The Toller has an unusual job: luring ducks. According to the FCI standard, it runs, jumps and plays along the shore while the hunter throws it sticks. Curious ducks swim closer to see what is happening. Afterwards, the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever retrieves the game from the water.
| FCI | Group 8 (Retrievers, Flushing Dogs and Water Dogs), Section 1 Retrievers, Standard No. 312, with working trial |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | Canada |
| Size (height at the withers) | Ideal height from 18 months: males 48 to 51 cm, females 45 to 48 cm; deviation of 2,5 cm permitted |
| Weight | Guidelines: males 20 to 23 kg, females 17 to 20 kg |
| Life expectancy | median 13,2 years in a British analysis of 584.734 dogs, but only 47 recorded deaths (McMillan et al. 2024) |
| Coat | water-repellent double coat, medium length and soft, with dense undercoat |
| Colours in the standard | shades of red or orange, usually with white markings on tail tip, feet, chest or as a blaze |
Origins
According to the standard, the Toller was bred in Nova Scotia in the early 19th century to lure and retrieve waterfowl. The FCI places it among retrievers, with a working trial.
Temperament
The standard describes it as highly intelligent, very trainable and enduring, a strong swimmer and reliable retriever with a pronounced play drive. Many Tollers look somewhat sad until work begins, the standard says. Then their expression changes to full concentration.
Exercise and activities
A Toller needs daily exercise and work for mind and nose. Retrieving, dummy training, swimming, agility or obedience suit it well. Without enough to do, it finds its own tasks.
Grooming
The double coat needs brushing once or twice weekly, more during moulting. Otherwise, feathering behind the ears and on the breeches mats.
Health
The median 13,2 years sounds good but rests on only 47 deaths and is correspondingly uncertain. Autoimmune diseases are well studied. In a Swedish survey of 935 living Tollers, 3,0 per cent had been diagnosed with an immune-mediated rheumatic disease and 3,5 per cent with steroid-responsive meningitis-arteritis (Nilsson et al. 2024). A 2026 study links a RESF1 variant with early-onset Addison’s disease; affected young dogs lived a median of only two years (Brown et al. 2026). Ask breeders openly about autoimmune cases in the line.
Who suits the Toller?
Active people and families who enjoy being near water, like training and seek a medium-sized, playful working dog.
Who is less suited?
Quiet households without time for daily activities, and people seeking a dog with little desire to work.
The breed quiz shows whether a Toller fits your life; our book offers more detailed help: “Welcher Hund passt WIRKLICH zu dir?” (book in German). For the first weeks with a puppy, there is the free Puppy Starter Pack. Put your red water dog on the wall with our dog portraits from your own photo or as a digital artwork to download.
Further reading
- Golden Retriever: what the cancer figures mean for owners
- Labrador Retriever: why a quarter are always hungry
- Puppy training: the 5 rules that really work
Sources, accessed on 20.10.2026: FCI-Standard Nr. 312 Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever (fci.be, version dated 05.02.1999); McMillan KM et al., Longevity of companion dog breeds: those at risk from early death, Scientific Reports 2024; Nilsson M et al., In sickness and health: a questionnaire based study regarding immune mediated diseases and neoplasia in Swedish Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers, Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica 2024; Brown E et al., A variant in RESF1 is associated with Addison's disease and multiple autoimmune syndrome in young Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers, Scientific Reports 2026.
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