DUTCH HAVEN DOGS - QUALITY COCKAPOO PUPPIES
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    • S'more's Sock Monkeys 25
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  • All Grown Up
  • Where Do Dutch Haven Dogs live?
  • Reading & Links
  • Contact Us
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Our Dogs
    • The Guys
    • The Girls
  • Current Puppies
    • S'more's Sock Monkeys 25
    • Indigo's Graduates 25
  • Puppies in Just 8 Weeks
  • All Grown Up
  • Where Do Dutch Haven Dogs live?
  • Reading & Links
  • Contact Us

Recommended Reading

In preparation for bringing your new puppy home, we highly recommend doing a little homework! Here are some of the books we have found very helpful (though you don't have to read them all!):
The Happy Puppy Handbook by Pippa Mattinson
Puppy's First Steps by Nicholas Dodman
How to Raise the Perfect Dog - Cesar Millan
Good Owners, Great Dogs - Brian Kilcommons
Teach Your Dog 100 English Words - Michele Welton
Art of Raising a Puppy - The Monks of New Skete
If you prefer to listen rather than read, behaviorist Dr. Jen has some great podcasts about early puppyhood education, and we just LOVE the Baxter & Bella podcast!
Baxter & Bella
Dog Talk: Puppy Socialization
Dog Talk: Housetraining 101
Dr. Jen's Dog Blog

Favorite Toys & Gear

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Hide-A-Squirrel by Outward Hound. Our dogs love pulling the squirrels out of the stump! Nabisco takes especially good care of the squirrels, though some of our other dogs are inclined to pull the stuffing out.

I got it on Amazon.com ~Lydia
Dog collars, harnesses, and leashes by Lupine Pet. Made in New Hampshire and guaranteed, even if chewed! Many of our dogs have been wearing Lupine gear for years. It's great quality and comes in so many beautiful designs!

I've bought directly from Lupine, from our vet, and on Amazon.com ~Lydia
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Awesome Bandanas by Cooper Loves Sophie.
Cooper and Sophie are two Dutch Haven dogs who live in New York. Their high quality bandanas come in a bunch of fun colors and designs and are just the thing for a Cockapoo to step out in style!

Buy directly from Cooperlovessophie.com ~Lydia
Ethical Pets Skinneeez Crinklers. They squeak. They crinkle. They don't have stuffing to pull out. They're soft. They come in a variety of cute designs. The puppies adore them!

I usually buy on Amazon.com ~Lydia
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Chuckit! Squeaky Ball. It's held up to even our strongest chewers, and the medium is just the right size for our mature dogs. Hanna carries hers everywhere with her, and it's been a great bark-deterrent - even when she wants to bark we can't hear her because it's muffled behind her ball!

My go-to shopping cart is on Amazon ~Lydia 

Local Resources:

One of our Dutch Haven families highly recommended Cozy Companions for locally made dog coats and beds. They have a wide variety of colors and patterns so you can order a custom coat just right for your Dutch Haven dog! Karen (owner of two Dutch Haven girls!) tells us, "The owner, Deborah Joyce, is fantastic. Sadie and Brandy have several custom made coats and fleece sweaters to keep them warm, dry, and fashionable! They both love the Pet Puffs most of all and not any of the manufactured dog beds we bought before. The great thing about these is that the pillow, bed, and cover can all be washed in a washing machine to keep them clean and fresh."
Cozy Companions Coats & More

Great Links

American Cockapoo Club (ACC)
Broadview Animal Hospital
Baxter & Bella: YouTube Training Videos
The Happy Puppy Site

The Docking Question

As many of you already know, our background as a family was in raising purebred Cocker Spaniels. Here in the United States, it is most common to dock the tails of Cocker Spaniel pups shortly after birth, and that is what we did as well. ​
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Years ago, when we bred our first Cockapoo puppies, we decided to leave the tails intact. We did this for our first three litters, enjoying those cheerfully wagging puppy tails! However, as these pups matured, we discovered that some of the pups did not hold their tails up very high, even to the point of sometimes letting them drag on the ground. For some reason, they seemed to lack the musculature to fully elevate their tails. With health and hygiene concerns in mind, we decided to return to docking all of the tails. This process has always been done by our vet, using a stitch to help ensure healing is quick and safe.

