Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever

AgilityKrazii

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#1
I have done alot of research on this breed and I have yet to find anything I dont like about them! :eek: They seem like a great dog for me. I wont be getting another dog for at least 2 years but its never to early to learn about the breed.
Now I would like to hear about those little things that no one ever seems to tell you about living with them. Or things that you think everyone needs to be aware of when considering a Toller.

Thanks alot guys.
Dont hesitate to post some pictures if you would like ;) :p
 

bubbatd

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#2
Of all the Retrievers I think they need the most training . My second cousin has one and at 4 yrs. old is just starting to chill out !
 

MafiaPrincess

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#3
There is a ton of tollers doing AAC agility here. We see them often, and know a few people pretty well who own them. They can be wary of strangers. Even ones I know well will say hello to me let me snuggle them, but they aren't that interested in me the way other breeds often are. Do quite well in agility. Can be snarky with other dogs in a way retrievers usually aren't as a whole.
 

AgilityKrazii

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There is a ton of tollers doing AAC agility here. We see them often, and know a few people pretty well who own them. They can be wary of strangers. Even ones I know well will say hello to me let me snuggle them, but they aren't that interested in me the way other breeds often are. Do quite well in agility. Can be snarky with other dogs in a way retrievers usually aren't as a whole.
There are a few Tollers around here that do agility as well.
It would be nice to have a dog that wasnt all "ohmigosh look at that person, lets go jump and lick them to death" haha.
Snarky with other dogs isnt a huge deal to me, I think that can just be a matter or socilization and what not.
 

Dekka

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#6
There are a few Tollers around here that do agility as well.
It would be nice to have a dog that wasnt all "ohmigosh look at that person, lets go jump and lick them to death" haha.
Snarky with other dogs isnt a huge deal to me, I think that can just be a matter or socilization and what not.
I don't think its a matter of socialization. The ones I know are socialized VERY well and are still very aloof and somewhat DR. Its one of the reasons I LOVE tollers (was on a waiting list for awhile) they are not like other retrievers. Some are great with other dogs.. but many that I know are not... they are great with dogs they know, but not with rude/strange dogs. Its not lack of socialization in those cases.

(its like saying you can socialize a JRT into being great with all dogs... some JRTs are, many aren't)
 

Laurelin

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#7
Toller's scream. That's about the worst I can come up with. Then again high energy, less apt to be stranger friendly dogs are what I tend to like... I would love to have a toller one day. They're probably the only gundog breed I'd ever have.

Of course my list of dogs I like is really long so I don't know if I'll ever actually have one. But they're very neat dogs and very much the kind of breed I enjoy. :)
 

Toller_08

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#9
Snarky with other dogs isnt a huge deal to me, I think that can just be a matter or socilization and what not.
You'd think, but some Tollers really are just snarky with other dogs. Dance is perfectly fine away from home with other dogs, but she hates other dogs coming to our house. Even ones she's known and seen often since I got her at 13 weeks. She's shown a bit of leash reactivity before as well, but I'm pretty sure that was stress induced as I've only seen her exhibit that behaviour twice in her life. She has zero tolerance for rude dogs, too (which is good, IMO). Another Toller I know, just as heavily socialized, is very dog reactive and has shown lots of aggressive tendencies toward them before as well. I think she's pretty extreme though, as DA is not something well known in the breed. DR is relatively common though.

In any case, Tollers do require a ton of socialization. Dance was socialized like you wouldn't believe & is still weird about people. She's extremely, extremely reserved now, but she was shy as a puppy. She sees no enjoyment in people she doesn't know well petting her. Once she gets to know you, she thinks you're great, but it does take a while. She also has a weird aversion to bags of any sort -- she's petrified of them. I have no idea why, and this fear just kind of appeared one day out of the blue. To my knowledge, she's never had a bad experience with a bag, but yet she has issues with them. Tollers are very quirky dogs. Spring is much more easy going about things. She likes people a lot, and there isn't much that worries her. Which is very surprising to me, considering that she wasn't socialized very well as a puppy. She just naturally has an easygoing, take what comes at her in stride personality.

I have to disagree that they need more training than other retrievers. No, they're certainly not your typical "what can I do to please you" Golden, but they're by no means difficult as long as you know how to deal with a somewhat selfish, "what's in it for me?" type of dog. One of my favourite things about the Toller is that most of them are thinkers and don't just do whatever you tell them to do for the sole sake that you told them to do it. They're very enthusiastic eager dogs -- you just need to know what motivates yours. They're supposed to be extremely intelligent too. Some are, some aren't. Dance is highly intelligent, but still doesn't really compare to my Toller/Border Collie I had, and Spring is lacking a brain, haha. Part of that is probably her age though, as she's just 15mths old. :)

Mine aren't overly energetic or unmanageable as many people believe the breed is. Part of that is they've been taught since I got them that I will not tolerate overly exciteable behaviours in the house. They're happy to do whatever I want to do when I want to do it. They sleep most of the day (by choice). I throw the ball for them in the house if they bring it to me, but they aren't obsessive about it. They get about 45mins of physical exercise a day, by way of a leashed walk or a run in the park usually. That's all they want/need, but if you want them to keep going, they'll have no qualms about that. Most of the Tollers are sat for in April (roughly 12 of them) were the same way. You can definitely get more energetic, always on the go Tollers. Mine are about average I think. Nice and easy to live with, but still have plenty of energy. But yeah, definitely don't expect a dog with the energy and intelligence level of a Border Collie (which is a breed they're often compared to for some reason). Many come close, but not quite.

