January 5, 2009

Buddy, the Wonder Dog

The campground is blessed to be guarded by Buddy, the Wonder Dog. Despite Buddy's name, she is a female. She's rather old, with a mild disposition, but don't let that fool you, either. She holds her own in a scrap.

When we first arrived, we were told that she would probably camp out each night at our door, keeping watch. I have to admit while I thought that was quaint, I didn't feel any safer just because Buddy was around. There are lots of dogs running loose around here, and I couldn't imagine Buddy defending us to any of them.

Last week, though, Buddy went into heat, and it was a free-for-all. We didn't sleep much because our windows are always open, and it sounded like steak night at the dog pound, all night long. I worried about dear old Buddy, trying to defend herself against these young studs who were coming after her in packs. I couldn't help but spring out of bed to check on her everytime the fight sounded deadly outside the window. Each time, I'd find Buddy atop some larger dog, with her mouth on his throat and a mean growl going on. Inevitably, when she'd release her death grip on his jugular, he'd whimper and run off, the others following behind. Mind you, this happened every ten minutes or so (some dogs just won't learn), but she never tired. That did worlds for my confidence in our "guard dog."

She trapses around after my girls all day, unless things are happening elsewhere at camp. This is a big plus for Caroline, who is a lover of all things furry. Buddy must be in the middle of whatever is going on. She's a regular attender at church, in and out of people's homes, and in the dining hall. She guards the new kittens and keeps the stray dogs at bay. Buddy is just one of the unexpected little blessings we've found here, making Paraguay seem more homey for us.


2 comments:

  1. They have a saying in Guarani, "where ever there are people gathered, there is a dog", ask your nieghbors about it. Sounds like your dog is Guarani!

    Your stories are so interesting!

    We were near your house the other day, on Ruta 1, it looks like a pretty town, maybe we will come and visit some time.

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  2. Life without a dog is "ruff"! Glad you have one.

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