The appearance of the Scottish duck retriever, its behavior and health, how to raise a dog, take care of: hair, ears, dental cavity, organize food and walks. Puppy price.
Nova Scotia duck retriever behavior
The Toller is a breed whose character exemplifies the work for which she was raised. The hilarious gait of this dog tempts the ducks, revealing a fun aspect of its nature. The Nova Scotia duck tolling retriever will do a lot of crazy tricks like bouncing, rolling like a puppy and swinging its tail in the air. To further captivate and confuse waterfowl, this dog splashes in the water, then disappears and suddenly appears again, repeating this strange "dance" over and over again. Watching him, it seems that this is a senseless manifestation of absurdity, but far from it!
Intrigued or overwhelmed by the dog's antics, the ducks swim closer and closer to the shore. When they are within range of the shot, the hunter will call the toller to him, and then aim at unsuspecting game. Next, the Scottish Duck Retriever happily jumps into the water to find dead or wounded birds. The "dance" of the species is not just an accident or a mindless game. Nova Scotia duck tolling retriever are as cunning as foxes and realize that they are luring a "victim" for their master. A well-trained such pet knows perfectly well how to behave in order to attract birds, and how to find and retrieve them after a shot.
The modern Nova Scotia duck retriever is distinguished by its beauty, versatility, pronounced working qualities, desire to please, intelligence and friendly character. Today's tollers are known to excel in obedience and high-energy sports, including flashball, agility, and field trials, using these attributes. Some individuals have perfectly mastered the service activities in the field of drug detection, search and rescue of people.
The Nova Scotia duck tolling retriever is noted for being gentle and patient with children. This is a great companion for kids. The boundless energy of both, will provide everyone with long-lasting entertainment. However, play with very young children and larger dogs should be kept under control. After all, if such a pet is rudely treated, teased or tortured, it can act aggressively to protect itself from further abuse. In addition, younger individuals, having fun, may overdo it a little, which will lead to the fall of the young.
As a working species, Nova Scotia duck retrievers are fanatical about getting prey. Although tollers live well with house cats, many of them will keep you entertained by turning your house upside down in pursuit of a cat.
While many behaviors can turn off potential owners, the Nova Scotia duck tolling retriever are brilliant and talented working dogs and loyal family friends. The playful antics of these pets, combined with their fun nature and unique cheerfulness, have led to what they call "clowns in red dog suits" or "border collies with an on / off switch."
Nova Scotia Duck Retriever Health
Tollers are generally considered healthy animals. However, like all purebred dogs, they are prone to certain inherited disorders. In most cases, these problems are due to a lack of genetic diversity - a relatively small gene pool. This, unfortunately, allowed the affected individuals to spread the problem to future generations. The most common blemishes known to affect Nova Scotia duck retrievers are hip dysplasia and eye problems.
As with buying any purebred dog, it is important that the owner selects it from a reputable breeder and working closely with the breed's parent club, who strictly adheres to the correct breeding methods. A true specialist will genetically test breeding pairs and can provide the necessary certificates indicating the absence of hereditary diseases.
The Nova Scotia duck tolling retriever code of ethics for both American and Canadian clubs prohibits breeding canines that are not health certified. Testing for hip dysplasia is carried out once when the pet reaches the age of two. However, eye exams, an annual procedure even after the dog is no longer actively bred, as eye diseases tend to develop later in life.
Recently, hypothyroidism, immune problems and dwarfism have been developing in the breed. But, these flaws are considered extremely rare. Several strains of Nova Scotia duck retrievers have begun to show signs of deafness, although experts have not yet figured out whether this is an inherited disease or environmental influences such as active use as a gun dog.
Reported lesions of the species include: Addison's disease, progressive retinal atrophy, hip dysplasia, cleft lip.
Nova Scotia Duck Retriever Care Requirements
- Wool such pets require constant combing at a certain period. Molting is the Achilles heel of this dog. Such a pet dumps "drifts" of hair into the dwelling of its owner. This is especially true during spring and early autumn, when the change of the old "fur coat" is in full swing. Thus, it becomes imperative for the owner of the Nova Scotia duck retriever to regularly brush the dog during the coat change season to reduce the amount of hair flying in the air, settling on the floor, furniture and carpets, adhering to clothes. In most cases, the toller is brushed thoroughly every two days to remove dead hair that has fallen out. For the remainder of the year, the Nova Scotia duck tolling retriever sheds moderately and requires only one week of coat maintenance to help remove old awn and distribute natural oils evenly. Bathing with water and detergent concentrate should be carried out as rarely as possible, no more than once a month. Regular use of dry shampoo is possible. If you overdo it with washing, you will dry out the skin, since the chemicals too degrease the natural protective and waterproofing lubricant of the animal. In most cases, you can use a wet cloth to wipe off the coat and remove excess dirt from it.
