Our story
My name is Meikel Bode and I live with my family in Bielefeld. Over the years, I have had various dogs – and each one has contributed to my growing passion for working with dogs and, ultimately, for Flat Coated Retrievers.
It all started in 1984 with a mixed-breed dog named "Jenna" – an absolutely lovely soul. At that time, we were still living in rather cramped conditions in downtown Bielefeld, and Jenna was a classic family dog without any special training. She was a real water lover – but you couldn't really count on her to fetch.
Filou
In 1995, "Filou" joined our family, a mixed-breed male dog from an animal shelter who moved in with me as a puppy during my secondary school years. He was my first "own" dog: super sweet, a real family dog – even if he occasionally had his issues with other male dogs. As an Irish Setter-Hovawart mix, he was also a vigilant guard dog. When it came to fetching, his motto was more like, "Go get it yourself!" Filou was with us for over 15 years and came with us on all our holidays to France and Italy. Sadly, he passed away in 2010 – and after that, we didn't have a dog for a long time.
Also in 2010, we moved to the centre of Bielefeld. During this time, we had our first contact with Flat Coated Retrievers. From then on, it was clear to me: if we got another dog, it would be a Flat. However, with my job as an IT consultant involving a lot of travel, it just wasn't feasible at the time.
With the purchase of a house in 2019 – and later also due to the Corona period – the circumstances changed. We started looking into getting a dog again, and by 2021, the desire had grown so strong that we started searching specifically for one. A good friend of mine, who has been active in the DRC for many years, suggested I take a look at the DRC website to find breeders. This was in the middle of the "coronavirus boom", when it felt like everyone wanted a dog – so it was difficult to find anyone who had a puppy to give away.
After many emails and phone calls, I finally got in touch with Ute Komp (https://www.passion-grace-and-fire.de), who was planning her B litter at the time. After a great visit to her kennel, we were put on the shortlist. Unfortunately, in the end we didn't get a puppy because Ilvy's litter wasn't big enough for the huge demand. But Ute liked us – and referred us to her friend Birgit Deiters (https://aha-retriever.de).
I contacted Birgit immediately, and we had some very nice conversations right away. At the time, she was in the middle of her L litter. After several detailed introductory and interview meetings, she promised us a puppy relatively quickly. A few weeks later, I was able to visit the litter for the first time in Ahaus – and what can I say: black is great, but liver is better. Even on my first visit, I knew that "Lady Red" was the one for us. And that's exactly how it turned out.
Keep an eye on AHA's Luna
In October 2021, Keep an eye on AHA's Luna moved in with us. From that day on, there was real life in the house – and the dog training began. We spent the first winter with Luna in a puppy class. In spring 2022, I joined the DRC and have since taken various young dog, dummy and companion dog courses.
With the purchase of our house in 2019 and Luna's arrival in 2021, our walks naturally became much longer and more extensive. We often passed "Am Schürbusch", the clubhouse of the KJS Bielefeld. This made us want to spend more time outdoors in nature again. Hunting and dogs were a perfect fit for me anyway – and with Luna as a hunting dog, the decision to get my hunting licence was an obvious one. In September 2022, I got started: eight intensive, super interesting months of hard work lay ahead of me. It was exhausting – but I wouldn't have wanted to miss it.
In May 2023, with my hunting licence in my pocket, Luna and I started hunting training straight away. In July 2023, we were able to take it to the next level by getting Manfred Pauls to organise a small BLP preparation course. It ran until September 2024 – and, to be honest, it was sorely needed.
Witches' Brew Now or Never aka "Mellon"
At the same time, a second flat-coated retriever moved in with us in July 2023: Witches Brew Now or Never, called "Mellon", a liver-coloured male from Gerry Schöps (https://www.witches-brew.de). This meant we really had a "full house": I had just passed my hunting licence, the first dog was in the middle of his hunting training – and at the same time we had a puppy/young dog in basic training. The stress level was correspondingly high for quite some time.
In the end, however, everything worked out really well. With Luna, I was able to run the BLP with a live duck in 2024 and the RGP in 2025 – both very well. With Mellon, the BHP was first on the agenda in 2025, followed by his BLP with live duck in November. We want to continue with the RGP in 2026. And in addition, the A litter is also due in 2026 – everyone is already very much looking forward to that.
Our name
Fenrir's Legacy is a kennel for Flat Coated Retrievers, founded with the vision of breeding healthy and capable dogs that can fulfil their original purpose. Our name comes from Norse mythology. Fenrir was the first son of the god Loki and symbolises wildness, strength, endurance and loyalty – characteristics that distinguish this special breed. Another characteristic of Fenrir was his constant hunger, which is why he was ultimately brought to Asgard.
Flat-coated retrievers, like all retrievers, are said to have a constant hunger and a will to please. Both are absolutely true. Even if the will to please here and there tends to give the impression of a will to be a beast :)
In any case, dogs in general descended from wolves. And sometimes, that still comes through :)
The Flat-Coated Retriever breed
The Flat-Coated Retriever is a breed of dog of British origin that was developed in the 19th century as a versatile hunting dog. Its ancestors are the St. John's dog, setters and collies. The breed is characterised by:
- Passion for hunting: Strong desire to find and retrieve
- Intelligence: Quick comprehension and excellent trainability
- Enthusiasm for work: Tireless dedication to field, forest and water work
- Toughness and endurance: weather-resistant, robust and powerful
- Willingness to please: Close contact with the handler, obedient and reliable
Our breeding philosophy
Our focus is on health, performance and stable characters:
- Selection of breeding animals based on performance, health and test results
- Consistent health examinations (HD, ED, eyes, DNA tests)
- Early imprinting on game, water and various environmental stimuli
- Rearing with a focus on versatile socialisation
- Support with training and test preparation
- Placement with responsible dog owners who will keep the dog occupied in a manner appropriate to its breed – whether as a hunting dog, in dog sports or with other activities involving retrieving and water
Association membership
We breed in accordance with the strict guidelines of:
- DRC (German Retriever Club) – Preservation of breed characteristics and performance
- VDH (German Kennel Club) - Quality assurance in breeding
- FCI (Fédération Cynologique Internationale) - International standards