Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever

Tolling is an old word for luring, and the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever was bred in the Little River district of Nova Scotia in the nineteenth century to do exactly that. The hunter hides in a blind on the shore, throws a stick along the water’s edge, and the small red dog dashes in and out of sight after it, flashing its white markings and waving a plumed tail. Ducks paddle closer to investigate. When they are in range the hunter stands, the birds flush, and the dog retrieves the ones that fall.

The Toller reached Britain in the late 1980s and has grown into a small but established breed with an active club, more litters than the rare gundogs and a devoted following in agility and flyball. Its appeal is obvious. A compact, foxy, strikingly coloured retriever, the smallest of the group at 45 to 51cm at the shoulder, that trains like a Border Collie is an easy dog to fall for. The reality of living with one takes more explaining.

Temperament in the home

Tollers are affectionate with their family and often reserved with strangers, and unlike most retrievers they are not indiscriminately friendly. They are quick, sensitive and constantly assessing what is going on, with a work ethic that does not switch off because the dog is indoors. The Toller scream is the first thing to understand: a high-pitched, piercing shriek produced when the dog is excited, typically at the sight of a ball, the start of a walk or the arrival of a favourite person. It is not distress and it cannot be trained out of the breed, though it can be managed. Children who are active and involved get on well with the breed, but a Toller wound up by shrieking toddlers is likely to join in with teeth and shrieks of its own, and a calm house with older children is a better fit. Separation is poorly tolerated, and a bored Toller invents entertainment that costs money.

Exercise and training

Two hours of activity a day is realistic for an adult, and the more of it that involves the brain the better. Retrieving, swimming, scent work, agility, flyball and gundog training all suit the breed, and most owners find that one sport becomes a way of life. Puppies must be held back; the breed’s drive makes it easy to overdo ball games and jumping long before the joints can take it, and lead walks, free play and lots of training in short bursts are safer until at least a year. Training is where the breed shines and where it catches people out. Tollers learn in one or two repetitions, including things nobody meant to teach, and they read handler mood precisely. Reward-based methods and a light touch are essential, because a harshly corrected Toller becomes anxious and sticky rather than obedient. Clear criteria, short sessions and a calm handler produce a brilliant working partner.

Coat and grooming

The coat is a medium-length double coat in shades of red from pale orange to a deep copper, usually with white on the feet, chest, blaze and tail tip. It is water-repellent, with a dense soft undercoat and longer feathering on the tail, legs and chest. Brushing two or three times a week keeps mats out of the feathering and behind the ears, and shedding is heavy twice a year when the undercoat drops in clumps, with a moderate background loss the rest of the time. No clipping is needed and the coat should not be shaved; a trim of the feet and ears keeps things tidy, and ears need checking after water.

Health and lifespan

Twelve to fourteen years is typical. The Toller has a small founding population and a number of well-documented conditions, so health testing is not optional in this breed. Hips should be scored under the BVA and Kennel Club scheme and eyes examined annually under the BVA and Kennel Club eye scheme. DNA tests exist for progressive retinal atrophy in its prcd form, collie eye anomaly and degenerative encephalopathy, and a breeder should show results for both parents rather than describe them. Immune-mediated disease is the other area to ask about. Addison’s disease, steroid responsive meningitis arteritis and an immune-mediated rheumatic disease are all recognised in the breed at higher rates than in dogs generally, and a breeder who can talk openly about them and about the health of their own lines is the one to trust.

Costs and space

Running costs sit around £90 to £160 a month across food, insurance, routine veterinary care and grooming done at home. Space is less of a constraint than noise. A Toller lives happily in a modest house with a secure garden and daily access to open ground and water, but the scream and the drive make a shared wall an issue. Puppies are easier to find than for the rare imported gundogs, though good breeders still run waiting lists, and the breed club is the place to start. Rescues do occasionally see Tollers surrendered by owners who wanted a small Golden Retriever and got something considerably sharper.

Verdict

The Toller suits an active, sport-minded owner who wants a clever, compact retriever to train every day and has the time and the open ground to do it. Agility, flyball, gundog and scent work households get a superb dog.

Anyone wanting a laid-back family retriever, a quiet dog, or a pet to fit around a full-time job should look elsewhere. The noise, the intensity and the health testing are all real, and they do not soften with age as much as people hope.