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Animal register · DogIn the app

Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever

Toller, Nova Scotia Retriever, Duck Tolling Retriever, NSDTR

The Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever — the Toller — is a retriever from Canada; its FCI standard describes how it runs and plays along the shoreline in full view of the ducks to lure them in, and is then sent out to retrieve the birds. The standard describes a medium-sized, powerful, compact and well-muscled dog that is highly intelligent, easy to train and has great endurance. The FCI gives males 48–51 cm and 20–23 kg, females 45–48 cm and 17–20 kg. The water-repellent double coat is various shades of red or orange, usually with white on the tail tip, feet, chest or blaze.

The Royal Kennel Club recommends up to an hour of exercise a day and grooming more than once a week, and the breed sheds; PetMD advises brushing once or twice a week. A large UK study (McMillan 2024, via Dogs Trust) gives a median life expectancy of 13.2 years, PetMD 12–14 years, and like other medium-sized dogs it is fully grown at about 12–15 months (PetMD). The AKC describes highly affectionate dogs that tend to be good with children, need lots of physical exercise and mental stimulation, may have a high prey drive around smaller animals and benefit from early socialisation and puppy classes.

Available in the 12-week PetPrep Challenge (paid breed).

Updated:

Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever — photo (AI)
AI-generated photo

At a glance

Size
medium — The Royal Kennel Club S578
Adult weight
males 20–23 kg, females 17–20 kg — FCI S577
Daily exercise
up to 1 hour a day — The Royal Kennel Club S578
Brushing
more than once a week — The Royal Kennel Club S578
Shedding
sheds — The Royal Kennel Club S578
Lifespan
median 13.2 years — Dogs Trust S123; 12–14 years — PetMD S579

Key facts from the sources at the bottom of the page. Where sources differ, each value is listed.

Who it suits

Good for:

Keep in mind:

  • needs mental challengesS580
  • shedsS578
  • needs brushing several times a weekS578S579
  • strong prey drive — may chase small petsS580

The same tags as in the app. Each tag is backed by the sources listed at the bottom of the page.

What it needs

From breed standards, kennel clubs, veterinary charities and studies. Where sources differ, each one is shown.

Exercise

  • Daily exercise: up to 1 hour a day — The Royal Kennel Club S578

Coat and grooming

  • Coat: medium length — The Royal Kennel Club S578
  • Brushing: more than once a week — The Royal Kennel Club S578
  • Shedding: sheds — The Royal Kennel Club S578

Meals

General guidance for dogs (not breed-specific):

  • 8–12 weeks: 4 meals a day — ASPCA S18
  • 3–6 months: 3 meals a day — ASPCA S18
  • 6–12 months: 2 meals a day — ASPCA S18
  • Adult: at least 2 meals a day — VCA Animal Hospitals S19
  • Senior: 2–3 meals a day, smaller portions — Dogs Trust S14

Lifespan

  • Lifespan: median 13.2 years — Dogs Trust S123
  • Lifespan: 12–14 years — PetMD S579

Life stages

  • Reaches adult size at: about 12–15 months (guidance for its size class) — PetMD S10

General guidance for dogs (not breed-specific):

  • Puppy: until about 6–9 months — AAHA S11
  • Young adult: until 3–4 years — AAHA S11
  • Senior: the last 25 % of the expected lifespan — AAHA S11

Size and weight

  • Size: medium — The Royal Kennel Club S578
  • Height at the withers: males 48–51 cm, females 45–48 cm — FCI S577
  • Adult weight: males 20–23 kg, females 17–20 kg — FCI S577

Training

  • FCI standard no. 312, group 8 (retrievers, flushing dogs and water dogs); origin: Canada. — FCI S576

Questions and answers

Answered only from the sourced facts on this page; every answer names its sources.

How much exercise does a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever need?

According to our sources, the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever needs this much exercise: up to 1 hour a day — The Royal Kennel Club S578.

How long does a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever live?

According to our sources, the lifespan of the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever is: median 13.2 years — Dogs Trust S123; 12–14 years — PetMD S579. The sources give different values, so each one is listed.

How big does a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever get and how much does it weigh?

Size and adult weight of the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, according to our sources: Size: medium — The Royal Kennel Club S578; Adult weight: males 20–23 kg, females 17–20 kg — FCI S577.

How much grooming does a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever need?

