Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever

Chesagrove Kennels is a member in good standing with the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever Club(USA). We have been breeding Tollers for 10 years and our record speaks for itself. "Star" is the Top Toller in the United Kennel Club for the Year 2000 and The First Grand Champion in the history of the breed! He is also the first Toller to receive Two Total Dog Awards in two consecutive Shows with obedience Trials by taking Best of Breed in the confirmation ring and receiving a qualifying score in Obedience at the same show.

History

Originally known as the Little River Duck Dog in its home of the Little River District of Nova Scotia, the modern Toller got its present name in 1945 when it was recognized by the Canadian Kennel Club registry. As usual, the exact origin of the breed is lost, but a dog resembling the present-day Toller was seen in 17th Century Europe, luring waterfowl into nets. Whether the Toller originated from these dogs or was developed from a combination of the extinct Lesser St. John’s Water Dog, brown Cocker Spaniels, and Irish Setters, farm collie, and Chesapeake Bay Retrievers are among the breeds heritage. The result is a 37-50 pound dog of orange - red color and medium-length coat with the ability to entice ducks and geese close to shore.

Tolling

To “Toll” in duck hunting means to lure the ducks in. Waterfowl hunters generally wait in a blind for ducks or geese to be lured into gunshot range. Hunters fortunate enough to have a Toller along can hasten the process by using the dog’s playful antics to catch the attention of inquisitive birds. The hunter tosses a small inconspicuous object from his duck blind parallel to the shore. The dog retrieves with great enthusiasm, tail wagging, and feet dancing occasionally disappearing from sight and then quickly reappearing. The flashy white markings on his chest, feet, and tail-tip accentuate the effect as he retrieves time after time, luring the birds closer and closer to shore to get a better look at this remarkable performance. When the birds are close enough, the hunter is able to shoot, sometimes having to shoot in the air first just to flare the ducks off the water to shoot the birds in a sport-like manner.

Breed Standards

Intelligent, easy to train, and with great endurance, the Toller is a strong and able swimmer and a natural and tenacious retriever on land and water. Agile and alert, he is happiest while working. "Rose" The Toller as “a medium-sized, powerful, compact, balanced, well-muscled dog, medium to heavy in bone, with a high degree of agility, alertness, and determination. At work, the dog has a speedy, rushing action with the head carried out almost level with the back and the heavily-feathered tail in constant motion.” There’s a moderate range in size for this smallest retriever: the ideal height for adult males is 19 inches but 18-21 inches is acceptable. The ideal height for females is 18 inches with a range of 17-20 inches. Weight for males is 42-50 pounds, for females, 37-42 pounds. Weight should always be in proportion to bone of the dog. The Toller has a medium-length double coat with a water-repellant overcoat and a soft, dense undercoat. There can be a slight wave on the back, but otherwise, the coat must be straight. The body has some feathering at the throat, behind the ears, at the back of the thighs and the front legs. The tail is heavily feathered. The standard accepts only shades of red with limited white markings on the tail tip, chest, face, and feet. White is not allowed on other parts of the body. Some Tollers have no white markings. The Toller head is slightly wedge-shaped, the skull slightly rounded, and the muzzle slightly tapered. The ears are triangular, medium-sized, and only slightly erect at the base; the rest of the ear leather folds over. Feet must be webbed.

Health

Breeders are working hard to keep genetic problems to a minimum. Like other retrievers, Tollers are susceptible to hip dysplasia and eye problems, so all breeding stock should have hips x-rayed and eyes tested according to recommended procedures. Both progressive retinal atrophy and juvenile cataracts are known in the breed, so eye tests are critical. PRA strikes late in life. Breeders are jealous of their dogs and are working to prevent genetic problems. The Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever Club of America is taking the initiative with projects to help breeders identify dogs that have or are genetically predisposed to harmful inherited conditions. The Toller as a pet

The Toller as pet

All in all, first impression of a Toller is that of a cross between a sheltie and a Golden Retriever combining the coat color and happy-go-lucky Golden temperament with the Collie size, muzzle, and drive. But owners may quickly correct that impression with a chuckle and some details about this unique breed as there has been no known Golden Retriever in the making of this breed. Tollers are gentle with children but may be aloof with strange adults, a trait that makes them reliable as watchdogs (but not guard dogs). But with all breeds, dogs should be supervised all the time with children. Size, disposition, and easy care make the Toller a fine pet for an active family as well as an able retriever for a hunter. Tollers need daily exercise and love long retrieving objects such as a flying disc, bumper, or ball. They excel at obedience and agility because they like to work. Young dogs may be easily distracted and bored by repetitious training methods, so owners should keep it light and fun. They have a highly developed hunting instinct honed by years of dedicated breeding practices, so training methods that recognize this instinct are likely to be more successful. Grooming is simple: run a brush through the coat a couple of times a week to get rid of debris picked up in the woods and fields and to prevent tangles in the feathering.

AKC recognition

After a long journey that began in 1998, the American Kennel Club finally recognized the Toller for Full registration July, 2003. The 150th dog breed in the registry, the Toller joins the Chesapeake Bay, Labrador, Golden, Flat-coated, and Curly-coated retrievers in the sporting group. As a result, Tollers are now eligible to compete in AKC conformation, obedience, agility, tracking, and field events, so watch for them at local shows. However, there’s no doubt that the Toller is still a rare breed. NSDTRC(USA) breeders are more interested in maintaining breed quality than in selling puppies. The waiting line for a puppy may be long. Breeders tend to be picky about selling their pups as well, so prospective buyers should be prepared for a lot of questions and each breeder seems to have his/her own questionnaire that they like filled out. Grooming is simple: run a brush through the coat a couple of times a week to get rid of debris picked up in the woods and fields and to prevent tangles in the feathering. Clip the hair around the feet and ears once every three - four weeks to keep them from looking like a mop.