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HISTORY
Brief Summary
Originally known as the Little River Duck Dog in its home of the Little River District of Nova Scotia, the modern Toller got its present name in 1945 when it was recognized by the Canadian Kennel Club registry. As usual, the exact origin of the breed is lost, but a dog resembling the present-day Toller was seen in 17th Century Europe, luring waterfowl into nets. Whether the Toller originated from these dogs or was developed from a combination of the extinct Lesser St. John’s Water Dog, brown Cocker Spaniels, and Irish Setters, farm collie, and Chesapeake Bay Retrievers are among the breeds heritage. The result is a 37-50 pound dog of orange - red color and medium-length coat with the ability to entice ducks and geese close to shore.
Tolling
To “Toll” in duck hunting means to lure the ducks in. Waterfowl hunters generally wait in a blind for ducks or geese to be lured into gunshot range. Hunters fortunate enough to have a Toller along can hasten the process by using the dog’s playful antics to catch the attention of inquisitive birds. The hunter tosses a small inconspicuous object from his duck blind parallel to the shore. The dog retrieves with great enthusiasm, tail wagging, and feet dancing occasionally disappearing from sight and then quickly reappearing. The flashy white markings on his chest, feet, and tail-tip accentuate the effect as he retrieves time after time, luring the birds closer and closer to shore to get a better look at this remarkable performance. When the birds are close enough, the hunter is able to shoot, sometimes having to shoot in the air first just to flare the ducks off the water to shoot the birds in a sport-like manner.
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in NOVA SCOTIA
