Meet, Rosie!

starryeyedtiger

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It's been a while since I updated, so I thought I'd post and let you all know we have a wonderful new addition: Rosie! She is a 5 month old rescued Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever. I absolutely adore her! She will be trained and used for therapy work like my Australian Shepherds. I'm also planning to train/compete her in Agility, Rally, and Obedience like my other pups.

My Aussies just weren't the same after our beloved Pit Bull, Macy passed away from heart failure in April. Since Rosie came into the picture, they have perked up and seem so much happier! It took me several months of looking to find the right match for our family and with therapy potential; I couldn't be happier with little Rosie! :)

I fostered her for about two weeks to make sure she would get along with my other furbabies, and decided that she was a keeper! So, I recently made it official and adopted her. She couldn't be a more loving, sweet puppy!


My Ausses adore her! This was the first picture I took of them all together. (Mykelti, Rosie, Ranger)


All smiles!






 

crickets mom

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So sorry to hear about Macy


Rosie is just adorable.  She seems to fit right in with your family.   

I know Ive expressed this to you before, but ill say it again, What a wonderful thing you do with your dogs!!! Good luck with the new addition!
 

Willowy

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Wow! Tollers are rare. Finding one--especially a pup--in rescue is super rare. Is she a known purebred or are they guessing at her breed? She's adorable either way!
 
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starryeyedtiger

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So sorry to hear about Macy :sniffle:
Rosie is just adorable.  She seems to fit right in with your family.   
I know Ive expressed this to you before, but ill say it again, What a wonderful thing you do with your dogs!!! Good luck with the new addition!
Thank you so much! :hugs:

Wow! Tollers are rare. Finding one--especially a pup--in rescue is super rare. Is she a known purebred or are they guessing at her breed? She's adorable either way!
Very much so! Rosie was an owner surrender into the most high kill shelter in our area. She was purchased from a breeder and surrendered by her owners when they decided they no longer wanted her. My guess is that they decided they didn't want her when the "fun" wore off and they realized what an active breed Tollers are.(When they surrendered her, they tuned in the paperwork from the breeder into the shelter. I wasn't privy to viewing the paperwork since I don't work there, but they did share that little bit of info with me about her being from a breeder,etc.) I actively train and work with dogs, so I have had the opportunity to meet a few Tollers. I think Rosie is definitely a Toller girl! In my opinion though, she is a poorly bred one based on her coat, and the breed standard (no offense to Rosie!). My Aussies, Ranger & Mykelti are both from a VERY reputable breeder that screens potential adopters well before ever letting their pups go. She makes it clear that if anything were to ever happen, all dogs are to return to her before ever letting them go in a shelter. She loves her dogs and regurally checks in on all of the families that have her pups; I actually talk to her often and send pictures! That is my opinion of a good, REPUTABLE breeder for you! They love their dogs and care about the homes they go to. Whomever bred Rosie was anything but reputable. My honest guess is that it was a Back Yard Breeder or a Puppy Mill in it only for the money,and not for furthering the breed. Very sad! Irresponsible Puppy Mills and Back Yard Breeders are one of the reasons why there are so, so many animals euthanized in shelters.:(

Thankfully, little Rosie will never have to see the inside of a shelter again! The poor thing had kennel cough (very treatable when caught early) when I got her and was actually scheduled to be euthanized. So glad I was in the right place at the right time when I got her. (I actually did daily video blogs when I was fostering her, if you guys want to see! :) )

In a random side note, another reason I think she is from a BYB or Puppy Mill- her coat: Properly bred Tollers should not have white fur extending around the back of their neck like Rosie does. She also has a little bit of white on her legs extending past the point for Conformation standards. That being said, it does happen and there are tons of wonderful pet-quality Tollers out there who do have excess white markings. A reputable breeder though, would not intentionally breed dogs that produce markings that way. All of that aside, her coat/markings aren't what matter to me, her sweet personality is! I am so lucky to have found her. Rosie will make an amazing therapy dog when the time is right! :heart3:
 
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starryeyedtiger

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This was on the day I officially adopted her: June 6! (I fostered her for about two weeks before I adopted her) :)



My nephew with Rosie on the day I adopted her. He went with me to sign the papers! :)
 

pat

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She's lovely, and those are lovely portrait shots of her with you, and with your nephew.
 
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starryeyedtiger

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Thank you! She couldn't be a more sweet puppy! :)
 

denice

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She is a cute dog and looks like she has a sweet disposition. I remember I took one of those dog breed quizes once and that breed came up as one that matched me. I never even heard of them before but I read what I could find about them. Their inherited trait of making noise on the edge of water to draw in ducks in interesting. From what I read a dog can't be trained to do it it's just something that they instinctively do.
 
