Pikkinokka Kennels

11/19/2025

More about white markings and breeding to the standard -- Sox and Pikka are the prospective parents of our litter due in December. Sox has a lot of white so Pikka is a good match for him. When talking about colour it is inevitable that someone will comment: "Colour doesn't matter. Breed for health and temperament". First, colour is part of the history of the breed and it differentiates the Toller from other breeds as well as its own ancestors. Second, of course we breed for the other important stuff because it is *all* important. While some breeders just might put two dogs together, we very carefully match our Tollers for conformation, health and pedigree. And because we have been breeding Tollers for nearly 40 years we have many years of breeding successes (and failures) to guide our breeding decisions.

Conformation: both are champions with clean easy movement. They compliment each other in angulation and proportions. Both have good size, substance, tail carriage, correct ears and beautiful heads.

Temperament: Sox is gentle and sweet, with an easy, eager to please temperament. Pikka is affectionate and friendly. She goes on hikes almost daily: she pack-walks off leash to the tops of mountains and she loves playing on the trampoline with visiting grandkids.

Health: they are tested for all breed-specific DNA diseases and both are OFA hip, elbow, heart and eye clear. Both have full dentition.

Pedigree: Pikka is sired by a dog who was 11 years old. Her grandsire lived to be 16 (whose dam lived to be 16) and he himself was sired by a dog who was 10-½.
The line breeding with Sox is on those very dogs, which increases the chances of those longevity genes coming through in the puppies.

Sox: https://nsdtr.breedarchive.com/animal/view/pikkinokkas-avatar-checkered-windsock-ae9beed8-8811-431f-a5fd-a93cb36ccce5

Pikka: https://nsdtr.breedarchive.com/animal/view/pikkinokkas-as-you-wish-bb8bc9ed-0b3f-4d2a-abbe-2089eabdee60

This is how we breed Tollers.

For more information and a buyer application, email me at [email protected]

11/18/2025

So many people love the white markings on the Toller, you would think we would always breed our Tollers "with chrome". But the reality is, if we breed white markings to white markings, we risk producing Tollers with too much white. While Tollers are allowed to have less white, the Toller standard is very specific that there should not be TOO MUCH white. According to the breed standard, white should not appear on the back of the neck (in other words, no white collars) and white too high up the leg is to be faulted. I believe this was decided to differentiate the Toller from its collie ancestors. Many breeds have the potential to "white factor"; in other words, white can increase by breeding white markings to white markings, to the point where they can produce piebald (white with spots) or extreme piebald (white with colour only on eyes and/or ears). Breeders prize our more solid coloured Tollers, because they can be bred to Tollers with more white and usually do not produce puppies with too much white. Pups with too much white make amazing pets, are healthy, and are so beautiful, but they do not meet the standard which describes the ideal Duck Tolling Retriever. Here is a wonderful little illustration (in comments) which shows white factoring from a great webpage which explains colour genetics in dogs

The White Spotting Series Most white spotting on dogs is determined by the genes on the S locus. When we use the term "white spotting" we simply mean white areas on the dog, not actually white spots. White spotting can occur on any colour, and will cover up both eumelanin and phaeomelanin. In techni...

11/16/2025

So proud of this boy and what he will contribute to the Toller breed!
CH Pikkinokka's Avatar Checkered Windsock, co-bred and co-owned with Stacy Marie Einck-Paul of Avatar Kennels, and co-owned by Malinda Scott of Monarda Kennels Two-and a half years old, "Sox" is an N/N for CDDY as well as clear of all DNA testable traits, full dentition, OFA hips excellent, elbow, basic cardiac and eye OFA clear. And he has a sweet, goofy, easy disposition. We just love this big lug and so pleased with the puppies he has produced so far, including our exciting new girl, "Lavender Petal".
https://nsdtr.breedarchive.com/animal/view/pikkinokkas-avatar-checkered-windsock-ae9beed8-8811-431f-a5fd-a93cb36ccce5

11/14/2025

This guy! Eight month old "Chevy" -- Pikkinokka's Wishes on the Wind -- is an adorable family pet who joined us at the dog show in Chilliwack. What a character -- he is beautiful, fun, and super smart! He soon learned that showing can be fun. Look at how cute he is hanging out at ringside -- and what a pro he was in the ring! "Chevy" won Reserve Winners Male and Best Puppy at 2 of the shows.

Congratulations to Chevy's family for doing such a wonderful job of raising this little guy!

Like what you see? We are taking applications for a litter due mid-December from Chevy's mom and dad, a repeat litter from Sox and Pikka. Puppies ready to go in February. Message me for more information at [email protected]

11/12/2025

Five month old Petal's first show weekend, I am so proud of her! She won Best Baby Puppy in Breed each show and 2 X Best Baby Puppy in Group! Thank you to Malinda Scott for the beautiful photos and this great video of Petal in Best Baby Puppy in Show. Petal is from a long-awaited litter from "Cherry", bred to our boy "Sox". Pikkinokka's Avatar Lavender Petal Storm, co-bred and co-owned with Stacy Marie Einck-Paul of Avatar Kennels.

