History: Nova Scotia Duck tolling retrievers (known, in Canada nowadays, as Tollers) were originally bred as decoys and retrievers for duck hunting. The Toller is naturally playful and this allows them to be used to cause interest. The dogs used to run and play, bounding about, on the waters edge. The aim being that ducks would see this playful thing having fun and come closer to see what was happening, which would bring them into the range of guns, on the foreshore. After the ducks or geese had been shot the dogs would retrieve the prize. They are natural retrievers and work just as efficiently on land as they do in water.

Temperament. They are a naturally playful dog and quite easy to train. They are a handsome and excellent family pet, that gets on well with children, and due to their natural retrieving instinct play well, and provides great entertainment at fetch the ball. They do require quite a lot of exercise but a lot of this is happily done during playtime, if you are too busy for lengthy walks twice a day. It is also a point to remember, as an intelligent dog they can get bored, which may lead to problems, you should stimulate them and encourage play to stop this.

Health issues: The Toller has breed issues of thyroid problems, heart defects (which can be checked for by a vet). Also check the parents have OFA and CERF certificates. They live for about 12-14 years. One minor thing that can cause problems is that they can suffer from abnormal eyelash growth. This is almost insignificant, but the lashes can curl and cause eye problems. However, this is a fairly simple thing for your vet to remedy.

Grooming: General grooming of the Toller is relatively easy with a requirement to brush a couple of times a week, although you should trim hair around the dogs’ bottom, for hygiene reasons. It is also a good idea to keep ears clean and regularly checked for any signs of infections. Always be particularly careful with the ears and do not distress the dog, whilst doing it. They tend to shed all year round, so brushing will reduce the amount of hair vacuuming you need to do.