page_title: Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever
section_title: Appearance
hierarchical_section_title: Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever / Description / Appearance
caption_attribution_description: A young Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever.
context_page_description: The Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever is a medium-sized gundog bred primarily for hunting. It is often referred to as a "toller". It is the smallest of the retrievers, and is often mistaken for a small Golden Retriever. Tollers are known to be intelligent, easy to please, alert, and high-energy dogs. The name "toller" is derived from their ability to lure waterfowl within gunshot range. The breed originated in Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia, Canada. The American Kennel Club ranks the toller as the 87th most popular dog breed.
context_section_description: Tollers are often mistaken for small Golden Retrievers, but the Toller is more active, both physically and mentally. According to the breed standards, the Toller is athletic, muscular, compact, medium to heavy boned, balanced and powerful. The chest is deep. Conformation judges require Tollers to be capable of tolling and physical faults that inhibit working ability are heavily penalized. They should be of moderate build — a lack of substance or a heavy build are penalized by judges because both detract from the breed standard and athleticism. The legs are sturdy and solid and they have webbed feet.
  Tollers can be any shade of red ranging from a golden red through dark coppery red with lighter featherings on the underside of the tail, pantaloons, and body. The lighter shades of golden red are deeply pigmented and rich in colour. The Toller should not be buff, brown, or beige, though some buff and sable Tollers do appear in breeding lines.
  It is common for a Toller to have at least one of the following white markings: tip of tail, feet (not extending above the pasterns) and chest. Lack of white is not a fault; Tollers can be born without white markings. Dogs with white on the shoulders, around ears, back of neck, across back or flanks, or with silvery, grey or black areas in coat are disqualified from conformation shows.
  The Toller was bred to retrieve from icy waters and must have a water-repellent double coat of medium length and softness and a soft dense undercoat. The coat may have a slight wave on the back but is otherwise straight. Some winter coats may form a long loose curl at the throat. Featherings are soft and moderate in length, the tail is well feathered and held jauntily when the dog is excited or moving. The hair on the muzzle is short and fine. Seasonal shedding is to be expected.
  Those who breed Tollers for conformation shows consider the head (clean cut, slightly wedge-shaped) to be an important feature and believe it should resemble that of a fox and must never be blocky like that of a Golden Retriever. The ears are triangular and set high and well back from the skull. The pigment on a toller's nose, lips and eye rims should match, and should be either black (which normally fades with age) or liver, blending into the coat. Lips fit fairly tightly around the mouth. The correct bite is a scissor bite, full dentition is required. Jaws are strong enough to carry a large bird, but Tollers must have a soft mouth too. Eyes are set well apart, almond shaped, and medium-sized and amber to dark brown in colour. Expression is friendly, alert, and intelligent.
caption: This Toller has the rich orange coat color and "foxy" head shape that are desirable for the breed.
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