Flynn the Duck Toller
and Meg the Collie
About me
I’m Flynn, I’m a Toller and this is my website. I was born in Norfolk, England on September 12th 2005, one of six pups from my Mum, Danehaven Taseko. My father is Aquacadian Ruskin the Red.
My people came three times to see me when I was in the litter. I knew they’d choose me even though my brothers and sisters tried hard to muscle in. They took me home when I was 8 weeks old. I’m not sure how far we went because I slept all the way in the car. I was surprised to find that my people also have a Collie called Meg. Meg’s my Auntie and my Nanny rolled into one. She’s had a difficult time, having been sent to Rescue when she was only 6 months old. Her first people had too many children to able to look after her properly and so they sent her away. She was just over two when I met her and I knew that I had to do my best to keep her calm. She’s taught me so many things and we love each other, look out for each other and although I’m big enough to be the boss I still let her think she’s in charge.
My kennel name is Danehaven Cornwallis after a river of that name in Nova Scotia. I’m very special, being a Toller, because there aren’t very many of us in the UK and most people haven’t heard of us. We Tollers are the smallest of the retrievers and we have quite red coats (like foxes), so we get noticed. Our job was to lure ducks into nets, but that’s now illegal here and anyway I don’t know any ducks. I’m trying tolling blackbirds but they don’t take much notice. I caught a chicken once, but they took it off me and I didn’t hurt it anyway.
As I said we Tollers are quite rare here but I’m lucky to know lots. My people joined the Toller Club of Great Britain and so far I’ve met my Dad, his brother Chester, my Grandfather Acer, all the Danehaven crew, Murray and Fraser, Whisper and some of her pups, Saska (I quite liked her), Kimi and I’ve visited with Decoymans at Nacton.
My favourite things are food and sleep. I’m sorry I can’t do them at the same time, and anyway it would be doubly difficult, as I like to sleep on my back with my legs stretched straight out.
My people came three times to see me when I was in the litter. I knew they’d choose me even though my brothers and sisters tried hard to muscle in. They took me home when I was 8 weeks old. I’m not sure how far we went because I slept all the way in the car. I was surprised to find that my people also have a Collie called Meg. Meg’s my Auntie and my Nanny rolled into one. She’s had a difficult time, having been sent to Rescue when she was only 6 months old. Her first people had too many children to able to look after her properly and so they sent her away. She was just over two when I met her and I knew that I had to do my best to keep her calm. She’s taught me so many things and we love each other, look out for each other and although I’m big enough to be the boss I still let her think she’s in charge.
My kennel name is Danehaven Cornwallis after a river of that name in Nova Scotia. I’m very special, being a Toller, because there aren’t very many of us in the UK and most people haven’t heard of us. We Tollers are the smallest of the retrievers and we have quite red coats (like foxes), so we get noticed. Our job was to lure ducks into nets, but that’s now illegal here and anyway I don’t know any ducks. I’m trying tolling blackbirds but they don’t take much notice. I caught a chicken once, but they took it off me and I didn’t hurt it anyway.
As I said we Tollers are quite rare here but I’m lucky to know lots. My people joined the Toller Club of Great Britain and so far I’ve met my Dad, his brother Chester, my Grandfather Acer, all the Danehaven crew, Murray and Fraser, Whisper and some of her pups, Saska (I quite liked her), Kimi and I’ve visited with Decoymans at Nacton.
My favourite things are food and sleep. I’m sorry I can’t do them at the same time, and anyway it would be doubly difficult, as I like to sleep on my back with my legs stretched straight out.
We saw our first Toller at Discover Dogs, Crufts in 2004. The visit to Crufts was the start of the process of choosing a new puppy and it’s the ideal place to see every breed on offer. There was just something about the Tollers that stood out from all the rest on view. We hurriedly made enquiries and were given the disappointing news that they were so rare that there was a long, long waiting list for puppies. On the plus side it seemed, from what we were told, that a Toller would ideally suit our lifestyle.
Shortly afterwards along came Meg. She was last in a long line of very forlorn dogs at the local Rescue Centre. Meg is a very reactive Collie who came to us with many problems, in particular with some other dogs and especially when on the lead. She was already 6 months old and we knew that we were taking on a very challenging dog. To make things worse she immediately started her first season so she had a miserable start, but we worked very hard and we learned a great deal in helping her to settle down. It was a long process and at times we despaired, but as time passed she made excellent progress although she remains difficult. Meg rewards us by being the most wonderful companion, full of energy and play.
