When the man our daughter Kate later married brought her a puppy while she served in the Peace Corps in the Republic of Georgia, she named it Gushagi



When the man our daughter Kate later married brought her a puppy while she served in the Peace Corps in the Republic of Georgia, she named it Gushagi

Sentinel, sentry, guardian

By: Sue Blank

01/19/2005

Caption: The photo above is *not* Gushagi but how we imagine her to be.

When the man our daughter Kate later married brought her a puppy while she served in the Peace Corps in the Republic of Georgia, she named it Gushagi.

In Georgian, that means guardian or sentinel, and the dog was aptly named. Now that she has crossed the Atlantic and resides in our house, she lives up to her name, notifying us when the trash truck turns onto our street, a squirrel runs up a tree in the yard, the UPS man knocks at the door, or a bird alights on the feeder. She lets us know even when she thinks any of these things might happen. We call her Gusha for short, but she doesn't come unless she wants to no matter what we call her.

Recently Kate listened to a program during which an SPCA rep named the standards that organization uses to assess the adoptability of a dog left at one of their shelters. Gusha failed on every count. Is she food aggressive? You bet. If she begins to eat something, forget about taking it away, no matter how inappropriate the morsel she has chosen. Of course, she was rail-thin in Georgia where she had only scraps, usually bread and vegetables, to feed on, so she learned early to hang on to the food she had.

Is she aggressive with strangers? She is aggressive with everyone except the people who live in our house - aggressive with grandchildren, our own children (except for our son Ed, who wrestles with her and chases her around the yard), friends and neighbors, service people, the mail carrier, piano tuner,everyone. When we know someone is coming, we lock the dog in the garage or confine her in the fenced back yard and institute an elaborate warning system to keep guests and dog apart.

As a puppy, Gusha lived in a fenced compound with two related families. The head of one hated dogs and was repeatedly discovered kicking and beating her. This fall my husband Jack walked her on her lead past a neighbor's home. The neighbor was finishing a gardening chore at curbside and hoisted a shovel over his shoulder as they passed. In an instant Gusha was snarling and lunging at the end of her lead, perhaps ready to prevent a repetition of past beatings.

During the football playoffs, Gusha napped quietly in front of the fire, but when a player broke free and threatened to score against my favorite team, I shouted, "Get him, get him, get him!" Gusha leaped up snarling and barking and raced to the door. No one was there, but she continued to defend us for some time before we could persuade her that no threat existed.

Is she aggressive with children? Especially with children. Happy shouts and small feet running outrage her. A single exception: Kate's seven-week-old son Luka. Introduced to him for the first time, she rolled over on her back, exposed her belly and throat, and showed utter submission. When he cries, she grows anxious. If he is carried into a room where she has been napping, she takes an escape route that avoids him.

Gusha hates motorcycles, garbage trucks, bicycles, the shredder in the basement office, eagles and hawks on television, real geese flying overhead and the vacuum cleaner. But she adores us. She likes stuffed animals, works hard to find a squeaker inside, then squeaks it 70 or 80 times in a row. I've counted. If she can arrange it, she likes to sleep with one of Kate's socks.

Next month Kate and her husband Gio move to a condo with Luka. Gusha stays with us. It should be interesting. I'm keeping my socks secure.

When this story was posted in January 2005, this was on the front page of PCOL:

Ask Not As our country prepares for the inauguration of a President, we remember one of the greatest speeches of the 20th century and how his words inspired us. "And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man."

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January 15, 2005: This Week's Top Stories Bellamy finishing term - Veneman to head Unicef 15 Jan 230 RPCVs volunteer for Crisis Corps 14 Jan Peace Corps Fund needs silent auction items 12 Jan Matt Gould in one-man Peace Corps show in Hollywood 12 Jan Taylor Hackford's "Ray" Nominated for Golden Globe 12 Jan Ambassador Johnson shares memories of Thailand 11 Jan Senator Dodd suggests PC return to Venezuela 11 Jan Ambassador Hull wants PC to return to Sierra Leone 11 Jan Poiriers unhappy with PC investigation of missing son 10 Jan Emile Hons reflects on the Deborah Gardner murder case 10 Jan Judge Paul A. Bastine criticized for stalling Divorce 6 Jan Volunteer Patricia D. Scatoloni dies in Macedonia 4 Jan more top stories...

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Coleman: Peace Corps mission and expansion Senator Norm Coleman, Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee that oversees the Peace Corps, says in an op-ed, A chance to show the world America at its best: "Even as that worthy agency mobilizes a "Crisis Corps" of former Peace Corps volunteers to assist with tsunami relief, I believe an opportunity exists to rededicate ourselves to the mission of the Peace Corps and its expansion to touch more and more lives."

RPCVs active in new session of Congress In the new session of Congress that begins this week, RPCV Congressman Tom Petri has a proposal to bolster Social Security, Sam Farr supported the objection to the Electoral College count, James Walsh has asked for a waiver to continue heading a powerful Appropriations subcommittee, Chris Shays will no longer be vice chairman of the Budget Committee, and Mike Honda spoke on the floor honoring late Congressman Robert Matsui.

Latest: RPCVs and Peace Corps provide aid Peace Corps made an appeal last week to all Thailand RPCV's to consider serving again through the Crisis Corps and more than 30 RPCVs have responded so far. RPCVs: Read what an RPCV-led NGO is doing about the crisis an how one RPCV is headed for Sri Lanka to help a nation he grew to love. Question: Is Crisis Corps going to send RPCVs to India, Indonesia and nine other countries that need help?

The World's Broken Promise to our Children Former Director Carol Bellamy, now head of Unicef, says that the appalling conditions endured today by half the world's children speak to a broken promise. Too many governments are doing worse than neglecting children -- they are making deliberate, informed choices that hurt children. Read her op-ed and Unicef's report on the State of the World's Children 2005.

Changing of the Guard With Lloyd Pierson's departure, Marie Wheat has been named acting Chief of Staff and Chief of Operations responsible for the day-to-day management of the Peace Corps. Although Wheat is not an RPCV and has limited overseas experience, in her two years at the agency she has come to be respected as someone with good political skills who listens and delegates authority and we wish her the best in her new position.

Our debt to Bill Moyers Former Peace Corps Deputy Director Bill Moyers leaves PBS next week to begin writing his memoir of Lyndon Baines Johnson. Read what Moyers says about journalism under fire, the value of a free press, and the yearning for democracy. "We have got to nurture the spirit of independent journalism in this country," he warns, "or we'll not save capitalism from its own excesses, and we'll not save democracy from its own inertia."

RPCV safe after Terrorist Attack RPCV Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley, the U.S. consul general in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia survived Monday's attack on the consulate without injury. Five consular employees and four others were killed. Abercrombie-Winstanley, the first woman to hold the position, has been an outspoken advocate of rights for Arab women and has met with Saudi reformers despite efforts by Saudi leaders to block the discussions.

Is Gaddi Leaving? Rumors are swirling that Peace Corps Director Vasquez may be leaving the administration. We think Director Vasquez has been doing a good job and if he decides to stay to the end of the administration, he could possibly have the same sort of impact as a Loret Ruppe Miller. If Vasquez has decided to leave, then Bob Taft, Peter McPherson, Chris Shays, or Jody Olsen would be good candidates to run the agency. Latest: For the record, Peace Corps has no comment on the rumors.

The Birth of the Peace Corps UMBC's Shriver Center and the Maryland Returned Volunteers hosted Scott Stossel, biographer of Sargent Shriver, who spoke on the Birth of the Peace Corps. This is the second annual Peace Corps History series - last year's speaker was Peace Corps Director Jack Vaughn.

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