No Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers in Quebec right now
New listings arrive from rescues and local owners all the time. Be first in line, or help one find a home.
Have a dog to rehome?
Rehoming a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever in Quebec?
List your dog free. Local adopters browsing Quebec see owner listings first: no shelter, no fees, you choose the home.
List your pet free →Takes 3 minutes. You stay in control of who adopts.
Not seeing one yet?
Get notified when a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever is listed in Quebec
We'll email you the moment a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever becomes available near Quebec, from a rescue or an owner rehoming.
One email when there's a match. Unsubscribe anytime.
For rescues & shelters
Are you a Quebec-area rescue? List your adoptable dogs free.
Free shelter account: your dogs appear here and across LocalPetFinder, with analytics and adoption applications included.
Adopting a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever in Quebec
The Toller is a Canadian breed, developed in Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia to lure waterfowl within range by playing along the shoreline. It is uncommon in Quebec rescue, and the dogs that appear are usually surrendered by households that expected a smaller, calmer Labrador.
The smallest retriever, and the busiest
Tollers run thirty-five to fifty pounds, smaller than a Lab, and carry a great deal more intensity. They were bred to work the shoreline for hours and need an hour or more of hard daily exercise plus real mental work. Under-exercised they become obsessive and destructive.
They are also known for the "Toller scream", a high piercing vocalisation of excitement rather than distress. It is characteristic of the breed and it carries, which matters in a plex with shared walls.
Sensitive, and worth asking about health
Tollers tend to be sensitive and can be reserved with strangers, and they do poorly with heavy-handed training. They are intensely people-attached and dislike long days alone. The water-repellent double coat handles a Quebec winter well and sheds seasonally, needing brushing several times a week.
The breed carries a higher-than-average rate of immune-mediated disease, including a lupus-like condition and immune-mediated rheumatic disease, alongside eye conditions and hip dysplasia. Ask what the dog and its line have been tested for, and take out insurance at adoption.
What adopting a dog in Quebec actually involves
Quebec dog rescue runs through a handful of regional shelters rather than a dense network of breed-specific groups. The Montreal SPCA is the largest, and the SPA de la Mauricie in Trois-Rivières and the SPA de l’Estrie in Sherbrooke carry most of the rest. Expect the process to run primarily in French, including listings and application forms, even where staff are bilingual. Say at first contact if you would rather work in English, and ask for the adoption contract in a language you can read before signing.
Housing is the step rescues care most about. Most Quebec households rent, often in a plex or a walk-up, and the shortage of rentals that accept animals is one of the reasons shelters cite most often for surrender. Get your landlord’s permission in writing before you apply. One piece of local context worth knowing: since 2015, animals in Quebec are not property. Article 898.1 of the Code civil du Québec describes them as sentient beings with biological needs, which is the backdrop to how rescues here write their contracts.
Looking more broadly? Browse every adoptable dog across the province on Dog Adoption Quebec.
The rescues that most often list Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers across the province are Montreal SPCA, SPA de la Mauricie, and SPA de l'Estrie. For breed-specific background, the Canadian Kennel Club is a useful reference.
Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever Adoption FAQ — Quebec
Where can I adopt a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever near me in Quebec?
LocalPetFinder gathers adoptable Tollers from the Quebec organizations we track, including the Montreal SPCA, the SPA de la Mauricie in Trois-Rivières and the SPA de l’Estrie in Sherbrooke, into one list. Quebec dog inventory is small compared with its cat inventory, so this list moves and it is worth checking back or setting an alert rather than assuming nothing is available.
What is a Toller and where does the breed come from?
The Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever was developed in Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia, to "toll" waterfowl: the dog plays along the shoreline, curiosity draws ducks into range, and the dog then retrieves. It is the smallest retriever and one of very few breeds genuinely native to Canada.
Are Tollers just small Labradors?
No, and the assumption causes most of the surrenders. Tollers are smaller but considerably more intense, more sensitive, and more prone to obsessive behaviour when under-exercised. They are also famously vocal, with a piercing excitement scream. A Lab tolerates an average family routine far better than a Toller does.
How much does it cost to adopt a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever in Quebec?
Adopting a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever in Quebec typically costs $300 to $700, and puppies usually carry a premium at $500 to $900. The exact fee varies by rescue, and older dogs are often reduced. That fee is not a purchase price. It covers work already done on the dog: spay or neuter, vaccinations, deworming, microchip, and a basic vet workup, which would cost several hundred dollars more if you arranged it yourself after buying. Buying the same breed from a registered breeder generally runs well over $1,000, usually with a waitlist. Ask the rescue what is included before you apply, since a few include extras like a starter bag of food or a first-month insurance trial.
Are these Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers for sale in Quebec?
Not for sale, for adoption, which is usually the better deal. Every Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever here comes from a Quebec rescue or shelter, not a breeder, pet store, or classified seller. Adoption fees are typically a few hundred dollars and already include vaccinations, deworming, microchip, and spay or neuter when age-appropriate, versus often $1,000 to $4,000 or more to buy a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever from a breeder. If you searched "nova scotia duck tolling retriever for sale quebec" or "nova scotia duck tolling retriever dogs for sale," adopting gets you a healthy, vetted dog for a fraction of the price.
Where can I buy a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever in Quebec, and should I?
You can buy from a registered breeder, but it is worth weighing against adoption first. A reputable Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever breeder typically charges well over $1,000 and often has a waitlist, while a rescue Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever costs a few hundred dollars fully vetted. Be cautious of cheap nova scotia duck tolling retriever-for-sale ads on classified sites and marketplaces, which are frequently backyard breeders or puppy-mill resellers with unvetted, sometimes sick dogs and no health guarantee. If you do buy, insist on meeting the parents, seeing where the litter was raised, and getting vet records. For most families in Quebec, adopting a rescue Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever is cheaper, faster, and gives a dog in need a home.
Need to rehome a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever?
If you can no longer keep your Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, you can list them for free on LocalPetFinder. Your dog stays in your home until you find the right family, you screen who applies, and there is no surrender fee. Not sure yet? Our guide to surrendering a dog in Canada walks through every option first.
List your dog for free →