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starryeyedtiger

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She is a cute dog and looks like she has a sweet disposition. I remember I took one of those dog breed quizes once and that breed came up as one that matched me. I never even heard of them before but I read what I could find about them. Their inherited trait of making noise on the edge of water to draw in ducks in interesting. From what I read a dog can't be trained to do it it's just something that they instinctively do.
Thank you! She is a sweetheart! Rosie's personality is VERY similar to that of Golden Retrievers. So if you like Goldens, you'd probably like a Toller. :)

You're correct! They were developed to lure ducks to the water's edge by splashing in the water and using their fluffy tails to attract them. (A lot of Tollers have white on the tips of their tail to stand out even more to prey). A properly bred Toller will have a tail that hangs a bit low and has a lot of feathering to it...optimal for baiting birds. Toller's lure the ducks in, hunters shoot the duck, and the Toller's retrieve it. (Another thing to look for in a Toller is that they shouldn't be shy. They are allowed to be reserved when meeting a stranger, but should never be shy. (Rosie is neither; she loves everyone lol!) Part of the reason for that, is that they should not spook at the sound of gunfire or loud birds, since they're bred to accompany duck hunters. (So far, I'd say Rosie isn't scared of much of anything; she's so brave! Part of what I was looking for when fostering her before I decided to adopt, was to see how easily she spooked/ what kind of reaction she had to different situations/things. Therapy dogs should not spook (A spooked, frightened dog can turn into a bite dog, and that is not safe to have in public situations.) So, I did a TON of temperament testing with her, and right now I'm doing a lot of "desensitizing" work to prep her for therapy down the line. (Wheel chairs, crutches, elevators, stairs, falling things, walking on different surfaces, loud noises, strange accents, chairs turning over, skaters, bikers, crazy costumes, books falling, trash bags, you name it, we use it!) My Aussies do not react, and thankfully, Rosie seems to not be phased by anything either! As far as the water goes, she has a strong desire to constantly be around water: in the water, playing with water, etc!.

On the note of noise: Toller's scream; it's unlike anything I've ever heard before! It is NOT pleasant. :lol3: Thankfully, she's only done that twice,and stopped immeditely when corrected. (Although they're a lot more laid back than Aussies, I definitely don't think they'd make good apartment dogs if someone gets a really vocal Toller!) The way I see it, dogs can be developed and bred for distinctive jobs, and most will have good instinct at it and catch on naturally. If the instinct isn't there though, the dog isn't going to be happy with that job. Reputable breeders will breed for quality, genetics, and drive. (Rosie isn't from a reputable breeder IMO, but she does display a good work drive.). My Aussies have a very strong instinct to work! As their handler, I've been able to hone in on their strong working drive and use it for Therapy Work, Agility, Rally, & Obedience. I'm hoping to do the same with Rosie: use her strong drive to please and work, and her gentle temperament, to turn her into a fantastic Therapy & competition dog. :)
 

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 In my opinion though, she is a poorly bred one based on her coat, and the breed standard (no offense to Rosie!).
Lots of assumptions. Pet quality pups happen to the best of breeders, also the contracts stating breeders will take the dog back only work if the owners contact them. Did the shelter, who had the papers contact the breeder giving them a chance to get the puppy?

BYB's don't tend to give out papers, being that they are unregistered.

She may well have come from a less than reputable breeder, it could also be her owners were less than reputable there are people who can do and say all the right things and then still surrender an animal to the shelter.
 

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I'm sorry about Macy.  
  Rosie is a beauty and she fits in so well with your other dogs.  Rosie seems the perfect name for her.  Awesome pictures of her with you and your nephew.  Rosie is very fortunate to have you all.   
 
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starryeyedtiger

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 A reputable breeder though, would not intentionally breed dogs that produce markings that way. 
Lots of assumptions. Pet quality pups happen to the best of breeders, also the contracts stating breeders will take the dog back only work if the owners contact them. Did the shelter, who had the papers contact the breeder giving them a chance to get the puppy?

BYB's don't tend to give out papers, being that they are unregistered.

