# looking for a nova scothia duck tolling retriever



## mjschuette (Feb 24, 2005)

I need a smaller retriever for my place. any body know where I can find a toller to be my hunting partner. found a place in northern mn but cost is 1600 buckerunees. thats 1000-800 more than I want to spend. any ideas? Thanks...Matt


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## TPL (Oct 7, 2008)

Not to rain on your parade, but I've seen a few Tollers in action and a common thread i've noticed is they appear super soft, not very hearty, and they really stuggled with retrieving. Now, I'm not sure of the competence of the training they received, but the few I've saw showed all the aforementioned traits. Just my observations, maybe someone has other experiences and observations that are more complete. I do believe the huge price tag is playing on the niche market much like the so called and fashionable "mutt breeds".


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## lecub (Mar 14, 2003)

Matt . TPL has it right, I have seen very few, ok none that I would take out hunting, If you are looking for a small retriever take a look at a american water spaniel, about same size, but a heck of a retriever, looks like a mini chesse.
Lee


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## BROWNDOG (Nov 2, 2004)

I train with a couple of them weekly and I wouldn't own them as pets let alone for a hunting dog, and Iv'e seem many others run at hunt tests and NONE of them impressed me. There was one that became QAA this past summer, the one and only and I believe there is also one other with a MH 
I'm guessing the one's in MN you looked at are the ones I train with 8)

From what Iv'e seen with Toller owners is there about as hard to train as there dogs.

You can live with a 80 pound dog just as easly as a 25 pound dog..

Id'e look into boykins as well.


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## CDK (Aug 1, 2005)

There are a few good ones but you better do your research and know what your looking for and then be ready to write a big check because they are not going to be cheap. I had a nice Toller here for training this summer but I don't recall were it came from.


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## Bobm (Aug 26, 2003)

boykin would get my vote


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## BROWNDOG (Nov 2, 2004)

Bobm said:


> boykin would get my vote


Nice use of the furniture Bob, TV stand/ Crate :lol: :lol:


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## Bobm (Aug 26, 2003)

Your dogs just jealous he doesn't have a fancy crate like that :lol: :lol:

He went in there and being the stubborn little cuss he sometimes is he would not come out so my 13 year old decided to shut the doors and takes a picture.

This is the only boykin I 've ever had and he is a great dog and a retreiveing fanatic, he lives to retrieve and loves the water. He worships my wife and just tolerates me.

My wife is a strange woman most of my dogs she barely tolerates but the boykin and the big pit bull are her babies and they know it and are both very protective of her. The boykin thinks hes scary.. the pit knows. :lol:


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## USAlx50 (Nov 30, 2004)

Hell, most guys have a tough enough time making their labs capable hunting companions, a toller would be a nightmare.


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## Lil Sand Bay (Feb 2, 2005)

lecub is right.

I've had a half dozen Amer. Water Spaniels over the past thirty five or so years. A better small waterfowl and upland breed would be hard to find


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## mjschuette (Feb 24, 2005)

Thanks for the input, on paper the toller seems like a hell of a dog, but in real life, I probably don't want one. The situation is this, I have a 1000 sq ft town home, family of 4, and a small sitzu-poo. so I need a smaller dog/ great! hunter. My first option was a laber doodle in the med size or small size,then I seen a toller I think I'll need to look for a laber doodle. I always had a lab, this one would be smart and no shedding. Anybody have input or experiences with laber doodles?


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## mjschuette (Feb 24, 2005)

Thanks for the input, on paper the toller seems like a hell of a dog, but in real life, I probably don't want one. The situation is this, I have a 1000 sq ft town home, family of 4, and a small sitzu-poo. so I need a smaller dog/ great! hunter. My first option was a laber doodle in the med size or small size,then I seen a toller I think I'll need to look for a laber doodle. I always had a lab, this one would be smart and no shedding. Anybody have input or experiences with laber doodles?


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## ryanps18 (Jun 23, 2006)

I would not buy a doodle anything, you are barking up the wrong tree if you want a hunting dog.

If you want something small look into a springer or a small female lab (you can find a lab in the 45-55 pound range)


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## Chaws (Oct 12, 2007)

Some people think they're creative to get some stupid arse doodle or a definite risk in a breed that is far from superior for hunting. If you want a small dog that's a hunter, go the Boykin route.


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## BROWNDOG (Nov 2, 2004)

mjschuette said:


> Thanks for the input, on paper the toller seems like a hell of a dog, but in real life, I probably don't want one. The situation is this, I have a 1000 sq ft town home, family of 4, and a small sitzu-poo. so I need a smaller dog/ great! hunter. My first option was a laber doodle in the med size or small size,then I seen a toller I think I'll need to look for a laber doodle. I always had a lab, this one would be smart and no shedding. Anybody have input or experiences with laber doodles?


Man you just went from bad to worse, what makes you think a doodle will be smart and not shed?? I know thats what the breeders tell you. Whether a Doodle or a toller your over paying, if you want a lab spend what ever amount of time it takes to find a nice litter out of smaller dogs , and get a female. You could still end up with a dog in the 50-55 pound range.


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## Deadgrass (May 13, 2006)

Not many people are capable of training a toller. They are an entirely different personality and temperament than other retrievers. They were bred to toll ducks and then retrieve them. A completely different way of hunting than the other retriever breeds were developed for. I would never recommend one for a first dog. You need to be an experienced dog trainer or have help from an experienced dog trainer to bring out their abilities. The methods used for training labs will not work on a toller. Done right they are real asset in the field. Done wrong they are worthless. You're 10 years too late to find one in your price range. They have more than doubled in price in the time we have had ours.


