St. Ratters Day Happy Ratters Trial Recap!

This past weekend, we hosted our second-ever Happy Ratters trial, and what an incredible event it was! The St. Ratters Day Happy Ratters Trial was filled with excitement, teamwork, and plenty of enthusiastic sniffing. Everything ran smoothly, and our competitors truly brought their A-game—not only in their preparedness but in the way they enjoyed the ring with their dogs. It was a fantastic weekend of competition, camaraderie, and, of course, lots of Happy Ratting!

A Full Weekend of Happy Ratters Fun!

Over the course of Saturday and Sunday, we ran two full trials per day, featuring all competition levels from Ratter through Extreme Extraordinaire (XREX). In addition to the standard levels, we also held two trials each day of the fun and fast-paced games Rat Race and A-MAZE-ing Rat!

Understanding the Happy Ratters Classes

For those new to Happy Ratters or looking to refine their knowledge, here’s a breakdown of the regular competition levels and what makes each unique:

🐀 Ratter (RAT)

Search Time: 2 ½ minutes
Objective: Find one rat hidden among one empty tube and one litter tube (a decoy with no live rat).
Restrictions: No moving items in the search area.
Faults & Scoring: No point deductions for faults, but teams receive zero points if they don’t find the rat.

🐀 Happy Ratter (HRAT)

Search Time: 3 minutes
Objective: Find two rats hidden among two litter tubes.
Spacing: Rats must be placed at least 6 feet apart.
Rules: One item may be moved with judge’s permission.
Faults & Scoring: No penalties for faults, but zero points if no rats are found.

🐀 Expert (XRAT)

Search Time: 3 ½ minutes
Objective: Find three rats hidden among two litter tubes.
Spacing: Rats must be at least 4 feet apart.
Rules: One item may be moved with judge’s permission.
Faults & Scoring: Maximum of 4 faults allowed.

🐀 Champion (CHR)

Search Time: 4 minutes
Objective: Find four rats hidden among two litter tubes.
Spacing: Rats must be at least 2 feet apart.
Rules: No moving of items allowed.
Faults & Scoring: Maximum of 3 faults allowed.

🐀 Extraordinaire (REX)

Search Time: 4 ½ minutes
Objective: Find 1-5 rats (the number is unknown to the handler).
Spacing & Setup: Rats may be hidden in multiple locations with two litter tubes mixed in.
Height & Complexity: The search area can include hides up to 3 feet high.
Bonus Points: Handlers can call ‘Clear’ when they believe all rats have been found:

Under 4 ½ min: 30 bonus points
Between 3 ½ – 4 min: 50 bonus points
Under 3 ½ min: 75 bonus points

Faults & Scoring: Maximum of 2 faults allowed.

🐀 Extreme Ratter (XREX)

Search Time: 4 ½ minutes
Objective: Same as Extraordinaire—find 1-5 rats, with placement unknown to the handler.
Qualifications: Teams must have earned 500 points in REX before entering this level.
Height & Complexity: Rats can be hidden up to 3 feet high, with multiple rats potentially in the same location.
Scoring Requirements:

(30) 100-point or higher runs after earning the REX title.
10 runs must score 110+ points.
No faults allowed.

Rat Race & A-MAZE-ing Rat: How the Games Differ from Regular Classes

In addition to the standard levels, we ran two fun and fast-paced games each day:

🏁 Rat Race

This game is all about speed and accuracy! Instead of the standard structure, Rat Race is a timed event where dogs must find and indicate all the rats as quickly as possible. Unlike the regular classes, the focus is not on methodical searching but on how fast a team can identify the rats while avoiding errors. Handlers need to balance urgency with precision, as mistakes can cost them valuable seconds!

Check out Team Leia playing Rat Race!

🌀 A-MAZE-ing Rat

A-MAZE-ing Rat is a creative, maze-style search that adds an element of strategy to rat detection. Instead of a typical search area, dogs must navigate through a structured path with twists, turns, and obstacles to locate the rats. This game challenges teams to work through distractions, tight spaces, and unique setups that aren’t seen in traditional searches.

Both of these games provide a fun, engaging challenge while allowing teams to practice essential skills in a new and exciting way!

Check out Team Waylon playing A-MAZE-ing Rat!

Welcoming Three New Baby Rats!

A special highlight of the weekend was the arrival of three adorable baby rats! These little ones were bred by our friend Carissa, a member of our wonderful friends at Ischua Paws n Play (be sure to follow their Facebook page for more Happy Ratters events: Ischua Paws n Play). Now, we need your help naming them! Stay tuned for an upcoming naming contest where you can suggest and vote on names for our newest furry assistants.

Weather & Trial Conditions

Saturday gifted us with great weather, allowing us to keep our bay door open and enjoy the fresh air. Sunday, however, brought some rain—but that didn’t slow us down! Even with the wet conditions, loading the (spacious) blind went seamlessly, and all teams were incredibly respectful of each other’s space. It was wonderful to see such great sportsmanship and cooperation despite the weather challenges.

A Huge Thank You to Our Team & Volunteers!

Events like this wouldn’t be possible without the hard work and dedication of our volunteers and staff. A massive THANK YOU to:

Judge Carol Spierto, who made the drive both days to officiate and ensure everything ran smoothly.
Cheryl, for her incredible work with setup, breakdown, and managing the score table all weekend.
Mary, for stepping up on Sunday to help with setup, breakdown, and volunteering.
Jules, for her dedication to volunteering all weekend and helping with breakdown.
All of our amazing volunteers who helped with rat wrangling, scribing, ring setups, and anything else that needed to be done!

Without each of you, this event wouldn’t have been possible. Volunteers are the backbone of these trials, and we truly appreciate every hand that pitched in to make this weekend a success.

Looking Ahead: Our Next Happy Ratters Trial

If you missed out on this weekend’s fun, don’t worry—we’ll be hosting another Happy Ratters trial in Fall 2025! While we don’t have an exact date yet, we’re aiming for September or October, so stay tuned for the official announcement coming soon. In the meantime, check out our Ratters classes here. We hope to see you and your pup drop-in for some practice!

Thank you again to everyone who participated, supported, and made the St. Ratters Day Happy Ratters Trial such a success. We can’t wait to see you all at the next one!

Happy hunting! 🐀🐶