The Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever is the smallest of all the retriever breeds, but don’t let their size fool you. These are extremely athletic dogs built for hunting, hiking, and of course, being a retriever are incredible swimmers. The energy packed into these dogs is truly outstanding so they must be active every day.
The history of this breed is fascinating as well. They were bred in the 19th century in Nova Scotia and were purposefully bred to have red coats to resemble small foxes. When hunters would let their Duck Tolling Retrievers play in the water, all the ducks would go investigate this strange foxes behavior but were then ambushed by the hunters, who were able to catch an easy dinner. This also explains why they are called “duck tolling” – it means “to lure ducks”!
Today the breed is not too different from its ancestors. They still love to chase animals, play fetch, and can sometimes even bring you back a dead rodent, a true delicacy! These retrievers can weigh up to 50 pounds and stand around one and a half feet tall. When they’re just lounging around, they can have a sad and depressed look on their face, but don’t feel too guilty, this is just how they look! When they are running, their expression changes completely and they have an intense glare in their eyes which would frighten any duck (or even human for that matter!).
These retrievers make excellent pets and show so much affection to their family. Duck Tollers will usually only bark when they are excited, as opposed to afraid, and their bark is often a very high-pitched howl. If you’re thinking about getting one of these amazing dogs, make sure you have enough time to let it release its energy, otherwise, you can say goodbye to your new pair of shoes!
