Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever breed guide

Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers are upbeat athletes that need outlets for boundless vigor: hunting, hiking, camping and, of course, swimming. AKC says they are a curious mixture of stubborn and soft, with at times the brain of a Chesapeake Bay Retriever and the heart of a spaniel.

That mixture can make them challenging to train, since you do not always know whether the dog is putting one over on you.

Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers live 12 to 14 years. AKC lists Addison's disease, which often does not surface until middle age, by which time the dog may have already produced offspring and says efforts to develop a gene-marker test have not succeeded so far.

Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers are also somewhat more prone than other breeds to autoimmune-related issues.

Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers need weekly brushing, often daily in shedding season, with special attention around and under the ears, where the coat is finer and knots more easily. Because they should be presented naturally, they need little additional grooming.

Most Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers have a medium to high energy level and a brisk 30-minute walk or a couple of ball-chasing sessions a day suffice for many, though some need more.

The Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, also called the Decoy Dog, was bred by 19th-century sportsmen in the Little River District of Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia and Yarmouth Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever and Little River Duck Dog were once alternate breed names.

Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers were made for an ingenious hunting method: they imitate the curious activity of foxes, whose color and quick movements fascinate waterfowl, so a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever playing fetch along the shoreline draws ducks offshore with its feathery tail and red coat.