In a nutshell: Bouncy, fun loving, happy when
working, cheeky, quick and willing to learn, extremely loveable and truly versatile dogs.
 Also
known as:
Toller
Description:
Red foxy appearance, medium sized,
powerful, balanced, very well muscled dog. With their webbed feet Tollers are
excellent, strong swimmers. Coat is glossy, soft, water-repellent with very low
maintenance!
Temperament:
Highly
intelligent, easy to train, very playful, determined, kind, confident, very alert, have
intense concentration, they love to work but also settle down to rest.
Advantages as an agility dog:-
-
Very agile, powerful and enthusiastic
-
They want to work and once working starts they are
very focused
-
They are happy in cold and wet weather conditions
-
You get out of them what you put in
-
Tollers are very food orientated, and have been known
to be food thieves!!! This can come in very useful when training them, as they will do
almost anything for a food reward.
Disadvantages as an agility dog:
-
Some may need time to settle down, as they are slow
maturing dogs (physically and mentally).
-
Training needs to start early using lots of play and
reward, as they are extremely lively, mischievous pups.
-
Their size, build and speed can vary, the choice of
the pup from the litter is vital!!
 Rating
out of ten: I
myself would give 9/10, and the only thing stopping me from putting 10 is the fact that
they do not have the speed of the top border collies to take them into advanced status.
They love agility and are a joy to work.
Dogs that
have done well in agility:-
There are not many that are competing in this country.
I know of a Toller up north that worked very well, with great speed at a distance,
which reached Senior. Unfortunately this dog
does not compete any longer. I am very pleased with
my own dog Chad who has been successful and is still improving.
He has been to Olympia and Crufts and loved every minute.
What is it
like to live with?
They are brilliant family dogs.
They love an active life but are equally happy in the armchair!
They are very loving and amusing to live with, but they can be very trying as young
pups.
Would you buy another
one for agility?
Yes, I already have! He
is 12 months old and looking very promising. He has
been excelling in his obedience classes and although a hyper-active pup (always climbing
and getting into mischief) once any training starts he totally focuses.
As for agility, time will tell.
Source: Kerry Abbott
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