In this final week before the boy puppies will depart to live away from their mom (and us,) we notice how capable they are. They are confident, alert, curious, coordinated, affectionate, sociable, they eat dog food, drink water, carry interesting objects in their mouths, respond when we call them (most of the time) and give us clues (some of the time) when they need to poop or pee. They’ve been introduced to pheasant, quail and pigeons and have responded with great interest, as expected.

They now whiz through the doggy door, sometimes carrying toys from outdoors to inside and vice versa. They continue to take deep naps throughout the day but those naps have longer and livelier awake periods in between. They’ve been introduced to the crate and we’ll be putting collars on them this week when we go to the vet for their wellness check-ups. The changes in 8 weeks are incredible and it’s been a pleasure to be part of their growth.