05/01/2026
I am reposting this post which was made by Barbara Blauvelt of Scotiapride Tollers who is Decoy’s breeder and co owner. It was posted on the Worldwide Toller page as an attempt to educate people about the process involved in registering a Toller under Canada’s Indigenous breed registry.
“This is the second time this week I’ve been made aware of negative comments regarding the Wallace Babine project and the perceived “simplicity” of the Canadian Kennel Club Indigenous Breed registration process. One comment even suggested, “So backyard breeders of Labs can get CKC registration papers for their dogs?”
Frankly, comments like that are both dismissive and uninformed. They reduce years of research, documentation, genetic testing, and historical verification of what this process actually involves.
The Wallace Babine project was never about identifying and registering dogs that simply resemble Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers gathered up from dog pounds. It was rooted in historically documented bloodlines from the exact region where the breed originated, Yarmouth Co. Nova Scotia and supported by breeder history, regional evidence, and the goal of preserving authentic genetic heritage.
I originally began this project to honour two well-documented breeders of “Little River Duck Dogs” who never registered their dogs with the CKC
Eddie Babine and Andy Wallace.
*see A Breed Apart - Nova Scotia’s Duck Tolling Retriever by Gail MacMillan
As the project evolved, it became clear that it represented something much larger than recognizing two bloodlines. I also realized I was not the right person to carry it forward into its next stage. That is why I entrusted five puppies to breeders I believed had the experience and commitment to move the work into what I now refer to as Phase 2.
The Indigenous Breed process through the Canadian Kennel Club is neither casual nor automatic. It requires extensive proof of lineage, geographic origin, historical significance, and conformity to breed type. Even after years of work and considerable expense, approval is never guaranteed.
Comparing this process to registering rescue dogs simply because they “look like Tollers,” or suggesting backyard breeders could easily obtain CKC registrations is both inaccurate and insulting. It ignores the depth of research, evidence, and scrutiny required through the Indigenous Breed registration process of the Canadian Kennel Club.”
