Prime emphasis is Health, Soundness, Durability, Temperament & Longevity. The WYNDHAM-WYNDHAMIAN Retrievers began in 1953, when then 10 year old Ed Atkins, obtained his first flat coated retriever followed within weeks by his first Chesapeake Bay retriever. Without doubt, this team of hunting retrievers and the sustained breeding program represent the longest single owner effort in each of the two
breeds world wide. The passion behind this avocation is aimed at quality, not quantity. This making it all the more remarkable that today world wide every registered flat coated retriever traces to one or more flatcoats owned and/or bred by Ed Atkins over the past 64 years.Similarly, today there are members of this kennel and their decedents found deep in the pedigrees of Chesapeakes across North America, Europe and Australia. The kennel of working retrievers is also unique because, while adhering to classic breed type and function, the primary breeding and selection goals remain as always 1. Soundness, 3. Durability, 4. Longevity and 5 Temperaments that are easy to live with and train. Firmly believing that "The proof is in the pudding" pride is taken that stock bred here in each of the two breeds are on average living into their teen years, most working 12 or more shooting seasons on wild game birds, and that they train easily without any use of electric devices or other negative instruments of pain and intimidation. With average game bags in excess of 3,000 head of game each year collected from the river, pounds, slews and fields it is testament that the intensive program of xraying, eye exams and hard work have resulted in sound, functional animals. Animals bred here but owned by other sportsmen, have produced Field Trial Champions on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. Likewise, animals bred, owned, imported or bred from Wyndham-Wyndhamian animals have won Best of Breed at the prestigious Westminster Kennel Club dog show in New York's Madison Square Garden 19 times. Not bad for country bumpkin hunting dogs!!!
