Health Tollers

Health issues in the breed

While we have found our Tollers to be the healthiest breed we have owned
(we've had Shelties, Bearded Collies, Golden Retrievers and a Doberman) they
are a rare breed with a small gene pool. And they are living animals, so
problems can arise despite careful breeding. So it is very important to only
breed from healthy parents, and equally important to know what health issues
are in the pedigrees.

When planning a breeding, I look into the offspring of the potential parents.
Then I look into the offspring and littermates of their sire and dam. While the
dogs that were bred may be healthy, if you know what to look for, and who to
talk to, you will find out what health problems have come up in some of the
litters. If a breeder tells you there are no problems in the pedigree of his/her
dogs, they are either dishonest or ignorant. Either way, I would not buy a dog
from them! Health problems do occur in Tollers and in any breed. Knowing
who has produced them and how often, and what they are, is an important part
of being a breeder. Although we recognize that everyone has to start
somewhere, if someone is new to breeding Tollers, they may not have the
knowledge to know what health issues may be present with certain breedings.

Following are some diseases/disorders that have occured in Tollers: Addison's
disease, autoimmune arthritis/meningitis, cataracts, chondrodysplasia, cleft
palate, cryptorchidism, distichiasis, early deafness, early infertility, epilepsy,
hip dysplasia, hydrocephalus, hypothyroidism, intervertebral disk disease,
megaesophagus, heart defects, osteochondritis dessicans, progressive retinal
atrophy (PRA), umbilical hernia. This list is not complete, and any random
disorder that can occur in dogs can occur in Tollers, of course. But these are
some of the things we look for back in the pedigree and try to avoid.

Temperament

Tollers should be happy, responsive, active dogs. They can be reserved with
strangers, or aloof, but they should never be shy or timid. They should be
confident but never protective. They are retrievers, not guard dogs. Some
temperament problems that occur in Tollers are dominant/aggression, dog-
aggression, lack of confidence and shyness. While some things may be due
to early training or experiences, when we see a dog that does not act like we
think a Toller should act, we make note of the dog and it's pedigree. I have no
tolerance for people who breed dogs that have bad temperaments.