10/29/2025

You often hear that Tollers are not easy to find or that you must expect long waits for puppies. Here at Pikkinokka Kennels we don't believe in keeping "waitlists". If we don't have puppies available, we will gladly recommend other ethical breeders. We will even help you find a breeder closer to your area if the only breeders you are finding are a long distance away from you. As long-time breeders, we know most of the Toller breeders (worldwide) and if we don't know the breeder you are talking to, we will talk to other breeders to make sure you are not being scammed or you are getting a puppy from health-tested, ethically-bred dogs. Don't hesitate to ask us for help finding a carefully-bred Toller.
We don't have any Toller puppies at this time but we do know of top-quality, carefully-bred and carefully-raised puppies from champion, health-tested parents which are available from other breeders. Happy to help at [email protected]

10/25/2025

Someone recently asked me if I still breed Pomeranians. She said: "I see you posting about your awesome Tollers, it made me wonder if you weren't breeding Poms anymore." Well we still breed Poms! In fact we finished championships on THREE of our Poms this summer: "Dasha", her sister "Gossip" (sired by the amazing "Mr Kitty", GCHG Nordic Visions Turn Back Time, bred and owned by Whitney Stacey ) and our boy "Neo", Verdandi's Dodged A Bullet at Pikkinokka, co-owned and co-bred by Cristy Baldo. We currently have 3 week old pups from "Bee" (CH Pikkinokka What's the Buzz) bred to our brindle boy, JamJam (CH Pikkinokka's The Cat's Pajamas): a gorgeous black-and-tan girl and an adorable brindle boy!

10/24/2025

The Dunghill Barker - and the reason for it....

Most sources are in agreement that the German Spitz is not only one of the most ancient dog breeds, but may be the oldest one originating in Central Europe. At least one registry, the FCI, regards the German Spitz to be in the same family as the Pomeranian and Keeshond, so delving into the history of the Spitz is akin to delving into the backgrounds of the other two breeds, so intertwined are they. The breeds have a common ancestor in a stone age “Peat Dog” known as the Torfhund, a spitz type canine thought to have an important role in the domestication of dogs.

Early German Spitz dogs lived at a time when Germany had “fluid” borders between princedoms, dukedoms and kingdom, each with its own religious, linguistic, social, and cultural norms. Each area also had its own idea about what they wanted in their dog; possibly the only thing the different territories had in common regarding these dogs was what they named them: Mistbeller, or dunghill barker.

As colorful a name as this is, it was apt, and far from being derogatory, the moniker speaks to the dog’s cleverness and acuity. These dogs liked to find a high place from which to perch in order to inspect their territory and the activities around it, and that was usually a high mound of dung. At the first hint of trouble or untoward activity, they let out a high pitched bark which farmers welcomed as an early warning system. White was the preferred color for the dog as it helped in distinguishing them from a wolf. Traders and fishermen also took these dogs on their boats as alert watchdogs for their goods.

In time, the spitz gained popularity with royalty and the upper crust of England, and when George I took the throne in the 18th century, he and his German wife entertained visitors to the court who brought with them forerunners of today’s German Spitz.

Image: Two year old German Spitz/Deposit Photo

08/22/2025

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08/20/2025

Meet "Joan Jett". JJ is a 12 week old Toller girl with show/breeding prospects. She is highly trainable, affectionate and enthusiastic, with a cuddly off-switch. She loves to retrieve! We had been running JJ on for a breeder overseas, whose plans have changed. She could be available for export to the right breeder. She was pick of Jett's litter from Sox.

Sox: https://nsdtr.breedarchive.com/animal/view/pikkinokkas-avatar-checkered-windsock-ae9beed8-8811-431f-a5fd-a93cb36ccce5

Jett: https://nsdtr.breedarchive.com/animal/view/pikkinokkas-avatar-jet-stream-96fcb732-6fa4-4312-b0c1-e5ec9eba4cc9

08/12/2025

This is "Marigold" -- she is show/breeding potential, affectionate, super smart and a strong retriever. Pedigrees and health information about her parents:

Sox: https://nsdtr.breedarchive.com/animal/view/pikkinokkas-avatar-checkered-windsock-ae9beed8-8811-431f-a5fd-a93cb36ccce5

Cherry: https://nsdtr.breedarchive.com/animal/view/pikkinokka-avatar-double-pink-e21f9ef8-94cc-4543-ac2d-955e3a3f553a

08/08/2025

"Both grain-free and grain-inclusive diets providing complete and balanced nutrition supported normal cardiac function in healthy adult dogs in an 18-month study." - https://academic.oup.com/jas/advance-article/doi/10.1093/jas/skaf225/8196486?login=false

"Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is the second most common heart disease in dogs. In recent years, concerns have been raised regarding a potential association between grain-free dog foods and the development of DCM.

To evaluate this possible connection, this study randomized healthy adult dogs to one of four complete and balanced diets, each formulated with different ingredients, to assess their impact on cardiac function and overall health over an 18-month period.

The diets included:

A grain-free diet with potatoes and peas
A grain-inclusive diet with peas and pea fiber
A grain-inclusive diet without peas or potatoes
A grain-free diet with potatoes

No changes in cardiac function were observed between the grain-free and grain-inclusive groups, and taurine levels remained unaffected by diet.

These results show that foods designed to provide similar nutritional profiles—regardless of specific ingredients—supported heart health in healthy adult dogs. This study highlights the importance of balanced, high-quality nutrition in maintaining canine heart health."