We are cautious when placing our pups into their forever homes and do a thorough check of references. We do not ship puppies, but will gladly work with you to ensure your puppy arrives safely.
We gladly provide references. When asked for a reference from a prospective puppy buyer, I contacted a couple of owners and they gladly responded to the prospect. Below you will find a copy of the note sent from one of the owners.
Susan Hines, our breeder, has asked me to contact you as a reference for her and her sweet puppies. I hear you are considering purchasing a puppy from Susan.
We got our little Bear from Susan nearly 1.5 years ago in July 2009, and have been so, so happy with him, as well as with Susan for her followup, advice, etc. along the way whenever we have had questions. We met her here in Nashville once, after we bought Bear, for a dog show when she was showing her dogs, and we have remained in frequent and regular communication with her as Bear has grown. We searched and searched for a regional breeder whom we could meet in person to find just the right dog for our family. Susan was very accommodating, honest, patient and willing to educate us about smaller breed dogs, esp the wonderful Havanese. We have always had Golden Retrievers, and still have one now (Max — nearly 9). That was one of my biggest concerns….how to mesh a new small-breed puppy into a family with a full-grown 7-yr old large-breed dog, two busy young teens, and two working parents. It all worked out beautifully, with just a little extra effort and patience, and Max and Bear are the fastest of friends now.
Bear is 
extremely healthy and strong, and has been since we got him — from that standpoint, I have no concerns at all with Susan as a breeder. Bear has been a HUGE joy to all of our lives, even more than expected — this little dog was originally meant for our 13-year old daughter, but the truth is that he is now everyone’s heart. He has provided us all (including extended family) with much laughter and joy…the Havanese are real sweeties, so get ready. We found out just how much he had won our hearts last May when he got hold of a Nerf toy, and chewed/swallowed a large enough piece off of it that it got lodged in his colon. He became very sick and had two resulting surgeries to remove/repair. He was a very sick little guy, and was in and out of our incredible local animal hospital. It was an ordeal that went on thru all of June and most of July. We missed Bear so much when he was gone to the hospital, and feared so often that he might not recover and come home. We were all absolutely heartbroken — the one time I truly broke down was the day when I believed he wasn’t gonna make it and, I called Susan to tell her what had happened. She was great to talk to about it all, and she stayed in touch with me regularly until Bear got back on his feet. I’ll never forget one night I got an email back from her with many, many attached well-wishes from across the world from the Havanese-breeding community — she had contacted breeders about Bear’s condition and some post-surgery questions we had, and the responses and prayers flooded in — she was so sweet to share it all with me, and the email came to me on a morning when Bear turned a corner…..hmmmm.
extremely healthy and strong, and has been since we got him — from that standpoint, I have no concerns at all with Susan as a breeder. Bear has been a HUGE joy to all of our lives, even more than expected — this little dog was originally meant for our 13-year old daughter, but the truth is that he is now everyone’s heart. He has provided us all (including extended family) with much laughter and joy…the Havanese are real sweeties, so get ready. We found out just how much he had won our hearts last May when he got hold of a Nerf toy, and chewed/swallowed a large enough piece off of it that it got lodged in his colon. He became very sick and had two resulting surgeries to remove/repair. He was a very sick little guy, and was in and out of our incredible local animal hospital. It was an ordeal that went on thru all of June and most of July. We missed Bear so much when he was gone to the hospital, and feared so often that he might not recover and come home. We were all absolutely heartbroken — the one time I truly broke down was the day when I believed he wasn’t gonna make it and, I called Susan to tell her what had happened. She was great to talk to about it all, and she stayed in touch with me regularly until Bear got back on his feet. I’ll never forget one night I got an email back from her with many, many attached well-wishes from across the world from the Havanese-breeding community — she had contacted breeders about Bear’s condition and some post-surgery questions we had, and the responses and prayers flooded in — she was so sweet to share it all with me, and the email came to me on a morning when Bear turned a corner…..hmmmm.All of this goes to say that, even though the Havanese are a small breed, they are nonetheless incredibly strong of body and spirit, and Susan is a wonderful breeder and friend, esp when the chips are down. Her total support was felt from a distance, and I value her friendship. If we ever get another Havanese, and I do see that in my future, I will call Susan first.
Two years after adding Bear to their family, her husband surprised her with another puppy, Molly, a full sibling of her Bear. The picture below was taken February 2013.
Meet more families on our Happy Families page.
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