Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever

The Micmac Indians of Canada documented the first “tollers”. These tollers were wily foxes who patrolled the shores of rivers and lakes and would then snatch the ducks that came close enough to the shore. The Micmac Indians began encouraging their own dogs to lure the ducks closer in a fashion similar to those of the foxes. Some researchers believe that these dogs are a part of the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever’s ancestry. Hunters in Yarmouth County located in southwest Nova Scotia’s Little River district created a dog that had the ability to attract ducks and retrieve them from the water. These hunters began mixing hunting and retrieving dogs such as the Golden Retriever, Flat-Coated Retriever, Cocker Spaniel and Irish Setter. Some researchers also believe that some farm Collies also found their way into the bloodlines. These resulting dogs were red in color and called Little River Duck Dogs. These dogs were virtually unknown in other parts of Canada until 1945 when the Canadian Kennel Club (CKC) officially recognized the breed and renamed him the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever. The first Tollers to be imported into the United States came in the 1960s but still remained unknown until the late 1970s and early 1980s. In 1984, the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever Club of the United States was formed. It was not until 2001 that the American Kennel Club accepted the Toller into is Foundation Stock Service and officially recognized him in 2003 as a member of the Sporting group.