About Us
A Small Hobby Kennel Focusing on the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever,
With a Special Fondness for the English Springer Spaniel.
My Experience with Tollers
After many years in Springers, my youngest wanted to get her own dog. We looked around and decided that a Toller would suit us well. Jasper was our first Toller, he was the springboard into this wonderful breed.
Jasper was the first Toller in many ways. He was our first group placing Toller, first grand champion, champion and club champion. He also won multiple UKC RBIS and other titles with my daughter handling him.
It's been more than 10 years and WyldeWater Tollers are active in field, conformation and performance. I agree with the goal of many worthy Toller breeders who are trying to prevent a separation in our breed.
WyldeWater Tollers have titles in Conformation, Field, Rally, FastCAT, Fetch, Trick Dog, Dock Diving, ScentWork and Temperament Tests. They also have completed various family dog titles such as FIT-Dog, Canine Good Citizens, STAR Puppy, Farm Dog Certification, and Virtual House Manners Adult and Puppy.
Personally, I am a member of my local all breed Kennel Club. I am a member to the Toller Club of Canada and the NSDTRC-USA where I am the editor of Quackers, the club's quarterly newsletter. I have served as specialty secretary, field marshall, trophy chair and in other volunteer capacities.
My Breeding Goals
Tollers are a passion for me. I love everything about them. I want to do everything I can to preserve and protect the breed's integrity and to improve it where I can. I am not alone in this passion project. I have been lucky enough to have other Toller breeders trust me with their dogs and allow me to use their dogs in my program. It's this collaboration that will allow the breed to grow and thrive for generations to come.
I approach every pairing by looking back multiple generations to see what is behind the Tollers that I want to breed. I then consider where I want their progeny to be generations from now. Looking both forward and back allows breeders to preserve the consistency and type that define any specific breed. The shorthand for me is brains, birdiness, and beauty.
Brains: Temperament is key. While remaining true to their innate personalities and hunting instincts, breeders need to ensure that Tollers remain easy to live with. They should have steady, sane temperaments, along with their drive for birds and excellent work ethic.
Birdiness: Not all of my dogs do have hunt titles. However, I strive to breed dogs who if not titled in the the field, have been excellent hunting companions of their owners or have otherwise demonstrated their drive for birds. Being a good bird dog is a key element of the breed.
Beauty: I live by the adage that "life is too short to hunt over an ugly dog." With that in mind, I breed to preserve all that is beautiful about a Toller: head, shoulder, coat, and tail. While working to ensure that they are structurally sound.
Overall, my long term goal is that I want WyldeWater Tollers to be recognized for quality and type. Dogs that are a pleasure to live with, hunt over and look at.
My Puppy Rearing Program
Puppies are raised in the family room right off the kitchen. For the first 4-5 weeks there is someone with them 24 hours per day. Neither the puppies or mom are ever left unsupervised.
As they get older, they will spend plenty of time out and about and also spend time in the living room in the midst of everything. This way they hear the TV, vacuum, dishwasher, pots/pan, and doorbells, etc.
They have their own TV and when we are not with them, a variety of noises and music will be playing for them. We work through desensitization sounds such as trains, thunderstorms, explosions, etc.
As they get older and as weather permits, they are outside playing with each other and my other dogs. Also, again if weather permits, I will get them out into a small pond to introduce them to swimming.
The puppies are handled regularly. I do not follow a structured puppy rearing approach. Instead, I work to maximize their sensory exposure and experience before they go home.
I expect our puppies to be active members of their families. Our puppies should attend obedience classes and be well socialized by their families. While I don't have rigid follow-up requirements, I love to hear from our families.
Ultimately, my goal is that the puppy's inherited temperament is complimented and improved upon by their environment.
My Expectation of Future Owners
To be considered for a WyldeWater puppy, you first must complete our application, have an interview, and provide references. At that point, I will decide if you are best suited to one of our puppies. All of our dogs go out on co-ownership contracts to ensure that I can be there to help if a dog needs me. At any point that a family cannot keep their Toller, I will always welcome them back "home" no matter the age.