rol and can draw the dog back into the blind without giving himself away to the birds.
It's generally agreed tolling works best on bluebird days; that is, calm with clear skies. Sunlight enhances the visibility of the dog's red coat, making it more readily attractive to the birds. Therefore, shaded areas should be avoided if at all possible when planning the dog's run.
Then, too, some species of waterfowl are more easily tolled than others. Col. Cyril Colwell of Halifax, Nova Scotia, the man responsible for having Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers recognized as a breed by the Canadian Kennel Club compiled the following list of duck and geese susceptibility to the charms of a tolling dog.
He rated Dusky Mallards as one of the best to toll; Teals, as easily tolled; Whistlers, as difficult; Mergansers, as tolling too easily, a nuisance to keep away; Sea ducks, as moody, tolling only occasionally; Blue Wings and Black Ducks, as splendid, coming in very fast; Canada Geese, occasionally.
Over the years, stories have come to Ron and me about people who have supposedly used other breeds of dogs to toll. Perhaps they have, but none we've become acquainted with in over thirty years of gun dog association can match the magnetic powers of a flashy, prancing Toller. Moreover, these clever, little dogs literally "come out of the wrapper ready to use." They're natural-born retrievers with an intense desire to please. It's this innate desire to satisfy their master that makes them return to the blind again and again, retrieve after retrieve without bothering with the birds rafting on the water behind them.
This characteristic also makes a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever easy to train. The only rules are to keep training fun and fresh. They're extremely clever and bore easily with mindless repetition. They're also highly sensitive little critters. Praise them and they'll exhaust themselves trying to do your bidding. But yell at them or use any harsh training method and, as one well-known trainer expressed it, "You'll end up with something just a little more stubborn than a Missouri mule."
Toller training should begin at an early age. Avery Nickerson of Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, considered by many to have been the North American authority on tolling and tolling dogs for over forty years, advocated starting to develop the dog's natural retrieving ability as soon as they could toddle.
"Take a puppy into the house as soon as it can walk," he said. "Then roll a ball down a hallway with doors on all sides closed. The pup will naturally go after it and, with encouragement, bring it straight back to you."

Continued on page 40