It appears that I *don't* have an actual Golden Rtrvr....

He DOES exhibit the duck-tolling behavior...that's what I'm trying to say. He does not have the personality at all of the Golden...it's different.

We're going to have that blood test done that supposed to reveal what breed he is...we're having that done tomorrow...I'll keep y'all posted.

timsdat

One other thing about it being a toller.  The sheer odds are against you.  Not to say that a toller could end up in a shelter sure it can and probably does happen but there aren't that many of them bred each year.  In 2006 only 79 litters were registered with the AKC.  Since tollers developed from herding and retriever breed crosses it is very possible that a cross could develop a dog that resembles a toller. 

Here is a good doc that shows how to determine if the dog is a toller.

http://www.nsdtrc-usa.org/PDF_forms/Shelter%20Id-JF.pdf

 

where'd you get him from?

I'm interested to see what the blood test says! I've thought about getting it done for Casey, not that it matters for any reason, I'm just interested in knowing! Keep us posted =]

erica1989

stanton

I'd have to say he's 53# and 17" tall

If that's his actual weight, he's too short and too heavy to be a toller.

http://dogbreedinfo.com/novascotiaducktolling.htm

I don't see much toller, if any, in your dog. He's pretty though!

 

That website clearly states a toller can be 17-21" tall and weigh 35-51#, he's right in that area now.

As for being too fat, I doubt it, I can feel his ribs plain as day...he may be closer to 20" now I haven't measured him in a month...he has gotten a little taller.

Again, we're having the blood test done tomorrow....provide info as soon as I get it.

stanton

timsdat

One other thing about it being a toller.  The sheer odds are against you.  Not to say that a toller could end up in a shelter sure it can and probably does happen but there aren't that many of them bred each year.  In 2006 only 79 litters were registered with the AKC.  Since tollers developed from herding and retriever breed crosses it is very possible that a cross could develop a dog that resembles a toller. 

Here is a good doc that shows how to determine if the dog is a toller.

http://www.nsdtrc-usa.org/PDF_forms/Shelter%20Id-JF.pdf

 

We didn't get him from a shelter.

I already looked at this document,...he is built and looks exactly like one this is what I'm saying....the pics I posted of him were of him lying down and not showing what he really looks like from the sides/rear, an earlier pic I posted of an AKC Novia Scotia looks IDENTICAL to Rivers...Also, one must remember just because only so many litters were registered with the AKC does not mean that ALL Novia Scotia litters were registered.  I'm not asking whether or not he's from a registered litter, but I do think it's cool if he turns out to be one of these retrievers.

 Oh, regarding sticks...yes, that's ALL he cares about is throwing or having us throw a stick....and he does TOLL the waterline, slapping at the water's edge.

Ok, correction needs to be made....Rivers is currently 53# and 21" tall almost 22" tall at 9mnths of age.

stanton

We're going to have that blood test done that supposed to reveal what breed he is...we're having that done tomorrow...I'll keep y'all posted.

Are you doing the test done by MetaMorphix? 

stanton

That website clearly states a toller can be 17-21" tall and weigh 35-51#, he's right in that area now.

What I was saying was he was on the smallest side for 1/2, and the largest side for the other. That normally does not happen.

But with your new measurments, he's right at the biggest edge.

I'm not sure what the company name is of the test, I simply made a vet appt to have this done tomorrow. Is this MetaMorphix a good, accurate company??

In regards to his background, I got him from a lady from Texas who found him running lose in open field country at around 2-3 mnths of age, kept him for a month as a foster parent, she already had her share of dogs and didn't want another, and then we ended up with him at around 4mnths old. Whether or not she called/looked around to see whom was missing a puppy from a recent litter I don't know, we didn't think to ask at the time, only that he was a sweet dog with a good personality that needed a good home.

stanton

Is this MetaMorphix a good, accurate company??

It's the only one I am aware of that is doing DNA testing for breeds and the last I heard they could only identify 30 some breeds.  Not really sure whether the accuracy has really been proven on these tests.

Hmmm, ok, I'm looking into doing further research into his background if I can. The lady I adopted him from gave me the information to the vet she had taken him to, I left a message on their recorder to call me tomorrow. I'm curious if they know more info then what this previous owner is telling me, as she acted funny when I called her earlier to ask her exactly where it was she *found* this dog.  She seemed strange when I adopted him from her in the beginning too, but didn't think too much into it.

I'm going to start doing some research to see if there are any Novia Scotia breeders in Texas in and around the area where this dog was found....just for sake of curiousity.

If that DNA test is truly a joke then I won't bother, but I will contact all registered AKC breeders that I can find in Texas of this breed to see if anyone's missing a dog.....just makes me wonder what his background TRULY entails.

The results I've seen people get....have been laughable Steve...truly laughable LOL.

rwbeagles

The results I've seen people get....have been laughable Steve...truly laughable LOL.

 

 Then I won't bother with the test....going a different route to see if I can close in on his background, and will take him to the vet to see if he perhaps has a microchip, I asked the foster parent if she ever had him checked for having one, she said no.  I will also contact any breeders I can in and around that particular area in Texas to see if anyone came up missing a tiny puppy at the time.

stanton

Doesn't he resemble this breed??

Depending on the lines being bred, Goldens can appear and act differently...show lines versus field lines, some are as red in color as Irish Setters. The coat length and texture can vary widely...long, short, curly, wavy, straight, soft, coarse. Size and shape can vary, too...not all Goldens are round puff balls. All the Goldens I have seen from breeders have jet black noses, some retain this dark pigmentation through adulthood, some don't and it can turn a pinky-liver-ish color.

I can't make an educated guess on what else Rivers would be mixed with but Collie is probable, especially looking at the second photo of him in the car. Many good luck wishes to you in searching his background! He is a cutie!!

I'm curious to know those of you who are saying for sure that he is a Golden, have ANY of you literally seen a Novia Scotia Retriever close up?? I know one or two of you have, but have all of you??

Goldens are so very common and famous that I believe it's just natural for anyone to assume one is one or a mix of one everytime something may be close to the looks of one. Truth be told, they are all retrievers, and do resemble eachother in some fashion - specially when seen in a picture.

I'm not fixated on Rivers being a Novia Retriever, it's just he has no resemblence other then the color of his nose of being a Golden. And I've had and been around my share of Border Collie's and Australian shephards before, he does not resemble those breeds in color or personality. Though I adore the red/blue merle aussies, I grew up in and around farming/ranching communities and all the aussies would come to our house to play with our red merle.

I have seen numerous pictures of Novia Scotia's via breeders websites, if Rivers doesn't have at least SOME of this breed in him, then there are several breeders whom I could say are broadcasting pictures of Golden's and not Novia Scotia's.

Nonetheless, I do adore his personality, we will be in contact with a breeder to adopt an actual Novia Scotia as a sibling for Rivers and the gang, we live on good sized property and would be fascinated to have two of these guys or perhaps a gal on the property. No, we will not be breeding them, Rivers is fixed and I don't want no part of breeding....but he so needs a playmate and I adore his personality.

I'll put this thread to rest and update as soon as I have more hopeful info on his background.