There are very few breeds more versatile than the Toller, and they are at their happiest when both their minds and bodies are kept busy. Our breeders are very proud of the fact that Tollers really can do it all. Over time, almost all other working breeds have seen a distinct split between ‘working’ or ‘field’ bred dogs, and show dogs. This separation doesn’t exist with Tollers, and as you can see from the pages of this site, many hold both conformation and multiple sporting titles.
Below is a list of some of the activities you can participate in with your Toller. You can find out more information from Dogs Victoria or your state canine controlling body.
Image: Zirius Bagheera CCD RE RAE AD JDX ET
Images by Renee
Agility
Agility is the fast, fun and exciting sport of a handler directing a dog around a course of obstacles to beat the clock. In competitions, the course is set by a judge with the aim of the handler having the dog complete the course within a time and with no faults.
Image: Ag Ch (400) Glenmave Chain Reaction ADM JDM GD - the first female Toller in Australia to be awarded an Agility Championship.
Conformation
A conformation show is a kind of dog show in which a judge, familiar with a specific dog breed, evaluates purebred dogs for how well the dogs conform to the established breed type, as described in a breed's individual breed standard.
Image: Ch Aprilraine Red Storm who was awarded the Dog Challenge and R/Up Best of Breed as a 10.5 year old veteran at the 2017 Toller Specialty Show.
Image: Gr Ch Lidlriva Witchitty Grub CCD ET and Gr Ch Firefrost All Fired Up CD ET competing in the Brace class. In this class two dogs show together, and must not only conform to the breed standard, but also look and move as one.
Image: Neut Ch Glenmave Ready To Rock N Roll CDX RM TK.S TD NRA ADM JDX JDO GD SD HTM.N FS.A JC
Denise Adams
Dances with Dogs
This sport is essentially dancing with a dog. It has two streams: freestyle, and heelwork to music where the dog and handler work as a team. This sport combines obedience, tricks, and dance with music.
Image: Gr Ch Scaraval Monte Carlo Baby DWDF.S HTM.S RA - the first Toller in Australia to gain a title in both the freestyle and heelwork sections.
Dock Diving
Dock Diving is a relatively new sport to Australia, and whilst not yet ANKC recognised, Tollers love it! Dock diving involves dogs competing to jump the greatest distance or the greatest height from a dock into a pool or other body of water. Some dock diving competitions also include speed retrieves and events combining the three disciplines of height, distance and speed.
Image: Scaraval Sabrina dock diving at the 2017 Sydney Dog Lovers Show.
Image: Can Ch & Aust Ch Seaterrace Wigeon Hunter RA JC WPD
ffire Photography
Image: Neut Ch Skyesong Funky Foxtrot RA ET CA after completing the Endurance Test in 2019.
Endurance Test
Can you ride a bike while controlling your dog on the end of a loose two metre lead, or are you a runner who will be quite happy to run 20kms with your dog? If so, Endurance is for you!
Image: Ch Tweety Angels of Baranya ET
RATG and Retrieving
Retrieving trials and retrieving ability tests for gundogs (RATG), are designed to test the various gundog breeds in the type of work for which they were developed over hundreds of years. In these events, dogs are tested for obedience, and natural retrieving and hunting abilities.
Image: Ch Novafusion Copper Canyon RN ET TDX NRA
Kellie Jayne Photography
Image: Ch Glenmave In The Fast Lane ORA RN CD QND NRD
Al Dodge Photography
Image: Ch Sherbrooke Living On A Prayer ADX JDX SD GD SPD CCD RE JC ONYX.
Gerald Meakin
Flyball
Flyball is the fastest sport on four paws! Nicknamed ‘drag racing for dogs’, flyball is a relay race between two teams of four dogs. Each dog on the team has to jump over four hurdles, trigger and retrieve a ball from a specially designed flyball box at the other end of the lane and then return over the hurdles before the next dog on the team has their turn.
