It’s been a busy 4 weeks since our last blog post!

We have been inundated with applications for Daisy’s puppies and have been busy, sorting through them and checking references on the approved ones.  The boys have now been neutered, and we are hopeful that at least three of them will be placed in their forever homes this weekend.

The girls have another couple weeks before they will be spayed, but the foster mom and volunteers who are processing the applications hope to have home visits completed so that they, too, can go to their forever homes right away once their spays have been completed.

CSTR has also had several other dogs enter the program in recent weeks.

Nathan

Nathan is a 2 year old neutered male Shih Tzu who had been living in a garage because his owners were convinced that he was having “accidents” in the house.  Based on his foster mom’s evaluation, Nathan doesn’t have housebreaking issues, and she is convinced that it was one of the other dogs in the home who was having the “accidents”.

Nathan is a sweet boy who would prefer to be an “only” dog.  He walks well on a leash and would be fine in a home with older children.

Betsy

On 6/27/09, CSTR brought 5 female Shih Tzu into the program from a Missouri puppy mill release.  CSTR President Leann Lund made a quick trip from New Lenox to Effingham, IL to pick them up, and then they were taken straight to our vet.

All 5 girls were badly in need of a dental cleanings

Faith

resulting, unfortunately, in some extractions.  Poor Cassie also had pyometra and so had surgery shortly after arriving at the vet clinic.  She is doing much better now that she has been spayed and is on antibiotics to rid her of the infections.

Rosa and Cassie

These girls are older – all but Cindy (who is 7 years) are 10-11 years of age.  But they are happy, very sweet, waggy and friendly.  And they’re really hoping that someone will fall in

Cindy

love with them in spite of their ages and give them the loving forever homes that they’ve been waiting all of their lives for.

If you think you might be interested in adopting one of these or any of our other dogs, be sure and visit our web site at http://crossroadsrescue.org.

Week 8 and puppies are like toddlers.

Abby - 8 weeks

After learning what the big outdoors was like, the pups are definitely enjoying their time outside.  Unfortunately, just like toddlers, if they are stuck inside all day they get cranky.  Their foster mom prefers bright sunny days to wet rainy days.

Everyone sleeps so soundly after a good

Brook - 8 weeks

dose of running around and fresh air.  The adult dogs in the house weren’t happy as the pups were allowed to explore the backyard on their own for awhile.  It’s a good thing their foster mom doesn’t mind her plants being smushed.  The pups found them to be a great “jungle” to play hide and seek in and pounce on one another.  Hiding behind the air conditioning unit was another favorite hiding place.

Caden - 8 weeks

It’s also a good thing their foster mom is not in dire need of her kitchen table as it was moved to the garage in order to provide more space for the growing puppies.  She uses washable pee pads to cover the tarp that protects her tile floor and generally washes two loads of pee pads on a daily basis.  No matter how many layers are put down, though, those pups find a way to make it to the tarp and try chewing it or moving it.  Duct tape is now used to keep the tarp ends down and to try and prevent the pups from “snacking” on the ends.

Darcy - 8 weeks

Please note -

• CSTR will begin accepting adoption applications as of 6/6/09 at the Baby (Puppy) Shower.

• The purpose of these particular blog posts is to share with those interested pictures and information over the next couple months as the puppies grow and develop.

• While we will begin accepting applications for the puppies as of
  

  Emmett - 8 weeks

  6/6/09, they will not be placed in adoptive homes until they have been spayed/neutered.

• The male puppies will be neutered once they reach 12 weeks of age and will be placed in their forever homes after 7/6/09.

• The female puppies will be spayed once they reach 16 weeks of age and will be placed in their forever homes after 8/3/09.

Franklin - 8 weeks

Gavin - 8 weeks

Hailey - 8 weeks

Due to the foster mom being extremely busy, Week 6 and 7 posts are being posted at the same time.