They are a pretty vocal breed. My girls feel everything needs to be announced, especially Dance, but they usually are quiet when I tell them to be. They aren't nuisance barkers by any means, though. And as was pointed out, they can scream. But only when overly excited in most cases.

Here's the top ten reasons not to get a Toller list, full of pretty good info: Tollers: Top Ten Reasons NOT to Get a Toller

I've left out plenty of information I'm sure, so if you want to know anything else, just let me know! They're certainly a fun breed, and probably the only sporting breed I'll ever have. :)
 
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AgilityKrazii

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#10
Thank you very much for the awesome posts I appreciate it!

I understand now what you mean about the dog agression/reactivity, just depends on the specific dog, I'm sure haveing parents that werent that would would help the pup not being that way but I'm sure its not guarentee.

That scream sounds interesting haha, I'm used to barkey dogs and as long as I am able to tell them to stop(once properly trained) I really dont mind. I actually think that screm is kinda cute, after reading on the site Toller_08 provided it said it was more an excitment thing which I dont have an issue with. My lab already does his own version haha.

I have a thing for Border Collies and will probably own one in the future so I'm sure I would have no problem with a tollers energy, I love energetic dogs!

The only thing that worries me is the DA/DR, I might be apt for an adult rescue Toller, that way I would know how it is with other dogs, instead of getting a pup and despite socilization I find I have a DA or DR Toller.

"If you give a Toller an inch, they will take a mile and come back for another. "
That explains my Lab to a T, so I'm totally used to that and know how to deal with it.

Also do Tollers tend to be super sensitive or do they bounce back quickly, like after proper socilization lets say something just spooks them, are they the kind of dog to be scared of that forever untill desisitizing them to it or do they just bounce back and investigate what just happened or does it depend on the dog and where it came from?

Thanks again!!
 

Toller_08

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#11
I have a thing for Border Collies and will probably own one in the future so I'm sure I would have no problem with a tollers energy, I love energetic dogs!

The only thing that worries me is the DA/DR, I might be apt for an adult rescue Toller, that way I would know how it is with other dogs, instead of getting a pup and despite socilization I find I have a DA or DR Toller.


Also do Tollers tend to be super sensitive or do they bounce back quickly, like after proper socilization lets say something just spooks them, are they the kind of dog to be scared of that forever untill desisitizing them to it or do they just bounce back and investigate what just happened or does it depend on the dog and where it came from?

Thanks again!!

I have no doubts that you'd be able to handle a Toller's energy -- your Lab sounds like he's quite the character, so I don't think dealing with a Toller would be too much different for you. What I meant was not to compare too much with a Border Collie if you tend to like them, or you will be disappointed a little bit with a Toller as they aren't quite up to par energy level or intelligence wise and many people think they're pretty much the same.

As far as the DR, it's not severe in most Tollers, really. The only time Dance gets iffy is in our house (like I said), or if she's somewhere on leash where dogs are really crowding her. They just enjoy their space and don't like dogs invading it or being rude/pushy about it. Finding a rescue Toller would be really hard -- they aren't easy to come by at all, and when they do pop up, the rescues generally have a full waiting list since they are so few and far between. Lots of Toller breeders do seem to rehome retired breeding dogs or show prospects that didn't turn out, so that may be an option for you. Tollers breeders will tell you that DR isn't anything to worry about, but I've seen quite a few with it. Just minorly like Dance though.

Tollers certainly are not as forgiving as lots of other dogs. They can be very sensitive, and positive training is recommended for them or they might shut down. It does depend on the dog to a certain extent, but they aren't entirely known for their bravery, haha. Like Dance and her bag issue -- I've been trying to desensitize her to them for 2 years now, to no avail. She's lacking in confidence though and has been since I got her, so that plays a huge role in how difficult it is for her to overcome things. I did, on the other hand, get her over her shyness toward people eventually and she ended up getting her Canine Good Neighbour certificate a couple months ago -- something I didn't think would ever happen, as she was pretty leary of people for a long time. Spring is the opposite, though. Not anywhere near as sensitive. If she's spooked by something, she will investigate further, and once she sees that I'm ok with whatever happened, so is she. She's also not overly sensitive when it comes to training -- if she doesn't do something right the first time, she'll put 10 times more the effort into it the next time until she gets it right usually.
 

