The deadline is looming for me to turn in my weekly blog for approval from the company CEO. I would be lying if I didn’t admit that the closer the deadline gets, the more anxious I feel. You see, I am suffering from what they call writers block and can’t come up with anything.

Well, that’s not entirely true, I will rephrase that. I am having a hard time coming up with a blog that will pass the CEO’s approval. I have plenty of things to say, but they may not be appropriate for this blog site that is linked to Doc’s place of work. After all, I wouldn’t want to say something that would get Doc fired. So, in the interest of staying politically correct, I will tell you all the things I would like to comment on but can’t and then you can fill in the blanks.

Lets start with the cable show on E! about that all American family called “Keeping Up With the Kardashians.” That family alone would provide enough material for at least ten blogs a year.

Next on the list would be the 2016 presidential race. Along with the candidates that are running, there is a whole other group of characters on the sidelines that include the press, those endorsing certain candidates and the talking heads on the 24 hour news channels.  That would be good for at least one blog every hour.

I also became interested in a story about a communications professor at The University of Missouri, that was also teaching in the journalism school. During a campus protest that she was involved in, the professor yelled “Hey who wants to help me get this reporter out of here?” when she attempted to censor and remove a group of student journalists trying to cover the event. She was charged with assault and reached a deal to do twenty hours of community service and no jail time if she stays out of trouble for a year, but I won’t say what I am thinking.

Then there’s always a host of others stories including but not limited to; people suing the BMV for their right to wear  colander’s on their heads for their driver’s license photo, adults that dress up like animals and call themselves “Furries”, a man who takes and sells “artistic” photos of images he shaves in his back hair, and the flock of sheep in New Zealand that took down some criminals trying to escape from the police.

You get the idea. I have to say, I already feel better just letting you know what is on my mind.  Whats on your mind?  Let me know in the comments below or on Facebook.

In the interest of keeping my readers informed, I have put together some of the strangest police calls that Doc and I have ever read. Hope you enjoy them and get a good chuckle.

• A caller reported at 7:14 p.m. that someone was on the porch yelling “help” from a residence on Bank Street. Officers responded and learned the person was calling a cat named “Help.”
• 2:58 p.m.- The Learning Center on Hanson Street reports a man across the way stands at his window watching the center, making parents nervous. Police ID the subject as a card-board cut out of Arnold Schwarzenegger.
• Animal complaint. A caller on West Point Avenue reported that a belligerent squirrel was preventing him from using his boat dock. The caller said he knew nothing could be done about it, but he wanted officers to know “what kind of squirrels are running around the community,” according to a police report.
• Wal-Mart: Police receive a report of a newborn infant found in a trash can. Upon investigation, officers discover it was only a burrito.
• At 8:29 p.m., police received a call from a Dubois woman who said she smelled something funny in her room last night. She believed that it might be her husband.
• Failure to identify. During a disturbance call a man gave an officer a false name and was arrested after he was found to have warrants for both names.
• A Florence Road resident reported Wednesday at 7:30 a.m. that someone had broken into his home overnight, while he was out drinking with his dog in his sister’s parking lot and stole his snow blower, police said.
• Dog attack – Lower Duck Pond, Lithia Park, Ashland. Police responded to a report of two dogs running loose and attacking ducks about 11:30 a.m. Sunday. The officer cited a resident for the loose dogs. The duck refused medical treatment and left the area, according to police.

As a dog, I am not really interested in human politics, but you’d have to be living under a rock with no wi-fi to miss “The Donald” and all of the rest of the candidates running for president.”

It is interesting for me to listen to you humans debating and trying to figure out how the “Donald” is leading in the polls. From a dogs perspective, that’s an easy one to answer. So many humans like him because he is acting like he’s the alpha of the pack.

In the dog world, the rest of the pack always submits to the alpha by rolling on our backs and exposing our bellies. Now don’t get me wrong, sometimes there are disagreements among the pack. We will nip and growl to fight for status or attention, just like the politicians do in the primaries.

The alpha isn’t always everything that they seem. The pack leaders that ultimately prevail in the animal world are calm and assertive. Because calm- assertive energy has power and dogs do not follow unstable pack leaders. Nature is far to pure to be fooled by frustration, anger, fear or any other negative energy.

In the end, if you humans elect someone that does not end up being a stable pack leader, the good news is that you can be a calm-assertive leader in your own home with your family and your furry friends. Don’t underestimate how changes in your own environment can have a ripple effect.

It has come to my attention that more and more colleges are creating what they call “safe space” for students who might find comments, debates, certain words or viewpoints distressing or discomforting. This includes anything that goes against their dearly and closely held beliefs. At one college, the room is equipped with bubbles, coloring books, blankets, videos of puppies, calming music, blankets and Play-Doh. Thinking that might be something I would like to do when I don’t like what Doc is saying to me or I feel offended in any way, I started to plan.

After making a list, I make a safe space for myself with the following; nice fluffy dog bed, my favorite toys, a nasty bone I have been chewing on for a year, and a tee shirt I stole from Doc’s hamper so I can smell her even when she is not there. Then, I find a cozy corner of the room, place everything in it and stand back to admire my work.

As Doc enters into the room she glances down with a quizzical look and asks ” What’s all of this Grover?” When I explain I got the idea from some college kids, Doc looked at me and said; ” It’s good to have a place that you feel safe, but you can’t run away and hide every time you hear something that you don’t like or agree with. Growth comes from challenging your beliefs, considering other’s opinions and learning to find balance. If you really want to be safe, the best thing you can do is learn how to have good boundaries.” “Boundaries I ask, like what?” Then Doc reminds me of the times dogs or people have approached me in ways that made me feel uncomfortable. Mulling that over I remember that just last week a dog approached me in an aggressive way and tried to sniff my butt before I signaled that it was ok. I dealt with it by giving a low growl until the dog backed away and we could work it out. ” I understand what you mean,” I say to Doc.

Looking down at my safe space, Doc asks, “do you want to try it out together?” And with that, we curl up together on the soft bed with the toys,  I place my head in her lap and realize as I start to drift off to sleep that being next to Doc is the safest space of all.