We understand that the tail is an important communication device for dogs, so we have tried to make sure to leave enough length that the pups can clearly communicate with their people and with other dogs, too. But over the years we have often thought about those long tails!
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Now that we have a number of Cocker Spaniels as part of our program, we have decided to give long tails another chance. Our decision all those years ago was based on litters who all had the same mother and father. Now, we have several active studs, and over a dozen active mamas in our Dutch Haven family. After careful consideration, we’ve decided to begin offering some litters with natural-length tails. We will be selecting from our Cockers who naturally hold their tails in a more upright position. Our adopting families can choose a pup with a docked tail or natural-length, depending on their preferences.

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If you are already on our waiting list, we will still offer you the earliest available puppies, regardless of tail status. If you have a tail preference, you will have the option to wait for a litter that has pups that best meet your desired parameters.

Ready to Add a Cockapoo To Your Life?

We are accepting applications for our summer puppies, ready to go home in August! We'd love to get to know you and have you join our waiting list!
Please fill out our application form to share a little bit about yourself and your lifestyle. 
Application Form
Dutch Haven has been recognized by Doodle Doods as a top ethical Cockapoo breeder!

What Our Clients Are Saying

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Having been Lab lovers for 50 years, our decision to have a small dog was not easy. Little did we know that Lucy would waltz into our lives and bring such joy, that it is difficult to imagine life without her. At 5 months she is a bundle of energy, loves people and dogs, and is intensely curious about everything, except big, noisy trucks. Lucy's transition to our home was made easy due to the care she received by Lydia of Dutch Haven Dogs. Murphy, the stuffed dog with a beating heart, came with Lucy, and can still be found each morning cuddled underneath her. Lucy has slept through the night all but the first 2 nights with us. The written routine given to us helped to get us through those first unknown weeks. Included in the pages of information given to us were tips about personality, behavior, and care. I remember Lydia telling us when we came to get Lucy, that she massaged the puppies' paws and ears daily so that they were used to being touched. To this day, it is part of my "loving" routine. And we do love her so very much. Fondly, Sandy, Kittery, ME

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​We cannot say enough wonderful things about Dutch Haven dogs. Our pup has been such a delight for the short few months we’ve had her. Everything about this process was amazing. Communication, answering questions, supplies, lists. Not to mention the love and care these pups get before we get to bring them home. My girl is an angel, she loves people. She’s friendly, she’s sweet. I couldn’t be happier. ~Heather, Eliot, ME

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We absolutely LOVED our experience with Dutch Haven! My favorite part is that the puppies are so well loved by the Groen family before they are ready to go to their new homes. Lydia Groen is so thorough with her communications and so helpful! The puppy selection process was also very well done. And I was impressed by the evaluation that Lydia performed on each puppy to determine their personalities. I’ve also loved all the photos while we were waiting for our precious puppy named Birdie! This is by far the best breeder experience we’ve ever had and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants a beautiful and well adjusted snd well loved puppy! ~Courtney, Dallas, TX

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I am forever grateful to Dutch Haven Dogs for uniting me with my Gemma (Santa Clara) back in 2015. From our first conversation, I knew Dutch Haven not only had the knowledge of the Cockapoo breed, but also had the passion for what they do. They raise their pups surrounded by children who nurture them with all the love and cuddles! My Gemma is the smartest, most loyal dog, and she remains by my side as my best friend. Thank you Dutch Haven for breeding dogs with good health, temperment, and beauty. Huge shout out to you from us in CT!!! Christie, North Haven, CT

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Getting my dog from Dutch Haven was the best experience I could imagine. We got Dublin 6 years ago and I still think of the first time I contacted Dutch Haven to picking him out to bringing him home. The process was seamless. I happily waited 9 months for my puppy knowing he was coming from a loving, healthy family breeder. We were kept updated about our place on the waitlist, and photos were shared once our litter was born. My dog is very healthy and happy and I credit a lot of that to Dutch Haven being so reputable and caring of their dogs. When I get another dog, it will be from Dutch Haven! Thank you and hello from Dublin! Kristin, Dover, NH

Come see more of what people are saying about their Dutch Haven pups on our ALL GROWN UP page!

Let's Be Friends!