Coat and grooming of the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, according to our sources: Brushing: more than once a week — The Royal Kennel Club S578; Shedding: sheds — The Royal Kennel Club S578; Coat: medium length — The Royal Kennel Club S578.

Who is the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever a good fit for?

Our sources describe the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever as a good fit for: family life — PetMD S579; an active family — The Royal Kennel Club, American Kennel Club S578S580; families with children — American Kennel Club S580. Keep in mind: needs mental challenges — American Kennel Club S580; sheds — The Royal Kennel Club S578; needs brushing several times a week — The Royal Kennel Club, PetMD S578S579; strong prey drive — may chase small pets — American Kennel Club S580.

Game rules, not veterinary advice

How PetPrep simulates it

In PetPrep one real week is one month of the pet's life. These are the rules the game uses for this breed. PetPrep chose them from the sources on this page; they are not care instructions for a real animal.

Life stageStartsMeals a dayDaily step goal
Puppyarrives at 2 months4; from month 3: 3; from month 6: 21,000 steps per month of age (2,000 on arrival), up to 6,000 from month 6
Young dogmonth 926,000 steps
Adultmonth 36 (3 years)26,000 steps
Seniormonth 119 (9.9 years)24,500 steps
  • Step goal = minutes of daily exercise × 100 steps: an adult gets 1 hour, so 6,000 steps a day.
  • Learns commands as fast as the mixed breed of the free plan.
  • Becomes a senior in month 119 (9.9 years) — the last quarter of the breed's expected lifespan.
  • Walks count real steps from Apple Health or Health Connect (with permission, read-only) and the phone's motion sensor — no GPS.
  • Combing twice a week.

Each game number is a PetPrep decision recorded with its sources. — PetMD, AAHA, Dogs Trust, ASPCA, VCA Animal Hospitals, The Royal Kennel Club, Purdue University Canine Welfare Science, Wikipedia, British Journal of Sports Medicine S10S11S14S18S19S21S24S35S45S123S578S579

Health

For information only, not vet-reviewed. Ask your vet about your own animal.

  • Can be prone to hip and elbow dysplasia; breeders are advised to have the parents' hips and elbows tested before breeding. — PetMD S579
  • Progressive retinal atrophy, an inherited eye disease that can slowly lead to blindness, can occur in the breed. — PetMD S579
  • Degenerative myelopathy, a disease of the spinal cord that slowly weakens the back legs, occurs in the breed; a DNA test is available. — PetMD S579
  • Addison's disease, a lack of hormones from the adrenal glands, can occur in the breed. — PetMD S579

Before you buy: what to check with the breeder

Questions to settle before you take a puppy home. The points are advice from vets, welfare charities and kennel clubs; each cites its source.

For every breed

  • See the puppy with its mother, where it was born. — PDSA, RSPCA K1K2
  • The puppy should not leave its mother before 8 weeks of age. — PDSA K1
  • Ask for the pedigree. Under FCI rules a pedigree may be issued for correct parentage only. — FCI K7
  • Ask to see the health-test results of both parents. Which tests matter depends on the breed. — PDSA, British Veterinary Association, FOUR PAWS UK K1K9K10
  • National kennel clubs can set breeding rules that go beyond the FCI's — ask the breed club which tests the parents need. — FCI K7
  • Ask for a written sale contract that records the puppy's background and health. — British Veterinary Association, FOUR PAWS UK K9K10

Laws on the minimum age, microchipping and vaccination differ by country — check the rules where you live.

Health tests of the parents for this breed

Tests the Royal Kennel Club recommends as a minimum

  • DNA test for degenerative myelopathy (DM) — The Royal Kennel Club S578
  • DNA test for progressive retinal atrophy (prcd-PRA) — The Royal Kennel Club S578

Further tests for best practice

  • DNA test for collie eye anomaly (CEA/CH) — The Royal Kennel Club S578
  • DNA test for degenerative encephalopathy (DE) — The Royal Kennel Club S578
  • DNA test for juvenile Addison's disease (JADD) — The Royal Kennel Club S578
  • Eye examination by a veterinary eye specialist (UK: BVA/KC/ISDS scheme; for some breeds with gonioscopy) — The Royal Kennel Club S578
  • Elbow X-ray screening for elbow dysplasia (UK: BVA/KC scheme) — The Royal Kennel Club S578
  • Hip X-ray screening for hip dysplasia (UK: BVA/KC scheme) — The Royal Kennel Club S578

These lists come from the UK's Royal Kennel Club and are an orientation; national kennel clubs can set their own, stricter rules. Ask the breed club and the breeder which tests the parents have done.