- Teeth Nova Scotia Duck Retrievers should be cleaned at least twice a week using dog paste, baking soda or activated charcoal. You also need a soft brush or other handy tools: gauze cloth or a piece of nylon tights that are pulled over your finger. With regular manipulation, your pet's dentition will be healthy, and you will avoid visits to the veterinarian with him. Provide your pet with tartar prophylaxis, such as pressed bones.
- Ears Nova Scotia duck tolling retriever need frequent care and attention from the owner. Firstly, these pets love to swim and will not miss this opportunity. After water procedures, carefully wipe their ears inside. Since the ears of this breed are hanging, the air circulates in them poorly. Therefore, the cleaning manipulation should be carried out once a week or two. Herbal gel is instilled into the auricle and after a couple of minutes, wipe the outer part of the ear. It will also be helpful to thin out the hairs inside the ear with scissors from time to time.
- Eyes inspect the Nova Scotia Duck Retriever carefully after hunting or competing. If you notice any cuts or other damage, take your pet to the veterinarian immediately. Any delay in a visit to a specialist or self-medication threatens with irreparable complications. Insignificant eye contamination is eliminated by wiping them with therapeutic and prophylactic drugs.
- Claws the dog is shortened as it grows with claws.
- Feeding Nova Scotia duck tolling retriever must be of high quality. Since this is a sporting breed, industrial food for energetic dogs is needed. Dry food is best for them, because such pets have a predisposition to diseases of the oral cavity. Eating dry granules with your pet will help reduce tartar build-up and unpleasant odor from the mouth. Provide your dog with constant access to drinking water.
- Walking. Nova Scotia Duck Retrievers are designed to be a highly energetic and versatile working dog, and are not the best choice for those with a sedentary lifestyle. This breed, very similar to the Australian Shepherd, is considered not only very active, but also intelligent. It requires a lot of mental stimulation and exercise to stay healthy and happy. A good rule of thumb to master toller is “better fatigue behavior”. Having got such a pet, he should devote at least an hour of daily activities, which includes a lot of swimming and running.
In addition, the dog needs to be taught to bring various items (postage newspapers, etc.), as well as intricate tricks so that it can keep itself occupied. This will prevent unwanted behavior. For example, digging holes in the yard, escaping, mischief, chewing furniture out of boredom, and other destructiveness. It is not uncommon for many Nova Scotia duck retriever owners to actively engage in multiple canine activities such as hunting, agility, flayball, tracking, and competitive obedience just to keep their pets entertained.
Another unique feature of Toller is his exceptionally high and shrill voice, which indicates happiness or excitement. The dog may bark about giving a toy or sensing something amiss. Barking is a response to an exciting stimulus. If such a four-legged friend is kept in an urban environment, it is very annoying for the neighbors. This natural feature must be corrected from puppyhood.
The Nova Scotia duck tolling retriever loves to swim, so you should expect that if there is a body of water nearby, it will be happy to “have fun” there.
Raising the Nova Scotia Duck Retriever breed
Education from an early age is of the utmost importance to all owners of the Nova Scotia duck tolling retriever, whether kept as pets or competing in competitive competitions. This not only gives the dog an outlet for stored energy, but also helps establish a hierarchy between owner and dog. It is also important that the training is interesting, since it is noted that the representatives of the species have a lively mind, and they quickly get tired of monotonous or not interesting training commands. Keep the lessons short, focused, and fun with the pet for 15 minutes, then take a short play break as a reward.
Tollers are known for their love of people and a desire to please their master. A happy life for Nova Scotia Duck Retrievers is being the dog of a best friend - an active owner who incorporates into his daily activities. The breed is also noted for loyalty and intelligence. In the house, as in the field, such a dog is always wary of everything that happens around. Combined with this natural trait and distrust of strangers, they make excellent watchdogs that report danger with lightning speed.
