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Nova scotia duck tolling retriever oregon11/10/2023 ![]() Happily, like most hunter's dogs, the toller retains his training quite well, and does not require frequent re-training, as do most trainer's dogs. He must mix in plenty of marks and fun-dummies to keep the toller from becoming bored - and "creative" in how he repeats a drill. To succeed in drilling a toller, even within a positive framework, the trainer must be quite clever. In this they're like Chesapeakes, but then I think the two breeds share some common genes." "If you push too hard, they can become either cowed or stubborn. "Tollers respond best to positive training methods," Alison Strang said. However, the toller tends to resist the repetitive drilling required for the success in the advanced blind retrieves encountered in field trials and hunt tests. Happily, this same endurance comes in handy today when hunting to the gun in the uplands. This seemingly inexhaustible energy was necessary for tolling ducks all day back before bag limits. He has an almost insane desire to retrieve and will do it over and over and over without appearing to tire. He does most of what the generalist hunter needs quite naturally. To this day, the toller is more a hunter's dog than a trainer's dog. ![]() They developed the toller as a "hunter's dog," that is, a breed that does most of what the owner wants done naturally, with very little formal training beyond basic obedience. The toller was developed in rugged Nova Scotia by early Scottish immigrants, a hardy people who were scratching out a difficult living, struggling to survive in a strange new land. Not surprisingly, the golden is a "trainer's dog," that is, a breed that responds well to the repetitive drilling that extensive formal training requires. These aristocrats also had hired gamekeepers to manage their estates and train their dogs. The golden was developed on the British Isles by the landed gentry, who had huge estates on which to hunt. Different people developed the two breeds under different circumstances and for different purposes. And this reflects poorly on neither breed. He may look like a miniature golden, but inside, that is, under the hood, the two breeds are quite distinct. Never has the adage, you can't judge a book by its cover, been more true than in the case of the toller. In endurance, it excels most sporting breeds. In style, the breed rivals the English springer. These traits make him a great upland game finder/flusher/retriever. The toller is a bouncy, high-energy animal with amazing stamina. The color can be anything from light gold to coppery red. The double coat has a harsh water-repellent outercoat overlaying a dense wooly undercoat. Tollers stand about 17 inches to 21 inches and weigh 35 to 50 pounds, a nice size for today's hunting conditions. A white tip to the tail is highly prized by those who use these dogs for tolling, because when swished around it attracts the attention of rafted ducks. ![]() When you first see a toller, you might think it's a miniature golden retriever, except for the few flashy white points, perhaps on the chest, feet, and tail. See the first sidebar for background information on these knowledgeable folks. To help me present this multi-talented breed properly, I interviewed four long-time toller experts: Katie Dugger, Sue Dorscheid, Alison Strang, and Glen White. In fact, it's a masterpiece of misleadingly modest understatement. ![]() And wherever he has gone, he seems to be performing quite well, thank you.Ĭlearly, the name, Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, is not the breed's complete résumé. However, over the years he has become an international star, having been exported not only to USA, but also to various other countries around the world. Then, too, as the name indicates, the toller hails from Nova Scotia. See the second sidebar for information on tolling Oh, yes, I almost forgot: He can also toll ducks (and geese).
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