Appearance
The Toller should be athletic, well-muscled, compact, medium boned, balanced, and powerful. Their chest is deep. Conformation judges require Tollers to be capable of tolling, and physical faults that inhibit working ability are heavily penalized. They should be of moderate build with sturdy and solid legs.
The toller's head should be clean cut and slightly wedge-shaped, resembling a fox. The ears are triangular and set high and well back from the skull. The tail is well-feathered and held jauntily when the dog is excited or moving.
Size
Tollers range in height from 17 to 21 inches at the withers, and weigh 37 to 51 pounds. Tollers are always a medium sized breed, never large, however there has been a trend towards larger dogs in recent years. Tollers are traditionally the smallest breed of the retriever family. They should be slightly longer than tall, but not appear long-backed.
Coat and Color
Color is any shade of red, ranging from a golden red through dark coppery red. There are lighter featherings on the underside of the tail, pantaloons, and body. Even the lighter shades of golden red are deeply pigmented and rich in color. The Toller should not be buff or brown. They usually have at least one of the following white markings: tip of tail, feet, but not extending above the pasterns, chest and blaze. Lack of white is not a fault.
The Toller was bred to retrieve from icy waters and must have a water-repellent, double coat of medium length and softness, and a soft dense undercoat. Over-coated specimens are not appropriate for a working dog. The coat may have a slight wave on the back, but is otherwise straight. Some winter coats may form a long loose curl at the throat. Featherings are soft and moderate in length. The hair on the muzzle is short and fine.