more points than near rats 

Madd Ratter (extra game offered Sunday afternoons only, not part of league)

8 rats, 4 litter, 2 minutes (2:00); played with CZ8 rules

Offered Saturday afternoons only - not counted in league tallies, but offered as an option for Crazy 8s practice! Note: Results WILL count as Madd Ratter Qs towards the future potential Country Rat games organization... 


City Rat Style

Played on "urban" courses; no litter tubes in City games.

Silent Hunt

Levels 1-3 offered, course along 2 walls - once handler cues dog to hunt they must remain perfectly still and silent; judge calls find

  •    Level 1: 1 rat, 2 minutes (2:00)
  •    Level 2: 2 rats, 3 minutes (3:00)
  •    Level 3: 3 rats, 3.5 minutes (3:30)

Rat Trap - 2 trials offered

Levels 1-3 offered, including same-day move-ups - tubes secured inside gift bags but visible from top; ; 12-20 total tubes; 2 faults allowed; no litter - all non-rat tubes are clean/empty

  •    Level 1: 1 rat, 2 minutes (2:00)
  •    Level 2: 2 rats, 2.5 minutes (2:30)
  •    Level 3: 3 rats, 3 minutes (3:00)

Dump Hunter & Ultimate Distance - 2 trials offered between these 2 games*

Levels 1-3 offered for Dump Hunter; Level 1 only for Ultimate Distance; both will use same course along 1 wall - 1 rat, 2 minutes (2:00)

  •    Level 1: 5' distance
  •    Level 2: 10' distance
  •    Level 3: 15' distance


For Dump Hunter: handler stays behind start line a distance away from "dumped" objects


For Ultimate Distance: handler stays seated behind start line


*Teams may either play one game twice OR play each game once.

Earn A Rat

No levels in this game - 3 rats, 2.5 minutes (2:30); performing a bridge or burrow earns the right to hunt a rat; after rat is found, dog must do another bridge or burrow to earn next rat

All City Rat game results will be reported as official Happy Ratters runs for all dogs registered with the national organization. (Get your HR number at www.happyratters.com.) With Country Rat games, City Sniffers is piloting this league format as part of explorations about forming a new games-focused organization. If this endeavor does gain traction, any qualifying runs and points earned during our pilot games leagues will be recorded with the NEW entity at no additional/future cost. Thus during this pilot period, Country Rat runs are slightly discounted due to the lack of a recording fee.

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