Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers are most commonly referred to as Tollers for short.  They are an extremely intelligent and active breed, that although have been primarily bred to toll and retrieve ducks, have been quite sucessful in other dog sport venues including: conformation, obedience, agility, Rally-O, flyball, and tracking.  They are truly a versatile breed.

Tollers are a sporting breed that were originally bred with a dual purpose for its hunting partner.  First the hunter would hide in a duck blind, throwing sticks and other retrieving objects for his Toller.  The

Toller's antics while retrieving these items along the shoreline, along with its attractive red and white markings would attract birds close to shore.  Once close enough, the hunter would shoot the birds, and the Toller would then retrieve them.  Therefore, the Toller was both a decoy and a retriever!

Tollers are the smallest of the retriever breeds, but don't let their size fool you.  Some mistake the Toller for being like that of a small Golden Retriever.  However, their activity level is more often compared to that of a Border Collie.  They are busy dogs, and therefore need to be kept just that - BUSY!