Four Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever puppies sit between yellow flowers.

Our Story

Meet the Burlands

Here at Travelda Tollers, we have a family history of expertise with dogs of varying breeds, with the most recent being the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever (also referred to as a Toller for short). Bill and Lisa Burland, being the patriarch and matriarch of the family respectively, have shared their knowledge with their two daughters, Kelly and Katie, who both competed as junior handlers and in the breed ring with several dogs including Alaskan Malamutes, Schipperkes, Pointers and, of course, Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers. The fourth generation to show a dog, Bill and Lisa’s granddaughters, Ava and Caroline are already Junior handlers and learning from the generations before them.

Expertise with Tollers

Prior to working with and breeding Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers, we worked with Akitas and Pointers. We started our work with Akitas relatively close to when they were first AKC recognized as a breed - they were recognized in 1972 and we began work with them in 1974. Bringing with us our knowledge from working with a newly recognized breed and their development, we started working with Tollers in 2010, only 7 years after they were AKC recognized in 2003. In 2010, our daughter, Kelly, acquired “Scooter” as a companion and hunting dog. We’ve always loved sporting breeds be they Setters, Pointers or Retrievers so this was a natural evolution.

Our Mission

At Travelda Tollers, our mission is to uphold the integrity of the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever breed by prioritizing health, temperament, and breed standard. With over 50 years of dedicated experience (in Akitas and Tollers), we strive to produce exceptional companions that excel as family pets, conformation & performance partners, and loyal friends. Through comprehensive health screenings, ethical breeding practices, and collaboration with respected partners & mentors, we are committed to fostering the well-being of each Toller we bring into the world.

We recognize that alignment of expectations is crucial in avoiding conflict and ensuring satisfaction. By clearly communicating our focus and values, we invite prospective owners to compare us with others and make informed decisions. Our commitment to transparency and excellence is the foundation of our relationship with every family and partner.

Our Breeding Practices

We understand that when you purchase a puppy it's both a financial and emotional investment and we want you to know that we have tried to take every precaution possible when breeding. If you decide to purchase a puppy we strongly recommend that you become familiar with the breed specific health issues and understand how the breeder is mitigating risk. For example, are they breeding carriers to carriers? All our puppies have health screenings including vaccinations, microchip & registration and come with AKC/Trupanion Health Insurance.

We recognize that breeding is part science and part art. To that end, we test for any genetic traits so we can select the best possible pairings for our bitches. We are focused on retaining puppies with clear or nearly clear DNA profiles, to the extent that we instituted a policy in 2021 where we would not have anyone in our program with carrier status of two or more DNA issues.

GCHB Littleriver's Queen Madeline (Retired) DNA Clear
GCH Travelda's Wendy Darlin (Retired) DNA CDDY Carrier
CH Travelda's Beach Baby (Retired) DNA Clear
GCH Travelda's Firefly DNA Carrier CDDY, PRA, DM & JAAD
GCH Travelda's National Surprise DNA Carrier CLPS
CH Travelda’s Sister Golden Hair DNA Carrier PRA & CLPS
CH Travelda's Let It Be Me DNA Carrier CLPS
CH Travelda's Day Dream Believer DNA Clear
GCH Travelda's Take a Chance On Me DNA Clear
Travelda's Surfer Girl DNA Clear
All are listed on The Breed Archive and the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) where anyone can inspect their health clearances.

In addition to our girls, we added Can GCH/ AM GCHG Sproul's Spirit Incredible Temptation (Max) to our Kennel in 2018. He too is available on The Breed Archive and OFA and, while not publicly available as a stud, he brings a terrific show line into the kennel and has produced 20 Champions in addition to being a Top 5 Toller in 2019, 2021 & 2022. In 2021, we collaborated with Linda Fitzmaurice to add INT CACIB, GCH JavaHill’s RedHot Sensation (Charlie) to our program. Charlie brings a level of type and attitude that is hard to find. We also have Charlie son GCHS Travelda's And Then Came You #2 (Scout) in Breed Standings for 2024. And Can /AM GCH JBS Travelin Man at Travelda (a Max Son) and Group winning Toller in Canada who already has 3 Champion Get from his first two litters. We have high expectations for Jack & Scout. In addition to Jack and Scout we have two young boys who have promise CH. Travelda's Reason To Believe & Travelda's Your The One That I Want; both Charlie sons who will be 1 year old in February 2025.

Our Work Beyond Tollers

Our time in Pure Bred dogs has included lots of work behind the scenes too. We believe that after enjoying the sport and the efforts of so many volunteers over the years, we needed to contribute. In 2004, Bill agreed to become the Assistant Show Chairman supporting Charlie Schaefer at the AKC Member Club, Kennel Club of Philadelphia/The National Dog Show on NBC. In 2005, when Charlie became President of The Kennel Club of Philadelphia, Bill moved into the role of Show Chair and remained in that role through the 2013 show. In 2015, Bill and Lisa took on roles with AKC Memebr Club, Bucks County Kennel Club as Show Chair and Site Hospitality Chair and Bill currently serves as President of Bucks County Kennel Club. Bill also serves as Show Chair for AKC Licensed Club, Maryland Sporting Dog Association the largest Sporting Dog only AKC Show in the United States and is Secretary for AKC Licensed Club, Liberty Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever Club. We are members of the NSDTRC-US

Our work with animals does not stop with dogs. We also run Travelda Farm, a horse boarding and training facility in Quakertown, Pennsylvania. The equestrian facility opened on our farm in 2006 and we currently breed Arabian Horses in addition to our Tollers. We breed for performance in the English Division, having bred one National Champion.