NOVA SCOTIA DUCK TOLLING RETRIEVER

• Tireless Retriever
• Versatile Hunter
• Excellent Swimmer
• Ideal Family Dog
• Trainable Obedience Dog
• Loyal Companion
• Robust Pet
• Clean, Friendly, Intelligent

THAT’S THE TOLLER

NOVA SCOTIA DUCK TOLLING RETRIEVER

The hunting world knows Canada to be the haunt of big game and seemingly unlimited waterfowl. But Canada has also given bird dog enthusiasts a most versatile of hunting companions, the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, or Toller, a true Canadian breed.

TOLLING

Smallest of the retrieving breeds, the Toller was developed in southwestern Nova Scotia to entice ducks and geese within gunshot range by duplicating the actions of the Eastern red fox. Using the natural curiosity of the ducks and geese, the fox will engage in all sorts of antics which will result in waterfowl swimming closer until they are near enough to provide the fox with a meal.

Early sportsmen bred a dog which somewhat resembled the fox in appearance, and which was active but silent at work with the ability to retrieve in water. Therefore, the tolling dog has a dual purpose, to lure or toll the ducks or geese within gunshot range, and then to retrieve the downed birds.

To effectively use a tolling dog, the hunter must first be well hidden in a blind close to the water, downwind from the birds. He then throws out a small stick or a ball where the dog will be in full view of the ducks and geese. The tolling dog runs, jumps and plays along the shoreline, occasionally disappearing from sight and then quickly reappearing, aided by the hidden hunter. Upon returning to the blind, the dog eagerly flips the stick to his master, expectant of another throw. This pattern is repeated until the birds begin to swim towards the dog, and may have to continue for some time until they are within range.

Once the ducks or geese are within gunshot range, the dog is recalled to the blind, the birds flushed and shot. The Toller is then sent out to retrieve the dead or wounded birds.

Stories of Toller courage are legion, the most often repeated being that of a 40 pound female which retrieved several Canada Geese while her face was full of porcupine quills. One eight month old pup tackled and brought in a wounded goose, a formidable task for a much larger, older dog.

Tollers make excellent upland bird dogs, flushing with the enthusiasm of a spaniel, and working close as is their custom when tolling. One Labrador and Brittany breeder declared his Toller to be his best pheasant dog.

HISTORY

The exact history of the Toller is somewhat unclear but it is known that smallish dogs were used for centuries in Europe to lure ducks into nets. An 18th century sporting scene was described by James Wentworth Day in his The Dog in Sport as including "ginger-coloured decoy dogs". These "red decoy dogs" could very well be fore-runners of today’s Toller. Other breeds thought to be in the Toller’s ancestry include the Brittany Spaniel, Irish Setter, Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Golden Retriever and some type of small collie.

However it was done, the cross-breedings produced a fox-like dog with the desired working abilities which became known as the Little River Duck Dog after Nova Scotia’s district of Yarmouth County, the centre of the breed’s development.

After generations of pure breeding, the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever was granted official breed status by the Canadian Kennel Club in 1945. This breed is recognized by the FCI., and in Australia, New Zealand, and most European and Scandinavian countries. The Toller has not YET been recognized by the AKC, but the American breed club is working hard towards this goal.

BREED CHARACTERISTICS

Today’s Toller is a medium-sized, powerful, compact, balanced, well-muscled dog, with a high degree of agility, alertness and determination. This breed is still of a size which makes for an ideal pet for the active family as well as an agile and eager hunting companion.

The Nova Scotia Duck Toiling Retriever is highly intelligent, easy to train, has great endurance, and is a strong and able swimmer. He is a natural and persistent retriever on land and in the water. The keen Toller brain makes it essential to ensure that the dog knows, and keeps, his place in the family 'pecking order' and that he is given some training challenges to keep that brain constructively engaged.

According to the Canadian Kennel Club breed standard, the ideal height for males is 19 to 20 inches and 45 to 51 pounds, with females being 1 to 2 inches and 8 to 10 pounds smaller.

Varying shades of bright coppery red are preferred, usually with white markings on the chest, feet and tail tip, and often with a white blaze or snip on the head. Many hunters feel that a white tail tip is a distinct aid in the tolling ability of the dog, as the signaling tail is an essential part of the tolling dogs equipment. The medium length double coat is dense, water repellent, and thick enough to keep out the intense cold of the waters around Toller's original Nova Scotia home.

VERSATILITY

Tollers are becoming better known among the dog fancy in Canada. Eight different Tollers have won ‘Best in Show’ at all breed shows, and in 1990 one of these was awarded Group 1st at the Ralston-Purina Show of Shows Canada’s most prestigious dog show. Another Toller brought in his limit of ducks the day before winning ‘Best in Show’. Most Toller breeders are striving to produce a dual-purpose dog and do not wish to see their breed develop into two distinct types, as has happened with so many sporting dogs.

The Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever is truly a versatile dog. Tollers have received many varied titles including obedience, field trial and tracking. One Toller even starred on the play ‘Orphan Annie’. Tollers are calm when going to hospitals for ‘pet therapy’, and very animated in flyball, agility teams and Scent-Hurdling Teams.

Produced by B.C. Toller Fanciers
Reprinted with permission

©1998-2001 Ron Critchfield. All rights reserved.
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