Canada Day-Canadian Dogs

Happy Canada Day to all of my fellow Canadians. As July 1st is Canada I think it only fitting that I should talk about a couple of breeds that originated in Canada. There are quite a few, some are extinct now but had a definite impact on our dogs of today.

The first dog that comes to my mind is the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever. Most people have never heard of the breed but my sister has one and my best friend back in Canada has had a couple. I remember way back when I was a teenager at a dog show seeing the first introduction of the breed.

The Toller as they are popularly known originate in Nova Scotia, Canada. They resemble a small red golden retriever but they are very unlike a golden. Although they do have a love of water they are not clingy or velcro like a golden. They have a high drive and all that I have known are obsessive retrievers.

I am making a trip home to Canada at the end of July and look forward to documenting a day in the life of a Toller.

Then there are the Labradors which are actually the most popular dog in the states now and hav been for sometime. I know they are the most common dog breed that I work with, that and the again the golden.

Then the Newfoundland. If you have never seen these dogs in action doing their water rescue you must make a point of attending an event, they are truly spectacular to see. Newfie's as they are known to their admirers are very large and obtain a wonderful temperament.

There are many breeds I could mention but there is one I had never heard of until this morning which is the Valley Bulldog. This dog originates again from Nova Scotia and is linked to the Olde English Bulldogge. This bulldog is built more athletic than its more common cousin the English Bulldog. The Valley bulldog has longer legs and a longer body but with the same recognizable bulldog traits.

So there you have it, some breeds whos origins are the same as mine.