AgilityKrazii

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#12
I have no doubts that you'd be able to handle a Toller's energy -- your Lab sounds like he's quite the character, so I don't think dealing with a Toller would be too much different for you. What I meant was not to compare too much with a Border Collie if you tend to like them, or you will be disappointed a little bit with a Toller as they aren't quite up to par energy level or intelligence wise and many people think they're pretty much the same.

As far as the DR, it's not severe in most Tollers, really. The only time Dance gets iffy is in our house (like I said), or if she's somewhere on leash where dogs are really crowding her. They just enjoy their space and don't like dogs invading it or being rude/pushy about it. Finding a rescue Toller would be really hard -- they aren't easy to come by at all, and when they do pop up, the rescues generally have a full waiting list since they are so few and far between. Lots of Toller breeders do seem to rehome retired breeding dogs or show prospects that didn't turn out, so that may be an option for you. Tollers breeders will tell you that DR isn't anything to worry about, but I've seen quite a few with it. Just minorly like Dance though.

Tollers certainly are not as forgiving as lots of other dogs. They can be very sensitive, and positive training is recommended for them or they might shut down. It does depend on the dog to a certain extent, but they aren't entirely known for their bravery, haha. Like Dance and her bag issue -- I've been trying to desensitize her to them for 2 years now, to no avail. She's lacking in confidence though and has been since I got her, so that plays a huge role in how difficult it is for her to overcome things. I did, on the other hand, get her over her shyness toward people eventually and she ended up getting her Canine Good Neighbour certificate a couple months ago -- something I didn't think would ever happen, as she was pretty leary of people for a long time. Spring is the opposite, though. Not anywhere near as sensitive. If she's spooked by something, she will investigate further, and once she sees that I'm ok with whatever happened, so is she. She's also not overly sensitive when it comes to training -- if she doesn't do something right the first time, she'll put 10 times more the effort into it the next time until she gets it right usually.

Oh yes, my boy is a character but I wouldnt have him any other way:)

I guess that DR might not be that big of an issue I mean being iffy in the house is understandable along with other pushy, in your face types, I know alot of dogs that just dont like that and will let the other dog know and in some respects thats not all bad.
I guess I keep forgetting how new Tollers are and its actually good there arent that many in rescues.
I will have to search out just the right breeder when the time comes!
Well it sounds like with the sensivity it just depends on the dog, I would love a Spring temperament tho, in the aspect that she bounces back fast and doesnt shut down easly.

Is there a difference between the sexes? Like are males more affectionate and biddable where as the females are more independent?
I'm a more male dog kinda person :p
 

Toller_08

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#13
Is there a difference between the sexes? Like are males more affectionate and biddable where as the females are more independent?
I'm a more male dog kinda person :p

A little bit. I find male dogs of most breeds more biddable & into their people than females. Toller males are supposedly more apt to please you I've heard, where as many females don't care about anyone but themselves. There's always exceptions though. But other than that I don't think there are many other temperament differences. When I sat for some Tollers back in April I didn't really see much of a difference between genders, aside from the fact that the boys sought a tiny bit more affection/attention from me.
 

elegy

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#14
The more I read about Tollers, the more I like the sound of them. I've only ever met one, and she was a lovely, friendly young female (15 months irrc).
 

Dekka

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#16
The DR reactivity should only be an issue if you want to hang out at dog parks. Most tollers I know do quite fine competing and get along with dog's they know quite well. If DR/DA bothers you I don't suggest a BC either as a breed they tend to be worse than tollers. (in part I think because their rude behaviour 'staring' sets other dogs off)
 

DaVinci

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#17
My boy DaVinci is a toller mix and he is a great dog. He toller/golden. He is noisy and pretty wild at times. He is great with strangers ( except those that smoke). He is a therapy dog and is training to do BARC ( reading dog). I also do agility and free style dance with him. Someday I will have a full blood toller.
 

AgilityKrazii

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#18
I'm not a dog park person, I just dont want a dog that will be reactive to other dogs passing them or in a competition setting and it sounds like its kind of depends on the specific dog, some are worse then others and some arent like that at all.
 

Dekka

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#19
Well no I would say that has more to do with training than anything else. Some of the most dog reactive dogs I know are the top competitors (some have gone to worlds). Dekka is very dog reactive but isn't an issue at agility trials... people are very good about not letting their dogs come up to her.
 
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#20
Most everything has been covered already, I just thought I'd add that in my experience with the tollers I've know (including my own), quirky ought to be bolded and underlined. Pit isn't DR or DA but he's very weird about other dogs. Sometimes he's terrified of them, sometimes he loves them. It really could go either way. In an agility setting, he completely ignores all the other dogs.

As far as males being more affectionate, maybe it's different with other tollers but mine is terribly independent and would way rather I let him be for most of the day.
 

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