Recommendations

Recommendations

From an experienced dog owner:

Karen, I have had a lot of dogs of different breeds and I am continually amazed at how smart and appealing the Havanese are. This puppy is fearless, absolutely loves the water, is learning to be diplomatic to both people and other dogs on the beach, is quiet and mellow when needed, an excellent traveler whether in plane, car or boat. Quiet and hardy and a great companion. Pretty darn perfect in all ways. Thank you again for breeding such excellent dogs.
I wish you a Bono to show , but if not just know that you are doing a great service to the breed and to those lucky enough to get a puppy from you.

Thank you, N.P., West Virginia

From another experienced dog owner:
I wanted to let you know how well Coco has been doing in the last two weeks.  She is amazing!  She is so incredibly smart!  She is picking up things so fast, much fast than any of the dogs we have had in the past. 
She has been out and about as well.  Last week I took her to Total Wine, Kohls and to get my car inspected.  She totally charmed everyone.  Yesterday we took her to Home Depot, and I had two people ask me what aisle the puppies were on.  Today we took her to The Tile Store, and I had six people begging to hold her.   She has also been to our daughter’s house a few times, and we have had the granddaughters here.  Coco is doing really with the little girls, and they are doing great with her, with supervision of course.  
So thank you for raising such a beautiful, intelligent puppy.  Everyone that meets Coco wants a Havanese puppy now…🥰
I did a lot of research on Havanese and then on Havanese breeders…you did not disappoint!
A.S., Virginia
From a family with an adult and puppy from Carita Havanese:
Karen, in this season of giving thanks I want to thank you again for giving me the most wonderful dogs in the world.  Truvee is very happy and loving and Desi is an incredible animal.  Both of them are superb representatives of their breed.  Your dogs are like no others that I have come across.  Desi did not destroy any furniture and is completely house trained. He and Truvee play all day — chasing squirrels and birds.

Everyone who meets them cannot believe how well behaved they are.  They make me laugh everyday, and every morning I wake up to tons of Truvee and Desi kisses.

So thanks again!  I hope all is well with you and your family.
J.S., Montclair, NJ
 
From a former owner of golden retrievers:
I’ve had an amazing year with Bodie.  He is the love of my life. So smart and fun, he LOVES playing training games.  Keeps me laughing and is a huge cuddle bear.  I can’t possibly put into words how much respect I have for you and your breeding program.  I’ve met only a few other Havanese. They are nothing compared to Bodie! 
R.S., Arizona
 
From a family with young children:
Just wanting you to know how much we  LOVE LOVE LOVE our dog!  Sparky has been such a joy in our life, my kids, my nanny, and even my ex husband!  He keeps threatening to take him.  The dog is smart, cuddly, adorable and just plain awesome.  My ex is thinking about getting one for his  house.  By chance are you thinking of having any litters in the future?
KR, Los Angeles, Calif.

A note from a retired couple who has never had a dog before, puppy is now 4 months old:
Karen,
I’ve never laughed so much and slept so well.
We’re on a good schedule and I have his habits and body language basically figured out.
Darby is becoming a prominent figure in the neighborhood. Everyone we meet asks about him, thinks he is adorable, smart and comments on his breed, markings and coloring. Of course, he is always on his best behavior. He only displays his piranha and pit bull DNA to me!!
I was thrilled when he chose to walk along side an elderly gentleman who lives at the end of the street.  Darby was on leash and the man used a walker and they walked all the way together.  Quite a precious site.  The man was so pleased as he recently lost his 15 year old dog.  He said, “Goodbye Darby.  I’ll see you tomorrow” when he reached his house.
P. and S., Missoula, Montana
A note from a family who previously purchased a puppy from another breeder:
We absolutely love Stella and she is a perfect fit! Everything you said about how she would act is true! I will never choose any other type of dog or breeder for that matter! If we want another one, we will be back! Thanks for all your tips and please keep sending helpful hints! D.B., Covington, Louisiana

From a first-time Havanese owner and her daughter:
I cannot believe how smart and responsive this puppy is. Amazing. Not sure how much she knew when she got here, but sit and come seem to be a cinch for her. Not to mention you could just eat her up, she is so adorable. Crate training very, very easy. All going extremely smoothly. First sleepover at Grandma’s last night was a breeze. She and I are now planning Thanksgiving menus together 🙂
R.R., Stamford, CT

 

From a family with young children, buying their first puppy:
Thank you Karen for being so wonderful! You are making this such a great experience. I was really nervous at first, being that I didn’t know you, but you made getting to know you so comfortable that I feel like I’ve known you for years! Again, thank you for everything! S. D., Lisbon, Connecticut



A thank you note from a young couple who purchased their first dog from Carita:

Hi Karen,

Just wanted to check in to let you know how wonderful Bentley is doing. We can’t imagine our life without him! The one thing that everybody compliments him on is how unbelievably friendly he is. He is so sociable and loves meeting new people. And of course, people love meeting him! He is used to our routine and basically agreeable to whatever we do with him. We recently took him for his first grooming, and the groomers commented on how he didn’t fuss with anything they tried to do. What a great puppy!

