Reminiscing with Hanna Hadden
(Rowanglen Perm. Reg'd since 1977)
Interviewed by Debbie Moore
Copyright 1998-2003

Preface:
I have always loved all animals and the great outdoors.  I have some artistic ability, but have very little time to pursue this interest.  I just borrow this artistic eye when creating the perfect sheltie in my mind.  I am a teacher by profession which gives me some extra time for summer mid-week shows, but I also enjoy travelling to other parts of the world because I don't want to limit my world to just arena after arena of dog shows.  I am a very introverted person and lack the aggressiveness that is necessary to package my dogs for the public eye.  I rarely exceed the limit of 3 dogs on the property at any time.  These obstacles have made it difficult to promote a breeding programme for all to be familiar with.  However, in spite of these limitations, I have bred about thirty-something champions, and I consider that a good track record.  What I am most proud of is the fact that my core breeding stock have those hard-to-get sound front alignments that everyone agrees is generally lacking in the breed.  I consider myself a "breeder" of shelties more than an "exhibitor" of shelties.  Several well-known kennels have been founded on my stock and have successfully produced from that gene pool for several generations.

1.  What traits do you find the most desirable when choosing a stud dog?

Choosing a stud dog outside my line is a very big risk because of losing genetic predictability.  This is why I try to breed within my own blood line - for genetic predictability.  When I do breed outside, it is to obtain a particular strength of quality my bitch lacks.  After the outcross, I make sure to go right back into the linebreeding.  First, he must be from a compatible line, so pedigree is most important.  I believe that the answers to my own problems have always existed within my own gene pool, but it may take a compatible pedigree to draw out what has temporarily receded from phenotype, but still exists within the genotype of the dog.  Second, the stud should have no known medical problems and genetic clearances by the stud owner are really appreciated.  Third, I seek mental stability, physical soundness including good dentition, and superior head type.  Finally, good coat, bone and ears are an extra blessing.   Feeling like I have to sacrifice a particular quality to gain another is undesirable.  Therefore, I try to find a male who has all the virtues my bitch has, or close to those virtues, while bringing in the quality I am trying to improve.  I want it all!

2.  You have been an established breeder for many years.  What were your early goals?  Have your goals changed over time?

My initial goal was to obtain a championship title on my foundation bitch, Ch. Rowanglen's Dearest Welcome CD ROMC.  When this was achieved, I refocused my sights on the sheltie (BIS BISS Am/Can Ch. Delamantha's Desiderata) that I considered to be my living visible standard.  I wanted to breed other dogs, like her, with hard-to-get qualities and be proud to offer them to the breed.  Now generations later, I am very proud of the front alignments and excellent movement that are very predictable in my dogs.  My long-term goal is never to lose those hard-to-get front assemblies, hard-to-get correct body, spring of rib and depth of body, sound rear ends with ideal angulation and sloped croups, a rarity in the breed today.  Many of my dogs have close to 40 degree shoulders.  No, my goals have not changed over time.  I intended to retain the qualities of Desiderata and have succeeded through heavy linebreeding and inbreeding where called for.  Where she had a minor weakness, this was easily improved.

3.  Which dog that you have bred most closely illustrates your ideal representative of the breed?  Please provide a photo and some statistics on the dog if you will.

My home bred ideal dog is my young male, Ch. Rowanglen Sir Lancelot.  He is a dog that has everything.  He has an excellent front assembly, which includes the elegant neck, smooth shoulder layback and long upper arm.  This is all made possible through his excellent body type:  correct spring of rib with correct flattening at lower half of body to accommodate well placed elbows.  This body is short-coupled with a well-sloped croup and a well set excellent length of tail.  Paired with this is a superb rear assembly with long stifle, excellent length of upper thigh and short hocks.  The two assemblies work in harmony and Lance has beautiful flowing single-tracking movement.  He has a perfectly sculptured head including parallel planes, lovely stop, great  depth  of underjaw with exquisite cleanness of throat, exquisite eyes and expression.  His coat is harsh and straight.  He has a lovely temperament.  When he was younger his size was a concern, and he was placed in a home where I  have unlimited access to him.  Consequently, like the great Peter and Luke, he was not exposed to the show environment and, like them, he does not enjoy the show scene.  He did finish at a comfortable 15 3/4".  He obtained several Best Puppy in Groups on his way to a fast championship, but he has not had enough show exposure to enjoy the ring experience.  He has had all genetic clearances and he has a dynamite pedigree to support him as a producer and he will be a pillar of my breeding programme.  His pedigree alone is 45 times Desiderata and I've lost count of how many times Peter and Luke.  His qualities are exonerated by both Carol Watt and Tom Coen.  Tom stated enthusiastically when he saw him at the CSSA National this year, "I didn't know they still made Shelties like him any more."  Carol Watt has stated, "He is the most perfect Sheltie I have ever seen, one who epitomizes all qualities desirable in a Sheltie."

