Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever

The Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever is the smallest of the AKC retrievers — a 17-21 inch, 35-50 pound red gundog bred for one strange job: luring (tolling) ducks within gun range by playing along the shoreline, then retrieving the birds once shot. That job description is the whole buying decision. You are not getting a smaller, calmer Golden; you are getting a high-drive working spaniel-retriever hybrid in a compact body, and the marketing word 'medium energy' badly undersells what this dog needs. Physically the Toller is built for cold water: a water-repellent double coat in shades of crimson to copper, usually with white markings on the chest, feet, face, or tail tip, plus webbed feet and a heavily feathered tail. The coat sheds seasonally and needs a thorough weekly brush, more during the spring and autumn blow. Temperament is the dividing line between owners who love this breed and owners who rehome it. Tollers are intensely intelligent, intensely birdy, and intensely bonded to their people — and they have a famous, piercing 'Toller scream' of excitement that thin-walled apartments and close neighbors will not forgive. They are reserved with strangers (not shy, not aggressive — watchful), often one-family dogs, and can be sensitive to harsh training, shutting down rather than fighting back. They are excellent with children they are raised with and generally good with other dogs. Who the Toller is right for: an active owner who hunts, does dock diving, agility, flyball, or runs daily, wants a velcro dog, and will train with positive methods. Who it is wrong for: a first-time owner wanting a low-maintenance family pet, anyone in a noise-sensitive home, or anyone who thinks 'small retriever' means 'less work.' This is the most work per pound of any retriever — decide on that, not on the photos.