Over the weekend, the 5th annual TollerMania was held in New Germany, Nova Scotia, a celebration of the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever! It’s a breed that was organically developed here in Nova Scotia not all that long ago. The event brought people from all over the world who own the breed or are simply fans of the breed. Here’s how they came to be.
In the 1800s, in the Yarmouth County community of Little River Harbour, now part of the Municipality of Argyle, hunters in the area noticed an interesting behaviour in foxes. Waterfowl, like ducks, would often become curious when they saw foxes playing along the shoreline, causing the ducks to move closer to shore. Hunters began using dogs to mimic this behaviour. The dogs would run, jump, and play near the water’s edge while the hidden hunter tossed sticks or balls. Curious ducks would swim closer to investigate, bringing them within shooting range.
This unique hunting technique became known as “tolling,” and the dogs developed to perform the task became known as Tollers. The types of dogs that were bred to create this breed are still up for debate, but many believe they were a mix of retrievers and setters. They were first called Little River Duck Dogs, but since 1945, when they were officially recognized by the Canadian Kennel Club, they have been known as the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever.
They are amazing family dogs and, of course, are still used for hunting, but be warned: if you ever get one, they are very, very high-energy and need a ton of physical and mental stimulation, as well as lots of training. They are extremely energetic. All the ones I have met are a little crazy!
