The precise date of when the French came to Canada’s second-smallest province is unknown to us, but we do know that they established a colony they called “Acadia,” or New France, in the 17th century. It’s there that French fishermen are said to have seen something that amazed them enough to develop a type of dog breed.

Native Indians, wise to the ways of wildlife, knew that ducks and geese were curious creatures who were attracted by the antics of hungry foxes cavorting about on the shoreline. The Indians developed their own way of “tolling” waterfowl by stringing a fox skin, tail pointed up, between two blinds, and “dancing” the fox back and forth across the open beach. Mesmerized by the strange movement, waterbirds came close enough to be shot with a bow and arrow. Frenchmen saw the idea and developed Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers as we know them today in the community of Little River Harbor in Nova Scotia in the early part of the 19th century.

We have the kind permission of Brad DoChara to share a couple of his fabulous photos from the 2017 Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever Puppy Calendar which you can purchase here.