Abby - 7 weeks

Week 7 and the puppies have been enjoying playtime in the great outdoors.  Each night the pups enjoy the fresh air and a larger area to romp in. They enjoy having foster mom and sister in the ex-pen with them so they can crawl on them and tug at their shirt.

Of course, toes remain to be a favorite chew toy of

Brooke - 7 weeks

the pups.  Their foster mom is always in search for different toys for them to play with and chew on.

An average day for the foster mom is to clean their ex-pen in the morning and make sure there is plenty of food and water. This is repeated once she comes home from work and while the pups are outside enjoying the fresh air. The foster mom never knows what she will wake up to each day.

Caden - 7 weeks

CSTR had their first volunteer picnic in which the pups were introduced to our members.  Needless to say the pups received plenty of attention and in return provided plenty of puppy kisses and puppy breath.

Please note -

• CSTR is NOT currently accepting adoption
  

  Darcy - 7 weeks

  applications or inquiries about these puppies.  CSTR will begin accepting adoption applications as of 6/6/09 at the Baby (Puppy) Shower.

• The purpose of these particular blog posts is to share with those interested pictures and information over the next couple months as the puppies grow and develop.
  

  Emmett - 7 weeks

• While we will begin accepting applications for the puppies as of 6/6/09, they will not be placed in adoptive homes until they have been spayed/neutered.

• The male puppies will be neutered once they reach 12 weeks of age.

• The female puppies will be spayed once they reach 16 weeks of age.

Franklin - 7 weeks

Gavin - 7 weeks

Hailey - 7 weeks

Due to the foster mom being extremely busy, Week 6 and 7 posts are being posted at the same time.

Abby - 6 weeks

Week 6 baths were in great demand.  As the pups continue to grow so does their food intake which means their output increased.  It never failed the pups would always walk or lay in a spot that was not clean.  Finally foster mom declared it was time to introduce the pups to soap and water!

Most of the pups needed to soak to get the dried food and poo out of the pads of their feet as well as their toenails.  Everyone behaved

Brooke - 6 weeks

except Darcy who decided she had had enough and tried climbing out of the sink.

Emmett was the only pup who figured out that doing the body shake.

Caden - 6 weeks

Everyone continues to grow and play and more than anything use their puppy voices.  They love attention from their foster family and their personalities continue to blossom as they mature.

Please note -

• CSTR is NOT currently accepting adoption applications or
  

  Darcy - 6 weeks

  inquiries about these puppies.  CSTR will begin accepting adoption applications as of 6/6/09 at the Baby (Puppy) Shower.

• The purpose of these particular blog posts is to share with those interested pictures and information over the next couple months as the puppies grow and develop.

• While we will begin accepting applications for the puppies as of
  

  Emmett - 6 weeks

  6/6/09, they will not be placed in adoptive homes until they have been spayed/neutered.

• The male puppies will be neutered once they reach 12 weeks of age.

• The female puppies will be spayed once they reach 16 weeks of age.

Hailey - 6 weeks

Franklin - 6 weeks

Gavin - 6 weeks

Abby - 5 weeks

Week 5 and there will be no dinner parties at the foster moms house for some time!  With 8 growing puppies the house has a “fragrance” all its own.

Brooke - 5 weeks

The puppies are eating the gruel with no problem at all and were still nursing until the end of the week.  On Friday they received their first set of shots.  Poor Emmett was the only one not pleased with being vaccinated, but everyone did well and they are healthy and strong.

Caden - 5 weeks

Having eight almost 3-pound pups nursing was taking its toll on poor Daisy, and so  Dr. Frank gave her an early Mother’s Day gift.  She had been indicating for a while that she was no longer interested in nursing the babies, and so after determining that the babies were healthy, eating well of the “gruel” and gaining weight, he gave the go ahead for her to stop

Skinny Daisy

nursing.  She was able to sleep in her foster moms bed for the first time, and needless to say, she didn’t need any encouragement.