Similar breeds

Other dogs in the register with similar needs — each with sourced facts.

Sources

Every fact on this page cites one of these sources.

  1. S10PetMD — S. C. Mitchell, DVM, DABVP, 2025-05-20 — When Do Dogs Stop Growing?https://www.petmd.com/dog/general-health/when-do-dogs-stop-growing
  2. S11AAHA — 2019 AAHA Canine Life Stage Guidelines — Canine life stage definitionshttps://www.aaha.org/resources/life-stage-canine-2019/canine-life-stage-definitions/
  3. S14Dogs Trust (UK) — Caring for an older doghttps://www.dogstrust.org.uk/dog-advice/life-with-your-dog/at-home/looking-after-an-older-dog
  4. S18ASPCA — General Dog Carehttps://www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/general-dog-care
  5. S19VCA Animal Hospitals (2025-02-21) — Feeding Times and Frequency for Your Doghttps://vcahospitals.com/pets-first/know-your-pet/feeding-times-and-frequency-for-your-dog
  6. S21The Royal Kennel Club (UK) — Puppy feeding tipshttps://www.royalkennelclub.com/health-and-dog-care/health-dog-care/health/health-and-care/a-z-of-health-and-care-issues/puppy-feeding-tips
  7. S24Purdue University Canine Welfare Science (content: Pet Leadership Council 2019, bedogsmart.com) — Dog Fitness and Exercise (PDF)https://caninewelfare.centers.purdue.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Dog-Fitness-and-Exercise.pdf
  8. S35Wikipedia — The Intelligence of Dogshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Intelligence_of_Dogs
  9. S45British Journal of Sports Medicine (2018) — Tudor-Locke C. et al. How fast is fast enough? Walking cadence (steps/min) as a practical estimate of intensity in adults. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2017-097628https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6029645
  10. S123Dogs Trust (UK) — Life expectancy for 155 breeds and crossbred group (table of McMillan et al. 2024 data) (PDF)https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/downloads/life-expectancy-breeds-table-2024.pdf
  11. S576FCI — FCI breeds nomenclature — NOVA SCOTIA DUCK TOLLING RETRIEVER (312)https://www.fci.be/en/nomenclature/NOVA-SCOTIA-RETRIEVER-312.html
  12. S577FCI — FCI-Standard N° 312 Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, English (PDF; date of publication of the official valid standard 24.06.1987)https://WWW.FCI.BE/Nomenclature/Standards/312g08-en.pdf
  13. S578The Royal Kennel Club — Breeds A to Z — Retriever (Nova Scotia Duck Tolling)https://www.royalkennelclub.com/search/breeds-a-to-z/breeds/gundog/retriever-nova-scotia-duck-tolling/
  14. S579PetMD — Teresa Kho-Pelfrey, DVM (published Jul. 10, 2023) — Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrieverhttps://www.petmd.com/dog/breeds/nova-scotia-duck-tolling-retriever
  15. S580American Kennel Club — Is the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever the Right Breed for You?https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/dog-breeds/nova-scotia-duck-tolling-retriever-right-for-you/
  16. K1PDSA — Getting a puppyhttps://www.pdsa.org.uk/pet-help-and-advice/looking-after-your-pet/puppies-dogs/getting-a-puppy
  17. K2RSPCA — Buying a puppyhttps://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/dogs/puppy
  18. K7FCI (copy hosted by Norsk Kennel Klub) — International Breeding Rules of the FCIhttps://nkk2023.stage22.coretrek.no/getfile.php/131987377-1520848467/Dokumenter/Registrering/FCIs%20avlsregler%202013.pdf
  19. K9British Veterinary Association — What should you consider when buying a puppy?https://www.bva.co.uk/news-and-blog/blog-article/what-should-you-consider-when-buying-a-puppy/
  20. K10FOUR PAWS UK — Questions to ask when buying a puppyhttps://www.four-paws.org.uk/our-stories/publications-guides/questions-to-ask-when-buying-a-puppy

PetPrep is a simulation for families. This page is not veterinary advice — for a real animal, ask a vet or the breed club.

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