toller

toller
Originally uploaded by dianapeterfreund.

Since everyone is now curious (Hey, Contest Thread!), here’s a picture of the type of dog we’re after. Cute, huh? Of course, they are much more difficult for us to find than we’ve expected.

As a relatively new breed, tollers aren’t the most popular pups ont eh planet. They have an interesting origin, however. They were bred to resemble foxes, whose “tolling” at lake edges have been known to bring ducks within attack range. Hunters use them for the same reasons. I’ve never seen a toller so happy as with a duck in his mouth. Good at swimming, very outdoorsy and small enough for a two-person household? Perfection! And since Sailor Boy’s father is a duck hunter, we could even train it to perform its bred-for duty!