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Western Scotland Retrievers are also called Tollers. They are the smallest representatives of all retrievers. But these representatives are not inferior to their brethren in strength and power. They are excellent hunters who cater to their owner in everything. Tollers make very good companions. Due to their qualities, they become favorites for the whole family. They love communication, they take part in games with great pleasure. With children, these dogs also have a wonderful relationship.
There are several versions about the origin of this breed. She appeared recently. The first representatives come from Nova Scotia, which gave these dogs their name.
Breed history
Researchers can only assumefor what purpose were the Scottish retrievers. Perhaps the breed was intended for hunting ducks. They really are excellent hunters. Their developed muscles allow dogs to quickly pick up high speeds. Dogs were brought to the American continent from European countries. Here, great fame acquired dogs that coped well with the luring of various waterfowl.
Among the dogs that participated in the breeding were Irish setters, shelties, English spaniels and other breeds that belong to the hunting ones. The result was a small doggie of fiery color. They hunted fox very effectively. In Canada, this breed has become the pride of the county of Yarmouth, which is located in Nova Scotia. The breed got its popularity pretty quickly. At one time, it was forbidden to take representatives of the breed out of the country.
Officially, the breed was recognized in 1945. At first, only the Canadian Club did. At the international level, the breed gained recognition after another 50 years.
In Europe, Scottish retrievers appeared in the 80s. The abilities of these dogs made them popular there.They were especially in demand in the Scandinavian countries.
But in the United States, the breed was recognized only in 2003. By this time, in the UK and many other European countries, the breed was already in great demand. In Canada, the dogs of this breed simply adore.
Toller character
The uniqueness of this breed lies in the fact that dogs have the ability to lure waterfowl, as well as bring them to the owner. The dog plays along the coastline, which attracts the attention of ducks. In this way, they make ducks lose their vigilance. The bird approaches the distance of the shot, after which the hunter shoots her. Then the dog brings the bird to its owner. These dogs have waterproof wool, so that they are not afraid of even the coldest water.
In the family, this dog will be a cheerful companion who has a great charge of energy and loves to play very much. At home, the dog may show signs of melancholia. But as soon as he gets on nature, the mood changes dramatically. Representatives have a pronounced hunting instinct, and also love to swim.In the water, they are ready to be at least a day away.
In addition, the Tollers have a very good protective instinct. The dog treats strangers with wariness. Toller will get used to a new person for a long time, treating him coolly. But when the dog realizes that the man is not dangerous, he can get close to him.
In general, Tollers are rather mild in nature, but can be aggressive towards an intoxicated person or a foreign animal. Although this behavior is rare. A representative of this breed is quite difficult to withdraw from a state of calm. They have a very good sense of smell, hardy.
Another progenitor of the breed is the Curly Coated Retriever. They are also called Curley. These are kind dogs that are distinguished by the very good qualities of a hunter. From this breed, the Tollers took wide sternum and elongated muzzle.
Puppies of this breed love to play. They can ruin all the property that they will find. Experts note that the upbringing and training of Tollers will be a very difficult process, since their level of intelligence is not high. The dog can behave very noisy, barking when he wants to play with the owner and the household.
If you plan to keep such a dog in an apartment, then special attention should be paid to education. It is recommended to start raising such a dog from the age of 5-6 months. They need to get as much attention as possible. Left alone, they immediately get sad and bored. Therefore, wherever the master goes, the dog will follow him everywhere. Such a dog can be started, even if there is a baby in the house. The dog will not in any way offend the child. Even if a small child plays with the dog, dragging it by the ears, the dog will not react to it aggressively.
Breed standard
In accordance with the standard dog is as follows:
- The growth of males is from 47 to 51 cm. At the same time, the bitches are only 2 cm lower. The small size of the dog makes it suitable for keeping in an apartment. By the nature of such dogs are good-natured and cute. Next to the child toller will behave very carefully.
- Weigh males 20-23 kg. Bitches are a bit easier - 17-20 kg. If you want to purchase a toller, it is important to know that they like to overeat, which often leads to a quick weight gain.
- The corpus of representatives of the breed has a developed musculature. The size is compact. The skeleton is powerful, which speaks of good physical abilities.
- Toller's strong limbs allow them to accelerate quickly and jump quite high.
- The head is wedge-shaped.
- As already noted, representatives of the breed have a waterproof coat. Their undercoat is thick.
- Color can have different shades of orange. It is desirable that there were white markings.
- Toller's average ears are triangular in shape.
A dog is like a fox not only in appearance. He has the same manner of luring ducks. The nature of the dog is usually cheerful, especially when it is in nature.
