I’m not gonna lie. I think my dog is gorgeous. The thing is, I’m not the only one — not by a long shot. Every day I get stopped about Kemba’s appearance. Just yesterday, while we were walking around Equinox Pond in Vermont, two different dog-owners expressed variations on this same theme: “That face! He’s the most beautiful dog I’ve ever seen!” Then, the inevitable next question: “What kind of dog is that?”
I brace myself. “He’s a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever,” I answer. I’m super-aware that, as dog breeds go, a five-word name sounds a little ostentatious. To deflect, I immediately add something self-deprecating, like, “It’s a mouthful, I know.” Or, “Yeah, I have to stop for a breath in the middle.” Or, “He’s the only breed whose name is a complete sentence.” And we move on comfortably from there: Where did you get him? Does he shed? Was he easy to train? I answer all the questions happily. Proudly.
Carol, who’s not as fond as I am of engaging strangers in long talks about dogs, tries to escape with a shortcut when asked about Kemba’s breed. “He’s a Duck Toller,” she’ll say simply. The stranger will give a quizzical look, as in, a what? Carol is forced to expand. “A Duck Tolling Retriever.” But this still doesn’t seem to do the trick. “You know, kind of a smaller, redder Golden? The Canadian version?” And on and on. By this time, to my way of thinking, she could have just said, “He’s a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever,” and been done with it.
He is a good-looking dog, though. And tomorrow he sees the groomer. Wait till you see him after that!
YOU CAN ALSO FOLLOW BEAGLE MAN, KEMBA, AND RICKY ON FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM.
Hey, Of course, he’s gorgeous and smart too. I’m too old to manage a very active dog like Kemba, but I can gaze with desire, admiration and love. Lucky you and Carol.
As a former owner of two reddish Golden Retrievers, I agree that Kemba is a very handsome boy. When asked about the ease of training, I hope you answered truthfully: “We’ve never really tried to train him.”
He is, indeed, a gorgeous dog. Second only to my Akita. 🙂
. . . and Akita is a much easier name to say 🙂