We hadn’t forgotten the Tollers and in 2005 we were once again at Crufts on Gundog Day and this time we spent all our time around the Toller ring and the Toller benches. We talked with breeders and had the good fortune to meet Christine Powley of Danehaven. By this time we thought Meg was old enough and settled enough for us to consider a companion and we also knew enough about Tollers to show that we knew this was the right dog for us. Later that year we learned that Christine’s Taseko was to have a litter and we visited Danehaven for the first time. We were to visit again several times as the pups were born and it gradually became clear that we might have one. At 4 weeks old we made our choice and on the dot of 8 weeks Flynn joined our family.
We’d forgotten what it’s like to have a puppy in the house and Flynn came home to take over our lives. We found him “nippy” at first as he explored everything with his mouth. Meg patiently taught him to moderate his bite and they very quickly became devoted to each other. He settled immediately and we made sure we rationed his time with Meg so that he identified with us.
So far Flynn has grown into a laid-back individual, some might even say lazy. He’s very food orientated, greedy in fact, which helps with his training, but he’s also independently minded. He’s loving, gentle, cuddly and easy-going. He loves to lie on his back, pressed against something with his legs straight out. When he lies down he collapses, beginning with his head so that his rear drops with a thump. He lazes around until the last possible moment before bursting into life when something interesting’s on offer. He finds Meg a little quick for him but he’s very patient when she always gets the ball first. They have very complicated games where toys are retrieved, offered and withdrawn then stolen and recovered. Flynn is now bigger and heavier but he still defers to Meg. She watches out for him and seems to be outraged when he’s naughty. She tries to herd him of course, but he usually just ploughs ahead. He achieved his Good Citizen Bronze award when he was 7 months old but he still needs to work hard on his recall. If he wanders off Meg hunts anxiously for him and runs back and forth trying to guide him back. His big interest in life is birds. He often sits watching garden birds at their feeder or on the fence and when out walking he’s particularly interested in blackbirds, especially early in the morning when they’re slow to react. He’s yet to graduate to ducks, in fact Meg the Collie is teaching Flynn the Toller to retrieve from water!!
We were back again at Crufts in 2006, but this time as members of The Toller Club of Great Britain to see Flynn’s Mum, Danehaven Taseko win Post Graduate Bitch and Danehaven Jordan, Reserve Best of Breed. Who knows, in 2007 Flynn may be there himself.
Shortly afterwards along came Meg. She was last in a long line of very forlorn dogs at the local Rescue Centre. Meg is a very reactive Collie who came to us with many problems, in particular with some other dogs and especially when on the lead. She was already 6 months old and we knew that we were taking on a very challenging dog. To make things worse she immediately started her first season so she had a miserable start, but we worked very hard and we learned a great deal in helping her to settle down. It was a long process and at times we despaired, but as time passed she made excellent progress although she remains difficult. Meg rewards us by being the most wonderful companion, full of energy and play.
We hadn’t forgotten the Tollers and in 2005 we were once again at Crufts on Gundog Day and this time we spent all our time around the Toller ring and the Toller benches. We talked with breeders and had the good fortune to meet Christine Powley of Danehaven. By this time we thought Meg was old enough and settled enough for us to consider a companion and we also knew enough about Tollers to show that we knew this was the right dog for us. Later that year we learned that Christine’s Taseko was to have a litter and we visited Danehaven for the first time. We were to visit again several times as the pups were born and it gradually became clear that we might have one. At 4 weeks old we made our choice and on the dot of 8 weeks Flynn joined our family.
We’d forgotten what it’s like to have a puppy in the house and Flynn came home to take over our lives. We found him “nippy” at first as he explored everything with his mouth. Meg patiently taught him to moderate his bite and they very quickly became devoted to each other. He settled immediately and we made sure we rationed his time with Meg so that he identified with us.
So far Flynn has grown into a laid-
We were back again at Crufts in 2006, but this time as members of The Toller Club of Great Britain to see Flynn’s Mum, Danehaven Taseko win Post Graduate Bitch and Danehaven Jordan, Reserve Best of Breed. Who knows, in 2007 Flynn may be there himself.
Owners point of view