She may well have come from a less than reputable breeder, it could also be her owners were less than reputable there are people who can do and say all the right things and then still surrender an animal to the shelter.
The shelter wouldn only tell me the bare minimum when I adopted her, so I do not know if they tried to contact the breeder. My guess is that they did. They scan for chips, tags, the whole nine yards when a pet is surrendered or found (when I worked for AC, it didn't matter if it was surrendered, we still checked for chips), so I don't see why they would have neglected to contact a breeder to take her in if it could have been avoided. The information I was given was that Rosie was purchased from a "breeder", and then surrendered into the the animal shelter by her owners, and that papers were turned in with her. There is more than one registry in the US, and the breed was only recently moved into AKC recognition from the Foundation Stock Class. So, I am wondering if they had her registered through a different organization other than AKC. (Toller's are recognized by: CKC, FCI, UKC, CKC, NKC, NZKC, APRI, ACR, DRA, AKC, NAPR). When I worked for animal control, we saw quite a number of BYB dogs come through our doors that were registered and had papers. (There is a shocking amount of pure breed dogs in shelters all over the country.) So called "Breeders" were contacted, and most refused to retrieve the dogs they had sold. So, from personal experience, it can and does happen, unfortunately. Some BYB's do register their litters. If a person wants to breed their dogs, all they need to do is purchase two registered dog (with breeding rights and papers) and they can produce pups. They can then register the litter with the organization the sir and dame came from. That still does not mean that they are a good, reputable breeder attempting to further the breed's temperament and genetics for the better. Potential owners play just as much of a role in the matter when they decide to purchase without doing their research. If someone fails to do their research and buy from a reputable breeder that has excellent references, a known track record, and produces quality dogs, then the potential owner is just as bad for supporting irresponsible breeding that furthers the pet overpopulation and lands so many in shelters.

Pet Quality and poorly bred dogs are two very different situations in my opinion. Rosie, no offense to my girl, is a poorly bred Toller when you take the breed standard into account. That being said, I adore her! I didn't purchase her for conformation; I rescued her to save her life. So, it doesn't matter to me that she is not the "ideal of perfection" for the breed standard. I mention that because it supports my theory that she is not likely the result of reputable breeding. What matters to me is that she is a fantastic girl that will hopefully make a wonderful therapy dog! I have absolutely nothing against "Pet Quality" furbabies, so I hope I didn't give that impression. In fact, Mykelti, my female Aussie, is considered "Pet Quailty". Still, she is from champion blood lines, ethical breeding practices, and a wonderful breeder! Not only is she a fantastic "Pet Quality" dog, she is a very good working dog! (Which most "Pet Quality" Aussies are! Most of the Aussie owners I know prefer a field-line, "Pet Quality" dog because they want to work them on their farms or compete them in Agility. Bench line coats are not ideal when it comes to herding cattle, so a smaller, less showy Aussie, with a stronger drive are ideal in that situation.) The handlers who want bench line dogs, purchase Show Quality for Conformation. I don't see anything wrong with either. It just depends on what you want in a dog.(Ranger is a bench line dog that was bred for Conformation. He would have made a gorgeous Conformation dog had I chose to compete him in that arena. He is from the same breeder as Mykelti, but out of different lines.) So there you have it, Poorly Bred, Pet Quality, and Show Quality living in harmony all in one household, and all very loved! In my book, Pet Quality and Poor Bred as the result of unethical practices, are very, very different.

You do bring up a good point, that a breeder can not retrieve a pet if they are not contacted by the owner who can not keep the dog. Still, a little screening goes a long way in the application process; I know a lot of breeders who do home visits and background checks with vets, personal references, training centers, etc before they will release a pup. I tried contacting several Toller breeders within several states that were near me (A lot of them were kind enough to even look at pictures I took of Rosie) in an attempt to locate the breeder and find out more info. Unfortunately, I had no luck in that aspect. Some of the people I spoke with were very kind though, and wound up giving me great advice on the breeds needs/etc.) So, that's another reason why I truly think she is from a sub-standard BYB or the result of a Puppy Mill. In the case of my Aussies, we have an incredible breeder! We speak on a regular basis, and I send her updates and pictures all of the time. She keeps in contact with all of the families that have her dogs, and is an all around outstanding person. She's gone out of state on several occasions to retrieve one of her dogs that the owner couldn't keep; so I know in her case, she is the type of breeder to take back in pups and to make sure to the best of her ability that hers do not wind up in a shelter. Whomever bred & whomever owned Rosie before me, both seem to be sub-standard in the breeding, and ownership of dogs. I do not know what happened to little Rosie before I got her, but I do know that this sweet puppy will be well cared for, and loved tremendously in my home.She obviously didn't have the best start to life if she wound up in a shelter. But the way I see it, she now has a home that loves her, and the chance to train and become a wonderful advocate for her breed!


I'm sorry about Macy.  :hugs:   Rosie is a beauty and she fits in so well with your other dogs.  Rosie seems the perfect name for her.  Awesome pictures of her with you and your nephew.  Rosie is very fortunate to have you all.   
Thank you! I still miss my sweet Macy girl so much! I am so glad I took as many pictures and videos of her as I did while I had her. I will always cherish those memories! :rbheart:

We adore little Rosie! :)
 
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