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## djleye (Nov 14, 2002)

BROWNDOG said:


> mjschuette said:
> 
> 
> > Thanks for the input, on paper the toller seems like a hell of a dog, but in real life, I probably don't want one. The situation is this, I have a 1000 sq ft town home, family of 4, and a small sitzu-poo. so I need a smaller dog/ great! hunter. My first option was a laber doodle in the med size or small size,then I seen a toller I think I'll need to look for a laber doodle. I always had a lab, this one would be smart and no shedding. Anybody have input or experiences with laber doodles?
> ...


Todd,
I was talking to a few breeders and they about reamed me a new one for asking specifically about the size of the parents and previous pups from certain litters. Why is that? It was like they thought that I was more into the size than the "quality" of their dogs. I prefaced everything I said by saying that I knew their dogs would be good and were reccommende by others, but after getting chastized about asking about the size of the parents, I really have backed off looking for a lab.
Quite honestly, I have looked at other smaller breed hunting dogs since size does matter to me. I just want as good a chance as possible of NOT ending up with a 110 lb. tank living in the house. The thing that has scared me off some of the smaller dogs is seeing one of my hunting buddies working on his english cocker after running her through a cockelburr patch (by accident)!!


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## mjschuette (Feb 24, 2005)

Thanks for all the input guys, I did some checking and reading on boykins, and they seem like the ticket. I talked to a breeder a couple of min. ago. he has a moving waiting list, (most interest, and best fit will get a dog the fastest) and charges $900 a dog.he breeds his dogs to run on the smaller side, males about 40# and females about 35#. my next question is this..... is $900 in the right price range or do I need to keep looking. After talking to the breeder, he seemed to know his stuff, he was at a hunt test as I was talking to him, and gave me alot of good info. Boy it sounds like I'm trying to sell dogs for him  I guess he did a good job selling me! And a few of you have boykins, so is the price right?


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## Bobm (Aug 26, 2003)

size is right the price is high maybe not for that region of the country.

You should atleast check around and ask for references

I would also recommend you research atleast 5 different breeders

heres some for 600-650 and hes having trouble selling them although breeding does matter

http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=419953

I know theres some good breeers in WI also I'll ask some people I know

I paid $100.00 for mine but that was from a breeder friend that breeds his own line of dogs for his own use and they know me. They had the dog promised to someone else but for some reason they didn't like the guy so they asked me to take him.

Hes a excellent dog


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## BROWNDOG (Nov 2, 2004)

Here's a good place to start looking for a boykin, I really don't know alot about them but this lady Pam Kadlec has been involved with them for along time, she is also very involved with the HRC testing program. I would give her a call I'm sure she could point you in the right direction.

Here is the site she started..

http://www.boykinspaniel.com/


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## BROWNDOG (Nov 2, 2004)

> Todd,
> I was talking to a few breeders and they about reamed me a new one for asking specifically about the size of the parents and previous pups from certain litters. Why is that? It was like they thought that I was more into the size than the "quality" of their dogs. I prefaced everything I said by saying that I knew their dogs would be good and were reccommende by others, but after getting chastized about asking about the size of the parents, I really have backed off looking for a lab.
> Quite honestly, I have looked at other smaller breed hunting dogs since size does matter to me. I just want as good a chance as possible of NOT ending up with a 110 lb. tank living in the house. The thing that has scared me off some of the smaller dogs is seeing one of my hunting buddies working on his english cocker after running her through a cockelburr patch (by accident)!!


I don't know why they (breeder) would care if you were asking questions about size, I don't see many BIG labs on the weekends at HT and FT most of them are in the 55-75 pound range, lean and very athletic looking, I don't like a really big dog either. Then again I really don't care how big or small they are, or what they look like as long as they can mark :lol: If you do your homework and get to see the parents you should end up with a dog in the size range you are looking for.


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## Bobm (Aug 26, 2003)

heres another

http://www.brandywinecreekboykins.com/


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## USAlx50 (Nov 30, 2004)

BROWNDOG said:


> > Todd,
> > I was talking to a few breeders and they about reamed me a new one for asking specifically about the size of the parents and previous pups from certain litters. Why is that? It was like they thought that I was more into the size than the "quality" of their dogs. I prefaced everything I said by saying that I knew their dogs would be good and were reccommende by others, but after getting chastized about asking about the size of the parents, I really have backed off looking for a lab.
> > Quite honestly, I have looked at other smaller breed hunting dogs since size does matter to me. I just want as good a chance as possible of NOT ending up with a 110 lb. tank living in the house. The thing that has scared me off some of the smaller dogs is seeing one of my hunting buddies working on his english cocker after running her through a cockelburr patch (by accident)!!
> 
> ...


Dan- I can see why a breeder would be a little frustrated with the question. Temperament makes a much bigger difference in how house friendly a lab is than size does. Remmy is a 90 lb dog that lays around all day. Ive seen plenty of 55-65 lb labs running around bouncing off the walls of houses. In reality my horse is much more house friendly than many smaller labs just because of his temperament. I dont see how a 75 or 80 lb lab would be any better or worse in a house than a 55 lb lab.


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## Bobm (Aug 26, 2003)

personally if I was buying a dog and asked a question and got reamed for it the conversation would be over and I would buy elsewhere

there are plenty of fine labs available all over and if you want a certain size dog for any reason, thats your business

and I did a lot floating small rivers in my canoe jump shooting ducks down here when I still duck hunted alot, a 55lb dog is a lot easier to use in that application becasue you have to ahul him back in without tipping.


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## USAlx50 (Nov 30, 2004)

Bobm said:


> personally if I was buying a dog and asked a question and got reamed for it the conversation would be over and I would buy elsewhere


Agreed. I should have stated that they shouldn't go off on a tangent, just that i understand their frustration.


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## mjschuette (Feb 24, 2005)

Thanks for the tips guys, I'm calling those breeders today. I also had to educate my wife on why not a doodle anything.


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