The puppies continue to learn how to play and enjoy the companionship of their foster mom and sister, and now that they have had their first vaccinations, they are slowly being introduced to the canine and feline siblings in the house.

Darcy - 5 weeks

Please note -

• CSTR is NOT currently accepting adoption applications or inquiries about these puppies.  CSTR will begin accepting adoption applications as of 6/6/09.
  

• The purpose of these particular blog posts is to share with those
  

  Emmett - 5 weeks

  interested pictures and information over the next couple months as the puppies grow and develop.

• While we will begin accepting applications for the puppies as of 6/6/09, they will not be placed in adoptive homes until they have been spayed/neutered.

• The male puppies will be neutered once they reach 12 weeks of age.
  

  Franklin - 5 weeks

• The female puppies will be spayed once they reach 16 weeks of age.

Gavin - 5 weeks

Hailey - 5 weeks

Kisses

Bossy!

Abby - 4 weeks

Another week has gone by and the pups are happy, healthy and growing like weeds!  Their features continue to change…eyes change colors, faces change shapes, and their personalities are growing with them.

Emmett was the first to have his sharp baby teeth (called “milk teeth”) break through, and Darcy was the first one to find her foster mom’s shoelace, which as become a favorite toy amongst all of the growing puppies! Puppy play continues as they figure out that tails and ears are made for chewing.

Brooke - 4 weeks

Caden - 4 weeks

The pups started off the week with puppy gruel and have made their way to softened dry food to encourage chewing.  Every meal is like Thanksgiving for these pups, and you can always find them napping after their meals.

At five weeks they will get their first vaccinations and will soon be able to

Darcy - 4 weeks

start romping around outside.

Check back later this week for an announcement and details of where you can come see the puppies at their first public appearance!

Please note -

• CSTR is NOT currently accepting adoption applications or inquiries about these puppies.
• The purpose of these particular blog posts is to share with those
  

  Emmett - 4 weeks

  interested pictures and information over the next couple months as the puppies grow and develop.

• Once the puppies are weaned, CSTR will post an announcement and begin accepting adoption applications; however, they will not be placed in adoptive homes until they have been spayed/neutered.
• The male puppies will be neutered once they reach 12 weeks of age.
  

  Franklin - 4 weeks

• The female puppies will be spayed once they reach 16 weeks of age.

Gavin - 4 weeks

Hailey - 4 weeks

What a difference a week makes!

Abby - 3 weeks

The pups are now three weeks old and are becoming more stable on their feet and interested in the world around them.

Abby decided she wanted to find out what was on the other side of the whelping box and was the first one to make her “escape”.  What a surprise to her foster mom! Next thing you know Franklin is making a run for it.  This prompted their foster mom to move the pups to their “big kid” bed.  For right now it is a single ex-pen with multiple layers of pee pads as they have also learned the

Brooke - 3 weeks

art of peeing and pooping on their own.  It won’t be long before a second ex-pen will need to be added for these growing pups to have room to grow and romp in.

Physical changes continue to happen as well.  Their hair/fur continues to change its texture as well as color, and little tails that once stood up straight are now starting to curl.

Caden - 3 weeks

The pups are enjoying having all this new space and quickly decided it was time to start learning to play.  One minute everyone is sleeping and the next minute you could swear you are in the monkey house at the zoo.  Everyone is yapping away and trying to grab each other’s ears and tails as well as stumbling over one another in an attempt at play.

Two more milestones were marked for these little ones in the past week, too.

Darcy - 3 weeks

The first was their first real meal that didn’t come from mom.  Their foster mom makes a soupy concoction of canned puppy food and milk replacement that the pups will learn to lap up.  It didn’t take long for these guys to figure that out, that’s for sure, after a few of them slid around in the food first and then licked it from their paws.

Emmett - 3 weeks

Before long they will be making their way to softened dry puppy food and then hard puppy food.  That brings us to the second milestone.  Pearly little buds have started peeking through those gums.  Soon razor sharp teeth will be filling those little mouths.

