orangedog
Posted : 5/24/2006 9:43:33 PM
I am completely obsessed with the Toller. I adore the breed. They've been my favourite for years, don't know how long exactly but at least 8+ 9which is a really long time, considering I'm not even 18 yet) I have a Toller/Border Collie mix but she's just not anything like a Toller, I call her my BC in disguise as she doesn't look like a BC at all (except in body styling). I had adopted a 'Toller' from the shelter in December, he looked pure but I'm not sure if he was exactly. The original owners said he came from Skylark kennels but their dogs are usually well tempered. This boy wasn't, he attacked absolutely everything and everyone (he was fine when we went t see him in the shelter, but at home he was much different). He was seeing a behaviourist and a trainer but after being deemed a dangerous dog and severely attacking our female Doberman he had to be PTS. Who knows what happened earlier in his life, as Tollers are not like that normally. Anyway, I will be getting a well bred female from a breeder in 2008 who I'd like to show in conformation, agility, obedience and in the field. Tollers are the best breed there is for me and I will never be without atleast one, if not more! They're wonderful.
Before I knew a whole lot about the temperment of the Toller, I was attracted to their size (17-21 inches, 37-51lbs) and coat colour. I love dogs with pigment that blends nicely with the coat (in the Toller's case, orange body with orangey-pink pigment). They can have black pigment too, but I prefer the lighter pigment. After I met my first couple of Tollers, I researched them a
lot and I discovered that they were pretty much
(lol...I say pretty much, because I doubt many people enjoy the "Toller scream") everything that I wanted in a dog. They're very high energy, high drive dogs and are always wanting to work. They can be very stubborn but are highly intelligent, you have to convince them that what ever you're trying to teach them was actually their idea, but once they understand what you're asking of them they're usually very willing to please. They're also very happy dogs and are constantly wagging their tails, they also look like they have a permanent smile (well, unless they're serious about something...such as a ball) In my honest opinion, the Toller isn't even comparable to the other retrievers. They're more like Border Collies of the retriever world. They're happy to have somebody pet them, of course, but save moast of their exuberance for family and close friends. They do not have the typical Lab or Golden personality of "I just met you but you're my best friend!". They're very devoted to their family though. Of course, I could go on and on but that would take ages, so I'll stop here.....in my opinion there is no dog better for
me than a well bred, well trained Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever. I'll always have them.