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Christiana C. Hartenstein & Lynn M. Simon, MD, Rockhart Irish Wolfhounds
Rockhart Irish Wolfhounds, AKC perm. reg'd.
Christiana C. Hartenstein and Lynn M. Simon, MD
Princeton, MN, USA
Involvement in the breed:
For Lynn it was love at first sight, for me it took a 2nd look behind the shaggy face. He fell in love with Irish Wolfhounds as a child, after seeing a picture that showed one standing with his front feet on his owner's shoulders. It took him nearly 15 years before his dream of getting one would finally come true. After graduating from medical school, his first wolfhound, Mishka, moved in with him in Minneapolis.
 I was in my twenties and still lived in Germany when my friend decided to get a wolfhound. Four weeks after he got the puppy, he went back to work. As a broadcast journalist, my hours were flexible, and it was now up to me to take care of this little girl. On our first walk, she was shy and afraid of the world. However, after only one week of training and visits to the dog parks, Silver turned into a curious, outgoing and sweet puppy. Because of her trust in me, her affection and her intelligence I fell in love with Irish Wolfhounds. Shortly afterwards I got my own: D'Wanja.
Since then, we have over 40 years of combined experience with Irish Wolfhounds, which is a great asset in our breeding program. We are dedicated to breeding healthy hounds that demonstrate the requisite type, quality and temperament, fast enough to catch a wolf and strong enough to bring it down.
Our hounds go back to well-respected lines such as Sulhamstead, Witchesbroom, Seplecur and Drakesleat and we strive to maintain this old type. We appear to have succeeded by our accomplishments in the show ring, as we have been fortunate enough to have bred several specialty winners in North America and Europe. Lynn is also an approved judge and has judged IW-specialties worldwide.
Breeding at Rockhart is limited. We only breed if we plan on keeping offspring for ourselves. Potential homes for companion hounds are carefully screened.
For us, living with Irish Wolfhounds is a privilege. Their affection and trust encourage us every day to keep going. We hope to be able to give them something back in return: a happy and safe life as our companions - and the promise to keep the breed in the state we found it, for the generations to come.
Areas of Assistance:
We are able and willing to provide information in regards to all areas.
Contact Information:
E-Mail: info@rockhart.com
Telephone: 763-389-4205
Website: www.rockhart.com
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