When our beloved Ricky the Beagle passed away in 2014, we were all devastated. At the same time, one thing became instantly clear: I couldn’t live without a dog for long. It wasn’t too many weeks before I began casting about for my next breed. (Let me make it clear that loving a Beagle does not necessarily mean wanting another one. Beagles are a handful, to say the least; most Beagle owners will back me up on this.)
A writing student of mine, learning of my search and being familiar with what I liked in a dog, emailed me a suggestion: Here’s a dog that might fit your and your family’s needs. My youngest daughter has one and adores him — a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever.
A Nova Scotia what? I’d never heard of this dog before, and asked my student about it during our next class. Here are some of the phrases she used to describe the breed: Super-active. Super-athletic. Up for anything. Very smart. Very handsome. Mid-sized. All of this sounded perfect. (Since I wanted a large dog and my wife wanted a small one, “mid-sized” was a good compromise.)
The rest, of course, is history. In fairly short order I went from the guy who’d never heard of a Duck Toller to the guy who was introducing the breed all around our town. Typical conversation in the dog park:
Stranger: Your dog is gorgeous! Is he a Golden mix?
Me: No, he’s a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever.
Stranger: A what? Could you please repeat that slowly?
And so I’d explain: That the Duck Toller is the provincial breed of Nova Scotia, where the locals proudly call him the “Little River duck dog.” That “tolling” means to lure, as in tolling ducks so the hunter can get off a shot, after which the Toller retrieves the duck. (I’m quick to make clear that mine only retrieves tennis balls.) That they’re somewhat smaller than Goldens. (Kemba, at 52 pounds, is on the large side for the breed.) That they have a distinctive red-colored coat, with white markings on the chest, paws, nose, and tip of tail. That they will be happy to fetch 24/7, and will constantly remind you of this.
I like to think that over time Kemba and I did our part in the breed’s growing popularity, at least locally: Two families in town, after falling in love with Kemba, inquired about my breeder (Saltydog Kennels, Ardoise, Nova Scotia), and ultimately purchased Toller puppies from there as well. But whatever the reason, I’m finding more and more people have come to recognize the breed. Now, the typical question I’m asked is no longer, “What kind of dog is that?” but “Is that a Duck Toller?”
Last week, Kemba’s dog sitter sent me the American Kennel Club graphic you see on this post (above, left). So it’s clearly not just a matter of my perception. Duck Tollers really have become more familiar, ranking in the top 3 in popularity gains over the past decade.
I’m a little suspicious about the other two, though. Beauceron? Boykin Spaniel? Anyone ever heard of ’em? Just asking.
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And! Do these other two breed have a beer named after them??
Doubt it!!