Image: FMch Anasadatar Santa Rosa
Gerald Meakin
Image: Neut Ch Ptolomy Nordic Dancer CD RAE JDX AD SPDX GD SD JC
Maed Photography
Obedience and Rally
Obedience trials demonstrate the dog and handler’s ability to work together with precision and publicly showcase the training that has been undertaken to achieve this. Classes are designed to be progressive, allowing the dog and handler to grow in skill and experience as titles are earned.
Rally is a fun sport where you and your dog work together as a team performing various exercises in a more informal and light-hearted manner than traditional obedience.
Image: Aprilraine Red Zuma (AI) CDX RE ORA AD JD SD GD SPD - the first Toller to be awarded the Dogs SA Novice Obedience Dog of the Year.
Lure Coursing
Traditionally a sport for Sighthounds, lure coursing is a performance sport developed in the early seventies and designed to simulate a hare hunt.
Dogs are scored on their enthusiasm, follow, speed, agility and endurance, and should have the ability to course without showing signs of undue stress or lack of fitness. Coursing tests many aspects of a dog’s physical structure and temperament and dogs who participate need to be both sound and fit.
Image: Ch Lidlriva Bittersweet Symphony RN TK.S trying out a ‘puppy run’ at a lure coursing trial.
Image: Ch Neut Ch Aprilraine Red Sqaw RN JDX SPD GD SD CAX - the most awarded lure coursing Toller in Australia and the first Toller to be named Dogs QLD Coursing Ability Dog of the Year in 2017.
Image: Ch Tolleron Like A Chilli Pepper TK.S CAA WNPD at Victoria’s first offical SprintDog trial in 2024.
Colson Photography
SprintDog
At it's February 2023 Board meeting, Dogs Australia resolved that a working party be formed to investigate the viability of a new sport called SprintDog.
SprintDog is similar to FastCAT or Sprinter in North America, and consists of timed 100m sprints. Dogs race one at a time on an enclosed track, chasing a lure.
Image: Ch AAO Ch Tollerprance Stillwater Brooke TK.S JC RN
Colson Photography
Scent Work
Scent Work is the ideal sport for dogs of all ages and abilities. The sport of scent work is based on the task of working detection dogs to locate an odour and communicate to their handler that the odour has been found. Detection is done in a variety of environments and often during changing weather or environmental conditions.
Images: T.Ch TS.Gr Ch Ximinez On Fire (IID) RN SWN AF CH (left) and Dual Ch (T) Glenmave Olando (AI) SWN (right, courtesy of Baybark Photography). Both dogs are owned by Joy Allen and were the first Tollers in Australia to obtain scent work titles when the ANKC introduced the sport in 2020.
Image: Novafusion Bullet RN TK.S
Sled Sports
While sled sports sounds like it would just be traditional mushing (dogs pulling a sled, usually through the snow), under the ANKC, sled sports is actually a set of three different sports - sled racing, backpacking/hiking and weight pull - all grouped under one set of rules.
Image: Ch Skyesong Looney Tunes RN ET CAA WPD - the first Toller in Australia to complete a sled sporting title.
Tracking and Track & Search
Tracking trials encourage dogs to make use of their natural ability to seek and find a missing person by tracking various articles of personal possession, such as socks or gloves.
Track & Search is a more challenging type of tracking which includes variable surfaces, busy residential areas, as well as tracking both day and night.
Image: Dual Ch (T) Glenmave Olando (AI) SWN
Longbourn Photography
Image: Dual Ch (T) Glenmave Sea Traveller (AI)
Longbourn Photography
Trick Dog Tests
Trick Dog Tests encourage owners and handlers to teach their dogs skills and to display various behaviours in a positive and fun environment. The objective in trick training and competition is for the dog and handler to perform a selection of tricks, presented with obvious cooperation between a dog that is willing and working well and a supportive handler. Tricks allow us to improve communication and thereby increase our bond with our dogs.
Image: Ptolomy Native Spirit CCD RN TDX JC FM
Maed Photography