Franklin - 3 weeks

Please note -

• CSTR is NOT currently accepting adoption applications or inquiries about these puppies.
• The purpose of these particular blog posts is to share with those interested pictures and information over the next couple months as the puppies grow and develop.
  

  Gavin - 3 weeks

• Once the puppies are weaned, CSTR will post an announcement and begin accepting adoption applications; however, they will not be placed in adoptive homes until they have been spayed/neutered.
• The male puppies will be neutered once they reach 12 weeks of age.
• The female puppies will be spayed once they reach 16 weeks of age.

Hailey - 3 weeks

Feeding Frenzy

Daisy's 8 - 2 weeks

Where has the time gone since the announcement of our puppies?!

Our foster mom is busy making sure that Daisy is healthy and is taking good care of her babies.

The first week in a pup’s life is nothing but eating and sleeping.

Abby - 2 weeks

They are incredible to watch as the ounces they gain in weight bring subtle changes to the pups.  During the second week things really start changing.  The puppies are gaining more weight, and their physical characteristics start changing.  You notice that Brooke and Caden now have little gold highlights on the sides of their faces or that little Darcy has spots appearing on her nose and pads of her feet.

Brooke - 2 weeks

Then between 10 and 14 days old their eyes start opening.  The funniest part is that both eyes don’t always open at the same time.

The goofiness has just begun.  The pups are now trying to figure out how to use all four paws to start the army crawl which soon turns into the drunken puppy walk.

It’s hard to believe the pups are just two weeks old,

Caden - 2 weeks

and according to their foster mom they are rarely a quiet bunch.  She can’t wait, though, to see what mischief and mayhem eight little pups will bring in the coming weeks.

Darcy - 2 weeks

Please note -

• CSTR is NOT currently accepting adoption applications or inquiries about these puppies.
• The purpose of these particular blog posts is to share with those interested pictures and information over the next couple months as the puppies grow and develop.
  

  Emmett - 2 weeks

• Once the puppies are weaned, CSTR will post an announcement and begin accepting adoption applications; however, they will not be placed in adoptive homes until they have been spayed/neutered.
• The male puppies will be neutered once they reach 12 weeks of age.
• The female puppies will be spayed once they reach 16 weeks of age.

Franklin - 2 weeks

Gavin - 2 weeks

Hailey - 2 weeks

Daisy 4/4/09

By April 4, Daisy was definitely feeling uncomfortable and ready to have those puppies!  However, she was still terribly underweight, and so her foster mom was working hard to convince her to eat.   It was obvious, though, that she was running out of room in that belly for anything but puppies!

On Sunday, 4/5/09, the puppies began to arrive, and Daisy did a fabulous job.  When it was all over, she had delivered EIGHT!  Four girls and four boys her foster mom named – in birth order – Abby, Brooke, Caden, Darcy, Emmett, Franklin, Gavin and Hailey.

Everyone is doing well so far, although Daisy is a picky eater so it is a challenge for her foster mom to convince her to eat enough to provide milk for so many babies.  But the babies are thriving, active and gaining weight.

Daisy and Darcy

Daisy is a very good mama and is taking excellent care of her babies.  She is allowing her foster mom to handle them, so they will also be very well-adjusted little puppies.

Be sure and watch the blog as we plan to update it regularly with the puppies’ progress as they grow.

However, please note -

• CSTR is NOT currently accepting adoption applications or inquiries about these puppies.
• The purpose of these particular blog posts will be to share with those interested pictures and information over the next couple months as the puppies grow and develop.
• Once the puppies are weaned, CSTR will post an announcement and begin accepting adoption applications; however, they will not be placed in adoptive homes until they have been spayed/neutered.
• The male puppies will be neutered once they reach 12 weeks of age.
• The female puppies will be spayed once they reach 16 weeks of age.