Country/Date of Origin: Canada / 1800s
The Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever was developed in Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia as a waterfowl specialist. Its unique role in hunting is to lure (toll) curious ducks within range of the concealed hunter. It does this by running and leaping along the shore. This behavior, for some reason, causes the ducks to approach the dog. Once thought to be a fox / terrier mixture, the breed is genetically a mixture of retriever, spaniel, setter and possibly farm collie breeding. After having bred true for many generations it was given breed recognition by the Canadian Kennel Club in 1945.
FCI Group: 8 (Sporting)