Golden Retriever vs Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever

A Golden Retriever
Photo: Johan Spaedtke
A Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever
Photo: Naellenathan

Side by side

Golden Retriever
Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever
Adult weight
Males 29–34 kg (65–75 lb); females 25–29 kg (55–65 lb)1
Males 20–23 kg (44–51 lb); females 17–20 kg (37–44 lb)2
Height
Males 56–61 cm; females 51–56 cm3
Males 48–51 cm; females 45–48 cm2
Lifespan
Median 13.2 years4
Fully grown
12 months, both sexes5
11 months, both sexes5
Group
Retrievers & water dogs3
Retrievers & water dogs2
Coat
Coat with feathering3
Coat of medium length2
Shedding
Moults most as the seasons change
Grooming
Brushing a few times a week
Exercise
Plenty
Health
Blood blister in the ear flap (much more likely); Underactive thyroid (much more likely)6,7
No sourced figure
Class
Family
Sport

Which suits you

Size
The Golden Retriever is larger: about 29 kg (65 lb) as an adult, against 20 kg (44 lb) for the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever.
Temperament
They differ most on affection (Golden Retriever: a lap or leaning dog; Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever: affectionate on its own terms) and on loyalty (Golden Retriever: friendly with everyone; Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever: bonded to its family).
Alike
Both are rated the same on independence: keen to work with you.
Neither is the better dog in general. Which suits you depends on your home, your days and the care you can give.
Take the breed matcher

What they're like

Golden Retriever
Retrievers & water dogs · Large

The Golden Retriever's temperament is friendly, intelligent and devoted. It is eager to please, gentle, keen to work alongside people and seldom a good guard dog.

Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever
Retrievers & water dogs · Medium

Tollers are alert, energetic and quick to learn, affectionate with their own people and sometimes reserved with strangers.

The Golden Retriever page →The Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever page →

Breed traits

Day to day
Golden Retriever
Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever
Activity
Needs lots of exercise
Needs lots of exercise
Intelligence
Needs daily brain work
Needs daily brain work
Handler demand
Differs
Suits a first-time owner
Needs steady training
With people
Golden Retriever
Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever
Affection
Differs
A lap or leaning dog
Affectionate on its own terms
Loyalty
Differs
Friendly with everyone
Bonded to its family
Independence
Keen to work with you
Keen to work with you
Around the home
Golden Retriever
Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever
Sensitivity
Average
Average
Voice
Differs
Barks to alert, then settles
Very vocal
Prey drive
Differs
Usually fine with small pets
Chases; needs managing
Breed explains only about 9% of how individual dogs differ in behaviour8. Meet the dog. A good breeder breeds for temperament as well as health, and matches each puppy's personality to the right home9,10.

Puppy growth

Reference curves · both sexes
The Golden Retriever grows to the heavier adult, about 29 kg against the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever's 20 kg.
Golden Retriever
Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever
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More comparisons

Compare the Golden Retriever with
Golden Retriever vs Labrador RetrieverEnglish Cocker Spaniel vs Golden RetrieverFlat-Coated Retriever vs Golden RetrieverGolden Retriever vs HovawartAustralian Shepherd vs Nova Scotia Duck Tolling RetrieverGolden Retriever vs Great PyreneesAll breed comparisons →

Sources

Parts of this page were written by AI ·