Puppy Number Five, who will now be known as “Harold”, departed this morning for his new home in the Twin Cities metro area.  If there’s a theme to these puppy departures it would be the huge smiles on the faces of folks as they begin their lives with these pups.

We received this photo of “Griz” (below, formerly Number Four) in his new home with a loving family member.  All the reports we’re getting from folks who have arrived home with their puppies has been great.  They are settling in with ease, sleeping well, comfortable in their crates and peeing outside.  This is news we love to hear.

We bid farewell to three more puppies this morning, leaving just six puppies with us.

Number 12, “Croix” (above) will be living in western Wisconsin.

Number 10, “Forest” (above and below) will live in South Dakota.

Number Four, “Griz”, left for his new Twin Cities home during a thunderstorm and we didn’t get a photo of his soggy departure.

Meanwhile, six, 8-week old puppies romped and wrestled and snarled with each other in between naps, chewing on toys, snuggle time and meals.  Number One (below) waited for her turn to run around with Biff outside the fence.

We said goodbye to Numbers Two, Seven and Eight this morning.  They’ll now be known as Mavis, Edgar and Gus (in that order) and are, as I write, trekking to homes in northern Minnesota, central Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Penninsula.

It was drizzly and a little messy outside, and helper Laura offered baths before the puppies departed with their families.

After 8 weeks of care and feeding, we are letting them go, happy that they have wonderful families that are excited to welcome them into their lives.

Mavis, above, will be living near Duluth.

Edgar (above) will be living in the Madison, Wisconsin area

Gus (above), will be in Michigan’s Upper Penninsula and has a big “brother”, Wyatt.

Each of the puppies, now just two days shy of eight weeks old, had their wellness checks and got their microchips and vaccinations yesterday afternoon (thank you Dr. Scott and tech, Melissa, from Watertown Veterinary Clinic for coming out.)  Reine nursed for one of her last times this morning and the first family arrived to spend some time with their puppy before driving him home to Wisconsin (tomorrow).  This will be a busy weekend as the puppies begin to leave us.  Three will depart tomorrow and three more on Sunday.  It’s a bittersweet time for us in some ways as we let go of these babies that have been “ours” but we know they are ready for the wonderful families that will now call them theirs.

The puppies are experiencing their last couple of days as a full litter together.  Here are a couple images from tonight’s dinner, through their after-dinner playtime through piling on top of each other when they’re ready to sleep.

Dinner is a feeding frenzy.  4 feeding pans, 3 pups per dish and they are emptied in less than a couple of minutes.  The puppies linger to lick each pan clean.

Tonight was stormy and the puppies avoided the screen-covered grassy space outside after dinner.  Biff happened to have a fresh pack of chew sticks and they kept the puppies busy for a good while.  A crazy running and wrestling session ensued after they’d gnawed on the chew sticks and then they all piled on top of each other and feel asleep.  I handed them to Biff inside, one by one, through the doggy door and Biff settled them onto their blanket for sleep. We have just one more night before puppies begin leaving for their new homes.  It’s hard to believe they have grown this much in such a short time.  Although we love them, they are SO ready for the individual attention they will be getting from their new families.

The puppies begin dropping off to sleep around 8 PM, although there are a couple of “live wires” (different every night) who need a little extra running and snuggle time before they unwind and curl up with their littermates for the night.  A number of the puppies have begun to enjoy belly rubs which I’m not sure is exclusively a Griff characteristic, but it’s definitely a characteristic of every Griff I know.  They love having their bellies rubbed!

After all the puppy busyness – the romping, chasing, chewing, splashing and wrestling – they all fall asleep.  Sweet sleep for puppies and sweet time for us to get a few other chores done.

This is Number One during just part of her outside-the-fence running time yesterday. We’ve noticed that some of the puppies make a circuit as they scamper (and often sprint) to the kiddy pool, then to the coneflowers then to the pine tree and back to the pool and garden.  They are fast!

It takes a brave man to sit down among 12 energetic puppies who are just beginning to use their sharp teeth.  Biff helped with the wind-down tonight after dinner, serving as the lightening rod for their boundless energy.  Some people go for mud plasters at expensive spas.  Biff has a thing for immersion in puppies.

Biff put a crate out for the puppies to explore again today.  Interest was high as they piled into it, wrestled each other, climbed all over and chewed on it.  Our helper, Laura, had them each take turns going in and experience the door closing.  Small steps in getting comfortable with a crate as a safe place to be.

Look at those faces… Can you tell one from the other?  We have to look at the markings on their backs and tails to figure out who is who.  Their faces are just too much alike. That’s Number 7 below, being held by a visitor.  Can you see him in the group shot with his distinctive blaze?