Our dogs

Our journey into Tollers began when our third Golden not only had hip
dysplasia, like the two before her, but also died of cancer at the age of only
two years. We loved Goldens, but the breed seemed so plagued with health
problems. I had seen Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers at shows in
Canada, and after over a year of careful research and a search for the right
breeder, we added Cricket to our family.

Our Tollers are natural hunters, and driven retrievers. They get along with
other dogs and all people. They are not always easy, but they are extremely
intelligent and remember what they have learned. They are sensitive but
respond very well to motivational training. We strongly believe that no dog
should be hurt in the name of training, and recommend clicker-training and
other motivational methods.

Our philosophy about breeding Tollers is pretty important to us. Although
we strive to produce Tollers to conform to the breed standard, we also
believe the pups we produce should have good health and temperaments.
All the pups should be family pets even if they are also show dogs, hunting
dogs, or used for any events. And to be good family members, they need
stable temperaments, a willing nature, and the ability to adapt to all sorts of
environments. The health of the breed should be such that the only trips to
the vet are for annual exams and occasional vaccinations.

When decided on a breeding, we consider the health, conformation and
temperament of the dogs to be bred, and their desire to retrieve and hunt.
But that is not all. We also consider the parents of the dogs, and any
offspring produced. But even that is not the end. We try our best to look
into any siblings, their offspring, any offspring or siblings of the grandparents,
and we go back as far as possible into the pedigrees to understand what
health issues may be present. Titles are not as important as some people
might think. Many Tollers are hunted and appreciated as family pets, but
never shown, but that does not mean they are not good representatives of
the breed. We recognize the effort that goes into earning titles, but the truth
is, in many cases it is due to persistence of the owners rather than the fact
that the dog is outstanding. A Toller in a home where it is a happy and loved
family member is just as valued as the one that travels week after week to
shows. You have to look at the dog and his temperament and abilities rather
than how his name appears on paper.

Placing puppies in just the right home is never an easy task, but we carefully
interview the prospective owners on their lifestyle and what they expect from
a dog. We take into account their previous dog experience, but also
recognize that sometimes you have to start somewhere! We spend so
much time with the puppies, as a group and individually, that by the time
they are ready to leave, we have a pretty good idea which one fits with which
family. We stand behind our dogs and will take a pup back at any time. We
are very glad to hear all the happy stories from owners of our pups. And we
sure love seeing pictures as they grow up!

Living where we do, we are lucky that our dogs have time to run free and play
with each other, and explore and use all their senses. People with single
dogs and who live in town have our respect for the amount of time they invest
in exercising and stimulating their dogs. But it is wonderful to see the dogs
at full speed, and using the talents they were born with. Tollers should be
natural hunters, and we let our dogs learn by going out with a trained dog to
set the example. The first year is a learning experience, and we don't put
much training into the pup or expect any certain behavior (other than
exposure to guns and birds, and knowing they will come when called).
Training is something that seems to get put off with us, and as long as the
dogs can flush game within range and retrieve it, we don't get too fancy in
our expectations. Our goal is to put the formal training in to earn titles, but
life is busy and we realize that with Tollers, play is more important than
work!