 

 

 

We have been as active as we can with him. He enjoys going on short runs with us, but not for too long! He is very quick and loves to play fetch. And even when we are inside, he often brings his toys over to us, urging us to play with him. It is so darn cute!

 

 

 

We are starting a puppy class next Saturday, May 7, and we already have a pretty good foundation with “sit,” “down,” and “come.” That might be the best part–when we say Bentley, Come!, he comes running for us. We have been with him outside in open areas without his leash on, and he has never had to the urge to leave our general area. He just wants to hang with us.

 

 

 

I know part of all this positive stuff is thanks to his breed–that is why we wanted a Havanese to begin with. But it’s also thanks to your upbringing, which was clearly phenomenal. I would highly recommend you to any interested puppy buyers in the future, and maybe some day we will want to get Bentley a little brother or sister to play with…. who knows? If we ever did have the want/need for another dog, I know who we would be calling. It is really a special bond that people have with their dogs, and that is why Laura and I seriously cannot thank you enough from the bottom of our hearts. Bentley has been a dream come true for us.

 

 

 

If business or pleasure ever takes you through Omaha, feel free to contact me if you’d like to see the little guy. I’m not sure if I will ever make it to Boise, but I will let you know if I do! Thank you again–I will be in touch as time goes on, and we will certainly post pictures on facebook, too.

R & L, Omaha, Nebraska

From a puppy buyer, several weeks before receiving the puppy
Thank you so much for these documents! Your write-up is perfect and is exactly the information I was looking for (what he’s been eating, should be eating in the next few months, vaccinations, etc). These were things on my list o’ questions – so thanks for answering them in one easy document!

C, Newport Beach, California

A recommendation from a family who has three Carita Havanese puppies:

We are the proud parents of 3 of Karen’s puppies.

2 from the same parents but different litter (1 male 1 female). The two of them are 6 months apart and Abi welcome Brodi into her home as if he always belonged here. The 2 of them are the most playful, personable dogs. While their personalities are very different, they both bring great joy to our family. A year later we saw pictures of another litter of Karen/s and couldn’t resist. We continually communicated with Karen after we got the first 2 pups. She knew how much they were loved and well taken care of, that she allowed us to bring home Sophie. This little girl is one of a kind! While the first two steal the hearts of most, she steals the hearts of ALL!

 

We worry every time we take them for grooming that when we get there to pick them up, the groomer will have left town with our kids. 🙂

Karen has been great to deal with and we continue to reach out to her if we have questions or need advice on anything when it comes to these dogs. We are certain that if we ever get another puppy, it will be from Karen or someone that she recommends.

D and F, Syracuse, NY



From a Family Who Purchased a Puppy from Another Breeder: Cannot tell you how much I appreciate our conversation yesterday, the reassurance, guidance and encouragement you gave. And the resources and suggestions, which, between caring for pups and trying to get our own basic life functions taken care of, we are reading and trying to get a hold of. Thank you!

We immediately seized upon your suggestion that we take the pups–Sascha and Ragz–out on a short car ride, carried them in our jackets into the library, where I was able to snag copy of “The Other End of the Leash,” brought tiny bits of cheese and introduced the pups to several enchanted staff members and patrons. Then visited a friend around the corner to pee on her pristine back lawn, say hello with tiny bit of kibble, and come home. Naps went well even in the separate crates. This morning friends are coming over, their second at home visitors. We do have a bit of catching up to do if we are to meet the 100 mark in a another few weeks.

So know you have helped us so much and we are very grateful.

I will be in touch again. …… I did indeed talk to a couple of other people as I sent out a sort of SOS to a few people. Quite honestly, yours was, far and away the only truly fulsome, generous, knowledgeable –and kind!!!–response. And the passion you have for dogs, for Havanese particularly and for teaching was a joy to experience–even through my fog of anxiety.

Breathing much more freely (would you believe I am a retired psychotherapist: I teach other people to do this sort of thing, but with other humans…where I am on much surer ground than with dogs) and with much gratitude,

E and D, Belllingham, Washington