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The Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever is one of the most unusual breeds of gundog, at least in terms of how the dog works. The hunter stays hidden in a blind and sends the dog out to romp and play near the water, usually by tossing a ball or stick to be retrieved. The dog's crazy antics and white markings pique the curiousity of waterfowl, who swim over to investigate. The act of enticing or luring game to approach is known as tolling. When the birds are close, the hunter calls the dog back to the blind, rises, putting the birds to flight, and shoots them. The Toller then retrieves any downed birds.
Appearance: The Toller should be athletic,
well-muscled, compact, and powerful. All tollers should be
capable of tolling, and physical faults that inhibit working
ability are heavily penalised. They should be of moderate
build, a lack of substance or a heavy build are penalised, as
both detract from the type and athletisism. An important
feature of the breed is its head, which should resemble that
of a fox, and must never be blocky like that of a Golden
Retriever.
Coat: The coat is of moderate length and consists of a
waterproof outer coat with a dense undercoat for warmth. Any
dog without a double coat should be severely penalised. The
tail is heavily feathered and the legs are moderately
feathered. The coat color may be any shade of red or orange,
with deeper colouring preferred. There is usually some white
on the chest, feet, nose, head, and tip of tail. One unusual
feature of this breed is the webbed feet that permits them to
swim easily, along with the "feathered" tail that
they use for added balance. A curry comb brush is useful for
grooming.
Size: Tollers range in height from 18 to 20 inches
(43-53 cm) at the withers for males, and weigh 45 to 51 pounds
(17-23 kg); females are slightly shorter and lighter. There
has been a trend towards larger dogs in recent years, however
this is not correct breed type and is unacceptable.
Temperament: The Toller is a gentle but active
breed. They are highly intelligent and easy to train, although
many get bored with repetition. The dog requires extensive
daily exercise, as well as regular grooming. They are
excellent with older children, but can be wary of strange
adults. They do not have the all-forgiving temperament of a
Golden Retriever and should not be left unsupervised with
young children who have not yet learned how to interact with
dogs. Potential owners should note the "Toller
scream," a high-pitched and very loud utterance made up
of a growl, whine, bark, and howl. The dog will do this to
show great excitement and, depending on the dog, any other
reason.
Health: Tollers are generally hardy. However, they,
like almost all dog breeds, have certain genetic disorders
that are prevalent in the breed. This is sometimes blamed on a
relatively small gene pool, a problem that is aggravated by
the fact that some people buying Tollers only want dogs that
are bred in Nova Scotia, beliving that Nova Scotian dogs are
the only "true" Tollers. The Toller's hereditary
diseases include:
Addison's Disease
Progressive retinal atrophy
Hip dysplasia
History: The breed was developed in the Little River
district of Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia around the beginning
of the 19th Century, and was officially admitted to the
Canadian Kennel Club in 1945. 56 years later on June 11, 2001
it was approved for admission into the Miscellaneous Class of
the American Kennel Club and was granted full recognition into
the Sporting Group on July 1, 2003. The exact origins of the
breed are not known, but it appears that some Cocker Spaniel,
Golden Retriever, and/or Irish Setter may have gone into the
mix. It may share origins with the smaller Kooikerhondje.
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