Characteristics of the breed:
- Homeland breed - Canada.
- Representatives of the Scottish Retriever breed live for about 12-15 years.
- Breed belongs to the group of retiriver.
disadvantages
If the dog is properly cared for, it will hardly hurt. But the breed is prone to many hereditary diseases. Therefore, the breeding should be done with special attention.
Among the possible genetic diseases can develop juvenile Addison disease, joint dysplasia. These diseases can very badly affect the quality of life of the animal.Therefore, the owners should monitor the health of the pet, showing it to the vet as often as possible. If you identify these diseases, while they have not yet had time to develop, you can prevent the consequences.
Care and maintenance
If you treat the upbringing and training correctly, then you can grow not only a cheerful companion, but also a clever, obedient dog. But there is stubbornness in the character, therefore it is necessary to bring up the dog from an early age. Otherwise, he will grow out of control, his actions will depend on his own desire, and not on the host team. From an early age you need to pay attention to socialization. A dog must get used to other animals. Otherwise, each walk will be followed by a race for the cat.
If a dog’s life is monotonous, it will quickly tire of it. May become capricious. This breed is desirable to start those who are actually engaged in hunting. Without this, the dog will be bored. If the hunt is alien to you, you can replace it with active games.
Another nuance that causes inconvenience in the housing maintenance of the Scottish Retriever is the pet's coat, which is particularly abundant during the molting period.At this time, the pet should be combed very often.
Due to the fact that these dogs have a silky coat, it is not exposed to heavy pollution. It is necessary to bathe such dog only in case of need. In this case, you need to use special shampoos that do not harm the skin of the pet. Claws do not need to be cut, they grind off by themselves.
The dog must constantly maintain communication with the owner. But if he is busy, the dog will wait patiently. The small size of the dog does not allow to stop the thief, but she will try to do it.
Important! In no case can one keep such a dog on the chain.
If there are other animals in the house, then the toller will be able to get along with them. Difficulties may arise when the second dog also tends to dominate. If the second dog does not show such an initiative, then the relationship between them will be excellent.
The presence of another dog in the house will even be useful. They will be able to play and run together. When the owner is busy, the dog will not be so bored.
If you follow the basic rules of care, keeping a pet will not cause big problems. Consider the rules in more detail.
- Wool cleaning.For this fit a special brush. It is necessary to comb the dog as often as possible, at least once in three days. Wool representatives of this breed with good care will look very attractive. This is one of those properties that is the pride of the dog.
- If necessary, the claws are trimmed every one and a half months.
- To avoid diseases, it is necessary to give the dog all the necessary vaccinations. An inquisitive and friendly dog may be infected by contact with other animals.
- Representatives of the breed love to splash. Therefore, you can bathe them at least every day. But at the same time, shampoo should be used only once every few months.
Today the breed is becoming increasingly popular. The main thing in its content is the love and attention of the owner and family members.
Because of its activity, this breed is known as a property destroyer. But in reality they spoil things no more than any other dog. If you treat your pet with love and attention and properly educate, he will stop encroaching on the property in the house.
Nutrition
You can feed the toller with dry food if you do not have time to prepare food for it. But natural food will be more beneficial for the dog. Representatives of this breed are not prone to allergies. The diet of the toller should be balanced. It must contain vitamins.
About the nutrition of such dogs you can find a lot of information. They will eat any food offered. But when feeding should be borne in mind that tollers are not recommended to chicken meat. The bones of the chicken will damage the stomach and intestines, as they will scratch their inner surface.
Retrivers tend to drink a lot. Therefore, you need to constantly pour water into their bowl.
Up to two months of age, puppies of this breed feed only on mother’s milk. After that, you can gradually begin to feed them porridge with pieces of meat. Meat is introduced into the diet, starting with a small amount. The dog's body must get used to it.
At the age of six months, the dog will eat almost everything. The daily portion should be divided into parts, as representatives of the breed can eat all at once and constant overeating will lead to obesity.
Training
Starting classes is recommended when the pet is 6 months old.Representatives of the breed do not differ much ingenuity. This is offset by their good-natured character. During the lessons, both the dog and the owner will have fun. If you approach the training responsibly, and make efforts, the dog will be able to learn how to perform a lot of commands.
By choosing a toller as your pet, you will get a loyal and attached family member, a good defender. They practically do not show aggression. The representative of the breed will be a friend for both adults and kids, if they are in the family. There are about 10 kennels in Russia where you can buy such a puppy.
Video: dog breed the Scottish Retriever
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