Copyright 2012 BethAnn Hanson - Mount Olympus Rottweilers - All Rights Reserved.
Hi. My name is BethAnn Hanson, and I’ve been actively in Rottweilers since 1987, when I purchased my first Rottweiler, “Zeus.” Zeus is the impetus which began my love affair with these wonderful dogs. He was a pet conformationally, but the best dog in terms of the old-fashioned, “true” Rottweiler temperament that I have ever met. Through my love for Zeus and the Rottweiler in general, I became involved with my local Rottweiler club, chaired the rescue program for them and helped them achieve AKC licensure as the Show Chair. After much heartbreak during the search for my “foundation bitch,” I found “Hazl” – the future Ch. Asphodl’s MarGra Hazl v. Helk’n. Zeus and Hazl were the king and queen of Mount Olympus, and assisted me in keeping the many rescue dogs that I worked to place over the years in line.
Mount Olympus Rottweilers is an extension of my love for this
breed. It is my HOBBY. I do not make a living from breeding or
handling dogs, because I believe that integrity is lost when the mortgage has to be paid, and your income is derived solely from these sources. While breeding and handling may be “hobbies,” I am an extremely serious hobbyist! I only breed when the breeding is destined to produce something that I myself want to keep.
I believe what sets Mount Olympus Rottweilers apart from many other breeders is the fact that I breed for a specific TYPE, and I research pedigrees to enhance this TYPE. My dogs all have correct Rottweiler temperament; i.e., they HAVE ATTITUDE. They love their people unconditionally.
I have been very fortunate to have developed relationships over the years with established breeders who know, and have had their hands on, the foundational dogs found in our pedigrees today. They were kind enough to share their knowledge, photographs, and breeding experiences with me – and because of them, I learned what my Hazl’s pedigree contained in terms of type and temperament, and I bred her accordingly to maintain her positives, and improve on what I thought we could improve upon.
Hazl produced many champions – one of whom became our Top Ten and #1 Rottweiler (peaked at #1 briefly): Multiple BISS/BIS/Select Ch. Mount Olympus Cartel’s Exacta (“Dorian”). Hazl’s daughter, Mount Olympus Antissa Pation (“Cisca”), a Ch. Cisco von Huter daughter, produced our SECOND Best in Show winner: BIS Ch. Mount Olympus Evander, CGC (“Vande”). Both of these dogs, as well as our other champions, exemplify the Mount Olympus TYPE and TEMPERAMENT.
Over the years, I achieved certification in animal behavior and been interviewed by several local news stations and appeared “on air” to discuss canine behavior in general, and Rottweilers specifically.
I’ve successfully handled both mine and other Rottweilers to their championships and beyond, and handled numerous other breeds to their championships, as well. While the past few years have seen a decline in my actual “visible” dog activities, I’ve remained active in rescue through A Rotta Love, a thoroughly LEGITIMATE rescue organization that helps Rottweilers, Am Staffs, and Pit Bulls here in the Twin Cities area and abroad.
We currently make our home in the Minnesota River Valley near the St. Croix River on 10 acres with a pond. All of our dogs are raised in the house, underfoot, with 5 children, 2 horses, 2 Pomeranians, a 2 French Bulldogs and a cat -- and any other dogs that come in for handling. While my main focus has been conformation (due to a lack of time for everything else), our Rottweilers have the aptitude for obedience and working, alike. My personal preference is a “hard” dog, but all of our puppies are raised as “Super Puppies,” and are tested before they go to their new homes. I keep our babies until they are 10 weeks of age – over the years, this has seemed to be the best time to let them go to their new homes, as they suffer less anxiety at this age than at 8 weeks (in my opinion). All puppies are sold with a written hip and health contracts, and I like to hear updates – whenever the urge strikes! Those Christmas cards with photos of my babies are forever cherished.
I breed for the TOTAL Rottweiler; temperament and structure are always first. I don’t care how beautiful the head is – if the body can’t do the work, what good is a head? And I don’t breed for the “super-size Rottweiler.” That is the most absurd thing I’ve ever heard of. The STANDARD DICTATES THE ROTTWEILER IS A MEDIUM TO LARGE DOG – Dogs stand at 25-27 inches at the shoulder. Bitches stand 23-25 inches at the shoulder. I breed for TYPE – I don’t like common.
Special thanks to my family -- Rolando for helping to make everything possible, and the kids for joining the endeavor and giving up their weekends to go to dog shows!!