I have included a photo of young Lance (about 9 months) taking one of his Best Puppy in Group wins.  I like this photo because it shows off his beautiful profile and his lovely elegant body lines.  To see this early promise fulfilled, see the more mature picture in my ad.  I've also included a beautiful head photo to show off his "Peter" look.

Baby Lance

Lance as a puppy

Lance as an adult

Lance head study

4.  How do you feel the breed has evolved in the last 10 years?  Do you see a change for the better, or the worse?

Of course, this is a very difficult question to answer, if not impossible. Different people put different emphasis on different qualities.  Everyone's breeding programme is evolving according to their attachments to particular qualities.   My own breeding programme has improved in the way I planned.

5.  Describe your most memorable moment in the show ring (provide a photo if you wish).

My most memorable "moment" actually stretched into a year of campaigning "Julie" (Ch. & Otch. Rowanglen's Jubilation, TT, Am CD) in obedience in 1984.  That year she became #2 Sheltie and #2 Working Group obedience dog. She had a shot at being #1, but being a bitch, she had to be withdrawn from the campaign twice that year because of coming in season.  That gave the winning male an advantage.  Can't help having some feminist feelings here. It is difficult to describe the bonding that occurs with a dog that you train with, travel with in ungodly hours of predawn, share a cheap motel room with, etc.  Of course, the High in Trials were icing on the cake. Many of my dogs will get Group placements on their road to finishing, but I personally have not campaigned extensively.  Other people have done more winning with my dogs than I have myself.  They have achieved the Specialty wins with my stock, and have produced the Best in Show and Best Puppy in Show offspring.  I am proud to have a producing line for others.  Perhaps my most memorable moment in the show ring is yet to come.

6. Who has been the person in the breed who has had the greatest influence on you? Which dogs have helped shaped your image of the Sheltie as represented in your breeding program?

Carol Watt of Delamantha was my mentor.  She said I wouldn't know what a good dog was until I lived with one.  She leased me a "Desiderata" daughter for a brief time.  This was a special honour because I don't know of anyone else who ever had a daughter of this famous bitch.  This lease produced Ch. Rowanglen's Dearest Welcome CD ROMC, who was an inbred "Desiderata" granddaughter.  What an entrustment that was!  Most people start their breeding programmes with the idea that the next generation must be made better than what they got.  I was faced with the challenge of keeping and holding on to what I had received.  I took the "turtle" approach.  I could make only small gains at a time to avoid facing the loss of those hard-to-get qualities that landed in my lap.  Desiderata has an incredibly strong bitch line going back numerous times to that great bitch, Ch. Alford Heatherbelle, who back in the good old days, was the first Canadian Sheltie bitch to win a Working Group First.

7. What do you feel are the three most important things that a total novice to our breed must learn?

All three relate to time and patience:
One: "Don't be an instant expert".  Having a big ego does not equate with pride in what you've got.  It means you are more concerned with your own image than that of your dogs or of the breed as a whole.  Besides alienating others, nobody will gape in awe of all your knowledge anyway.
Two:  Get to know what a good Sheltie is.  Imprint the standard in your mind.  Besides book knowledge, you have to be able to envision what you are aiming for.  You have to see the whole picture, not just the parts.  This takes time.  You are a true breeder when your knowledge reaches a higher intuitive level.  It is a rare event for a person to reach this mental level of dog breeding.
Three:  Spend time with your family and with your God.  Keeping a universal perspective on the scheme of things will keep you whole.   Too many dog people have suffered relationship problems and have lost both their families and their dogs in the process.

Closing Comments:
In closing, some really great dogs have been born here.  Anyone who has ever appreciated Canada's all-time great Sheltie bitch, BIS BISS Ch. Delamantha's Desiderata, will also appreciate that her genes are not lost to Sheltiedom, but still survive in greatest concentration in Rowanglen dogs.  Mine is not a kennel that is in the limelight, but it is a breeder's source for quality in soundness and head type.  Of great personal value are the friendships that were formed over twenty years ago and still continue on today.  Not only has the line developed, but the personal growth in tandem with these great friendships has been and is a rewarding journey.  To get a further glimpse of this journey in dogs and in friends, I invite all to my web site, www.netrover.com/~rowangln/ .

Hanna Hadden