Important Job for Fundy Innkeeper's Dog

I've been keen to add more posts to my blog's "Fundy dogs" category so you can imagine my delight when I received this great story from the operators of Inn on the Cove in Saint John.

Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers are one of the few Canadian dog breeds that truly love to work. My wife Willa and I work our dog as part of our Inn and Spa on the edge of the Bay of Fundy. He can’t do the yard work or clean the rooms but he welcomes guests with a friendly smile and does an even more important task each day. Especially when lashing rain and heavy winds beat across the bay we rely on ‘Pilot’ to do a task that few volunteer to do. On the command “get mum’s newspaper”, he dashes to the front of the property, stands on hind legs and pulls the newspaper from the box. Grabbing it securely he runs back to the Inn. Once inside he proudly prances about showing everyone that the morning paper has arrived. He then drops it at our feet and sits pretty for a well deserved dog treat.

Some years back when we had tour groups dropping in several times a week for tea and scones, our Toller was the main attraction. He always got a round of applause from the groups gathered at the front of the inn to see him get the paper. He loved the accolades. One day after getting the same paper four times for four different groups, I had a couple of guests who want to see him perform again. On command he ran from the Inn toward the paper box but quickly stopped. There was no crowd gathered waiting to applaud. He looked around apparently disappointed and slowly returned without the paper. Actors: they’re all fickle!

~ Ross Mavis, Inn on the Cove