Home of First Gold Medal Recipient "Aoife"
Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever Club of Canada
Alison Strang Versatility Challenge Award 2022
FEATHERZ Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers
Subtitle
"AOIFE"
HIT CH RCH Manitou Radiant Featherz SH WCX RMX RM RAE CDX TDCH VB SDIN CGN
Aoife (pronounced EE fah) was born February 12, 2019 and bred by Cindy/Grant Lindemer of Manitou Tollers in Minnesota. She was well worth the drive through an April snowstorm!
Aoife kicked the adversity of Covid19 to the side and with limited safe showing/trialing/testing opportunities she has achieved an overwhelming amount of successes. In three years of eligibility, Aoife has proven herself to obtain 20 titles recognized by the Canadian Kennel Club. Aoife is the first recipient to be awarded the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever Club of Canada Alison Strang Versatility Challenge GOLD MEDAL AWARD!
There are too many accolades to list on this page, so Aoife's tremendous successes can be found on our RECENT NEWS page.
Some other highlighted moments were High In Trial first time eligible in Companion Dog entry. High Double & Triple Combined Rally Awards her first time eligible for multi-class entries. She ended the 2021 year placing #6 Rally Obedience Dog against ALL BREEDS in Canada and this was accomplished with very limited trialing. She is the first (only at this time) NSDT Retriever in Canada to receive a Rally Championship and Rally Master Excellent Title.
Aoife qualified in three straight Working Certificate (Retriever) Tests earning WC, WCI and WCX over a one month period at 18 months of age. Summer of 2021, Aoife completed her Senior Hunt Title qualifying at the upper end of the field of retrievers.
To round her accomplishments out, Aoife received a Group 4 placing (fourth place out of the Sporting Group Best of Breed winners) to finish her Conformation Championship! She was also pulled as a contender (made the cut) in other Sporting Groups on the same weekend.
CKC acknowledges dogs that have a wide variance of success and the six levels award the higher awards earned within three or four 'areas' of ability. Aoife accomplished the Versatility Bronze (fourth level) a couple months after the program was established and we do think we will see more accomplishments in versatility.
Aoife is a sweet and amazing girl. She likes other dogs and loves other people but is happiest when working alongside her humans. Despite her prey drive and barking to alert us of any animals on the acreage, she is quiet and very steady in the field. An absolute JOY to work with!
Aoife has cleared all necessary genetic health breeding tests as of December 2022. Hips, Elbows, Heart, Eyes as well as other toller specific health tests cleared by parentage.
Aoife had a very successful delivery of six pups on Nov 13/22 and was an amazing mother! All puppies are no living in active performance and loving family homes! Our boy 'Geo' from this litter is a member of our family.
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"SHAYLEE"
Featherz Fowl Mouth Shaylee WC RN ATD VN
Shaylee was bred by Featherz (Ribbon X Kermit) and arrived in December 2017. She was born with Carpal Syndactyly affecting her lower left leg. This rare deformity is often found to be related to Cleft Palate in humans. We tested both parents for two known genetical deformities related to Cleft Palate but despite this fact we had the misfortune of breeding Shaylee with this abnormality. She really does not seem to care!
Featherz made the decision that she stay in our family and we have no regrets. Her mother was retired from breeding after this litter.
Shaylee is very driven, loves retrieving and does not realize that she may have a disadvantage to other dogs when it comes to performance. She wants to be with us at all times and never wishes to miss out on anything. She is careful playing with the other dogs, probably the only time I see her wary. She does love to snuggle and wriggle about for affection!
Shaylee achieved her WC title in Sept of 2019 and was very close to being ready for JH . Due to her affliction we do not spend much time training and running her. Shaylee finished her RN title in March 2020 and also two Rally Intermediate Qs. She is very bouncy in the Rally ring and the biggest problem is curbing her enthusiasm, which is really a fun problem to have!
We had some fun in early 2022 and achieved her Advanced Trick Dog Title and was therefore awarded a CKC Versatility Novice title.
She has enjoyed her time out grouse hunting, keeping up with Ribbon and Aoife - although we watch her very carefully. She seems to be adapting very well to a regular toller life.