breeds. They range in height from at the withers, and weigh , with females being slightly shorter and lighter. Tollers are a medium-sized breed. Temperament Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers are known to be very intelligent, curious, alert, outgoing, and high-energy dogs. They are affectionate, eager to please, busy, and get along well with children. They are good family dogs, however during the decision process potential owners should be wary of the physical and mental commitment that is required in order to keep a Toller busy. Physical stimulation should be provided for these dogs each day since they may become destructive when they are not exercised enough or are left alone for long periods of time. Duck Tollers are working animals and are happiest when they have a job to do. Tollers are excellent hunting companions. They excel at many types of sporting competitions such as agility, dock diving, and obedience. Their keen sense of smell, intelligence, drive for work, and small size make them perfect search and rescue dogs. The breed standard states that the dog should have a strong retrieving drive, intense birdiness, endurance, and a love for water. Tollers do not have an aggressive bark. Some have a unique sounding bark known as the "Toller scream", a high-pitched howl-like sound which is often referred to as their "singing". They do not use this in violent situations, rather; the "toller scream" is expressed when they are excited. Socialization Tollers have the capacity to be very social dogs as long as they are sufficiently socialized early on in life. While Tollers are energetic and outgoing around their owners and family, their cautious nature makes them reserved around strangers. Exposure to new people, locations, smells, and sights are crucial to the healthy development of the Toller breed. They tend to get along well with other dogs, however, they have a strong prey drive and may chase after cats or other small animals. Their prey drive can be avoided if cats, for example, are introduced early on in a Toller's life. Failure to properly socialize Tollers at a young age may result in aggressive, destructive, or timid behaviour in maturity. Health Tollers are generally hardy. However, like almost all dog breeds, certain genetic disorders are known to occur in the breed. This is sometimes blamed on a relatively small gene pool. The Finnish breed club states the largest health problems in