At Lambton Park on Saturday morning, Bill Chambers pulled a treat from the little compartment where he keeps them. Tollie, up until that point, had been mingling with the dozen or so other dogs as they wandered by. He's a friendly, curious and gentle boy with a vibrant red coat (Mr Chambers describes him as being "like a border collie, but with an off switch").
As soon as he hears the rattle of the treats, though, Tollie spins around and sits diligently at his owner's feet.
There are only about five other Nova Scotia duck tolling retrievers around Lake Macquarie by Mr Chambers' count. They're a somewhat rare breed on this side of the Pacific, so almost all the Toller owners around Mr Chambers' home suburb of Jewells on Lake Macquarie know each other.
The gathering of pups and their owners at the weekend was arranged by the City of Newcastle, whose rangers were offering free microchipping at the event to encourage pet owners to make sure their pets are chipped, and their information was up to date.
Tollie's breed traces back to Canada, where they were developed as hunting dogs to lure ducks. Tollie comes from his breed, Toller (as in, "for whom the bell").
"Tolling is an old English term that the Canucks use," Mr Chambers said, "He's unique because they were bred to lure ducks. But counterintuitively, he couldn't care less about ducks. If he gets in the water and there are 20 ducks around, he'll totally ignore them, but they will line up behind him and follow him wherever he goes.
"How he does it, he hasn't told me. But it's instinctive. Like Border Collies instinctively herd things. He's not trained to do it ... they just want to follow him around."
Tollers are water dogs renowned for their intelligence and gentle demeanour. As Mr Chambers chats about the pedigree, Tollie makes friends with Dudley nearby - a cheeky white Lab who is interested in everything.
Dudley belongs to former Sydney couple Pete and Vickey Bailey, who run a dog-walking and pet-sitting business in the suburb. Mrs Bailey had been part of a similar dog-walking business in the city, but when the family relocated to Newcastle with their nine-month-old Leo, she branched out and started her own label.
Dudley is the ambassador for his mum's business and takes the job seriously. As dog owners chat with Mr and Mrs Bailey, Dudley sometimes interrupts the conversation with a chatty but polite woof. When he gets a scratch behind his ear, he throws himself down, rolls over, and offers his belly. At home, he spends much of his time close to young Leo's high chair, hoovering up stray snacks, Mr Bailey said.
The gathering of pups and their owners on March 16 was arranged by the City of Newcastle, whose rangers were offering free microchipping at the event to encourage pet owners to make sure their pets are chipped, and their information was up to date.
More than 65,000 dogs live in the Newcastle local government area, which has one of the highest rates of dog ownership in the state.
Deputy Mayor Declan Clausen said educational events encouraging responsible pet ownership were part of the city's 'Dogs in Open Spaces' plan.
Cr Clausen said that city rangers return around 100 lost but microchipped pets to their owners each year. However, out-of-date registration details and a lack of collar, ID tag, or microchip make it much harder for our Rangers to make these reunions possible.
Ashley Elphick and his partner Breanna had stumbled on the event after bringing their French Bulldogs, Harlow and Winnie, out for a walk through the park before a vet visit. The little ones were due for another round of regular vaccinations, and Mr Elphick thought the run around might help burn through some extra energy.
The brindle seven-year-old Winnie was enamoured with a squeaky ball as white-coated Winnie, who is four, mingled with the company.
"I didn't know much about them, but my wife has always talked about Frenchies," Mr Elphick said. Both pets have been duly microchipped - a requirement for cats and dogs in the state, unless exempted, by the time they turn 12 months old - but neither Winnie nor Harlow has ever wandered too far from home.
"They have been on a couple of wanders around the neighbourhood," Mr Elphick said, "But we live on a cul de sac, so they don't go far."
"Responsible pet ownership is really important for having this number of pets in the city," Cr Clausen said. And there are only a few occasions, other than maybe when you go and see the vet, when you can make sure that your pet's details are up to date.
"I've seen lots of pets with microchips, but a few people have moved house or the contact details aren't current. And so it's a really good way of helping ensure those things are fresh."
The city's Dogs in Open Spaces plan has been used to inform community education, encourage responsible dog ownership, and guide the provision, improvement, and management of off-leash dog areas. In July last year, the council opened Newcastle's third fenced off-leash dog park in Maryland.
