Wyndham and Wyndhamian Retrievers - North Dakota Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Flat Coated Retriever Breeders

The Wyndham-Wyndhamian retrievers have been Mr. Atkins avocation since he was 10 years old. After more than 55 years with the highest quality working retrievers the dogs have kept Mr Atkins a very active hunter of both upland and waterfowl. The purpose of the breeding program has always been to produce the best Chesapeake Bay and flat coated retrievers possible for the shooting needs of Mr Atkins and his friends. Every effort has been made to breed only from proven sound, trainable and reliable working stock of the highest quality. No effort to accomplish this is compromised and this highly organized and focused breeding effort has sought the best individual animals from anywhere in North America or Europe. While Mr Atkins has no interest in artificial hunt tests or field trials, dogs from this program have produced many of the best winners at these events for others. The Wyndham-Wyndhamian program is to our knowledge the only retriever breeding kennel to have animals it produced be parents of Field Trial Champions and All-Age Winners on both sides of the Atlantic. Regardless, the aim remains to produce stock that has a strong desire to find game, that has an inherent desire to please, work for the owners and that will be physically sound for work for 12 or more shooting seasons. Anyone wishing additional information about this kennels stock in either breed should contact Mr Atkins, who will be pleased to discuss or show off his current stock.

Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Flat Coated Retriever

Hunting, Training, Stud Services

Ed Atkins
Wyndhamian Farm, P. O. Box 73
Ashley, North Dakota 58413

Breeding quality gun dogs for over 56 years.

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He's doing great! He's great. We just got a new skiff and outfitted it with a dog ladder, so thats how he's been spending his summer...swimming in the Bay.

I had one of my friends dogsit him. She was out walking him and was stopped by a guy in a car who apparently had a Chessie. He said Bosun is the prettiest Chessie he's seen. They are coming over tonight for dinner and for the dogs to meet.

Jesse's been training Bosun in the mornings-because its been in the high 90s here...but he can now take hand signals and do whistle stops as well. We'll never run him in a field trial-but all of these things will hopefully make this bird season even better than last (which was awesome)...so we are looking forward to that.

He's a great hunting dog and a great pet...we're really happy.

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My wife Lindsey and I first met Ed at an outdoor event held by our local chapter of Minnesota Waterfowlers. It is an event focused on hunting, and getting kids involved in the outdoors. He had a few chessies with him, and we had our old male chessie “Hydro” with us. We talked about his dogs, and I left with a favorable impression of his breeding program and his extensive breed experience.

A few years later I was looking for another pup and happened to come across a business card he had given us when we first met. In the time since we had last talked, he and the dogs had moved to North Dakota. We visited on the phone many times and exchanged emails. Ed never tired of my questions, some of which, looking back, must have seemed silly to him! Ed has always been willing to share his knowledge of the breed whenever I have asked.

We ended up purchasing “Tug” as a puppy from Ed. He was a very active youngster, and has been a blast to train. He is now two years old, and has hunted grouse, pheasants, and waterfowl. He works close and steady on pheasants, which suits the terrain here in Western Minnesota and Eastern North Dakota. We hunt a lot of cattail sloughs with heavy cover, and he does not hesitate to enter it and hunt hard. He is steady to shot, and has a fearless water entry. He was breaking ice last year retrieving late season mallards. His coat is like no other chessie we have had. Hunting in the cold weather does not faze him a bit. We are currently working on his blind work, and hope to continue to run him in HRC Hunt Tests (He has his SHR title). He is also an absolute clown around the house! In addition, we think he is a great looking dog. When you look at a Wyndham dog, they have a certain look that Ed is breeding for. We receive many comments on his conformation. We have been very happy with our Wyndham dog, and would purchase another from Ed.

Damon Sweep

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I have had chessies since 1983.
I bought a chessie pup from Ed 4 years ago because I was looking for some of the old bloodlines my best longlived working and hunting dogs had descended from. He has kept and preserved in his bloodlines what I was looking for and could not find elsewhere.
The current young dog I bought from Ed as a pup has natural quartering with a very powerful retrieve drive and a soft mouth. Great trainability and such a sweet willing dog as I could have ever wanted. She is one of the most powerful river swimming dogs I have ever had for swift water. She calculates drift and current when retrieving. She has the correct water repellant coat and body type of the older style chessies with a willingness to do whatever I put her to work doing. Very inventive adaptive dog who wants to be with me and loves people.
Has great resistance to heat and cold and has wonderful endurance. And she is an easy dog to live with at home or afield. Even if she was a thieving pest as a puppy...
I am so thrilled that I got her. It was like a blast from the past walked in my door.
Nora in Colorado

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I have known Ed Atkins for nearly 20 years. I was first introduced to his dogs when I kennel-sat for him. His dogs were well trained and of gentle temperment. Thirteen years agao I brought home a male puppy, Ch. Wyndam's Keynote. He was a joy to have. I don't know if I got more compliments regarding his looks or temperment. Stoney was just a typical Wyndhan Chessie. When I lost Stone to age, I immediately brought home his grear-grandshon. Ed's Flat-coats are equal to the Chessies. But more important Ed's dogs are true hunters, easy to train, eager to retrieve with soft mouths. I wish I lived closer to him so I could interact with the dogs more. They are fun.

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As a member of the American Chesapeake Club and owner of chessies for 15 years I have gotten to know that there are a lot of very good breeders around and lots of really nice dogs. I know, I presently own four chessies from various well-known kennels and one I bred and raised myself. He's my favorite - Ch Indian River Brerbear O'Jala. He has the look I like in a Chesapeake and a temperament to die for. He is a great ambassador for the breed. The pedigree on his sire's side carries a lot of Wyndham as well as the Jala line. Last spring I showed at Fargo, ND and lo a behold, there's Ed Atkins with some of the prettiest chessies I have seen in a long time, one of which I fell immediately in love with and tried to buy at the show. No sale! 10 months later I visited Ed's kennel and saw even more of the chessies he has bred and most all have those rugged good looks I associate with the chessies I remember for the last 50 years or so. I immediately ordered a bitch puppy, which will be out of what I consider a world-class chessie bitch, Ed's girl "Hope". If Ed were just into the show aspect of the breed instead of building great hunters with awesome personalities, he could have a nationally recognized show winner with the potential of winning it all at the ACC National Specialty with "Hope".

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