Yup, those rumors you’ve been hearing are true. The very deliberate —sometimes agonizingly
deliberate — Beagle Man is in line for a Toller. A what? A Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever. I know, a mouthful, right? Some say he chose it specifically because I was such a “handful,” and he was looking for the “anti-beagle.” Not so! There are actually a lot of similarities between me and the Toller. My playing weight was 28 to 30 pounds; Tollers go at about 45. I have that white blaze running right down the middle of my knock-’em-dead face, and a lot of Tollers have that same thing going on. Tollers are also big-time jocks; you should see them play Frisbee! And did you ever happen to see me go after a squirrel? Okay, so I never caught one — but we’re talking wheels! And even though a lot of people think Tollers look just like mini-Goldens, they’re not push-overs like Goldens. They’ve got a little of that I’ll-do-it-my-way in them, just like yours truly. (Beagle Man always called me “stubborn,” but I prefer to think that I always knew exactly what I wanted.) So now, instead of constantly having black-and-tan-and-white hair all over his fleece or his sweatshirt or whatever, the color will be red. And the part I really like? Apparently he’s driving up to Nova Scotia to pick up the damn dog! Bottom line: I’m totally down with this Toller thing. You go, B-Man!
The Roof Rack Report (#roofrackreport on Twitter, for those who follow me already on @BeagleManHank) appears on Mondays, usually. Actually, whenever Beagle Man decides to give me some space . .
As you probably already know, the Toller is ranked 97th out of 177 AKC breeds in popularity, which beats my Entlebucher at a lowly 155th. I can tell you from experience, that after all the painstaking research and breeder searches, people will still think you got a mutt. Unless, like the fools we are, you get a second one! Good luck and can’t wait to meet the new pup!
Dear Ricky, I’m sure your endorsement was critical to Beagle Man’s decision. The Toller looks like the perfect choice for this stage in his experience with dogs. You did a great job getting him trained! Best to you both – wherever you are!
Marcia