Gundog group · Canada
Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever
Also called Toller, Little River Duck Dog, NSDTR.
Medium dog, needs a serious amount of exercise, quick to learn.
- Intelligent
- Alert
- Outgoing
- Adaptable
- Playful
- Size
- Medium
- Weight
- 16 to 23 kg35 to 50 lb
- Lives
- 12 to 14 years
- Energy
- Very High
- Trains
- High
- Barks
- Moderate
Training
Training a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever
Gundog breeds. Quick to learn and quick to get over-excited. The work is calm around distractions, not obedience.
Mental Stimulation
Start here
Highly intelligent, they need mental challenges alongside physical exercise to prevent boredom.
Retrieve Obsession
Use their natural retrieve drive for training motivation. Fetch is life for many Tollers.
Screaming
Tollers are known for their distinctive scream of excitement. This is normal but can be managed through training.
The app turns this into five to fifteen minutes a day.
Add your Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever and it builds the plan around their age, where they came from and what they already know, on video with Atlas and Shango.
Free to start. iPhone. No card needed.
At home
Living with one
Bred to find, flush and retrieve game alongside a person. Biddable, busy, and happiest with a job.
Gets on with
- ChildrenHigh
- Other dogsHigh
- StrangersModerate
- CatsModerate
Breed averages. Early socialisation and the individual dog matter more.
- Exercise
- 2+ hours daily. High energy breed needing running, swimming, and retrieving. Excellent for dog sports.
- Grooming
- Moderate. Weekly brushing, more during shedding season. Feathering needs regular attention.
- Drool
- Low
- Coat
- Double coat, Medium length, Water-repellent, FeatheredRed, Orange, Various shades of red with white markings
- In a flat
- Needs more space than a flat gives.
Health
Things to ask a breeder or vet about
Hip Dysplasia
Moderate
Joint condition requiring health screening
Progressive Retinal Atrophy
Moderate
Degenerative eye disease that can be tested for genetically
Immune-Mediated Rheumatic Disease
Moderate
Autoimmune condition more common in this breed
Where they come from
History
Developed in Nova Scotia, Canada in the early 1800s. The smallest retriever, bred to lure (toll) ducks within shooting range by playing along the shore, mimicking fox behaviour that attracts curious waterfowl. Then retrieves the shot birds. A unique hunting strategy.
