How Much Does a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever Cost? (2026 Full Cost Breakdown)

The Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever is a medium breed with mid-range running costs. Food runs US$222–444 a year and routine vet care US$480–720, both ordinary for its weight, with diet quality setting the food spread. Its US$1,500–3,000 purchase price sits toward the upper end for a medium dog, which lifts the lifetime figure accordingly.

The water-repellent double coat needs regular brushing but not professional trimming, so grooming holds at US$300–450 a year. Seasonal shedding is the main upkeep, so the coat costs time more than salon money, and it never becomes a major line item.

Insurance is where this breed diverges from other medium dogs. It sits in the high risk tier, carrying autoimmune thyroiditis, Addison's disease, an immune-mediated joint condition and progressive retinal atrophy at rates well above average. Adult premiums run US$759–1,416 a year, from US$607–1,133 as a puppy to US$1,922–3,035 for a senior as the risk profile compounds with age. Once food, vet care and grooming are folded in, the typical year sits near US$2,320, roughly midway between the US$1,761 and US$3,030 ends of the annual range. Because food, grooming and cover all depend on an owner's choices, the range stays wide. The mid-point works as a planning figure, even though actual spending moves up or down inside the band. The purchase price and one-time setup sit outside that yearly figure.

Setup adds US$420–1,675 in the first year, so the opening twelve months with purchase run US$3,681–7,705. The main separate exposure is hip dysplasia surgery at US$1,200–7,000, which stays outside the annual and lifetime totals because it's an emergency cost rather than a recurring one.