DR. WALLACE: When I was 12 and 13 years old, I felt like I was still too young to work out, so I didn't, but now that I'm 14, I'm working out really hard every single day. I have a home gym that I set up with weights and a bench. I work out all the time after I finish school. And since we don't have to travel to and from school anymore because we're learning at home due to COVID-19, I have even more time to work out.

I'm kind of obsessed with my workouts, but my body doesn't seem to be as perfect as I would like it to be. I was thinking about taking some steroids to make me bigger, especially since I heard from a friend that there is a football player at our high school who uses them and can get more for anyone who wants them. Is it OK for me to take a few mild steroids at 14, or should I wait to try them until I'm 16? I was told that this football player only started taking them at 16, and he's huge now. I want to have the perfect physique as soon as possible. - Pump Me Up, via email

PUMP ME UP: There is no safe age to take steroids! Don't do this at any age, especially since anything you would be given could be tainted or could literally be any substance at all.

The only medication or substances you should ever take would be those prescribed by a doctor who has met with and examined you in person and prescribed them for a good medical reason.

In addition, there is a disorder called muscle dysmorphia whereby young men and sometimes women become unhealthily obsessed with being bigger and more muscular. At your present age, your body is still continuing to grow as you mature into a young man. I suggest you see a physician now before you continue to extend your workout schedules. Do yourself a favor and ask your physician what he or she thinks about steroids and how they might impact your body and your overall health. I trust you will find the answers both enlightening and cautionary.

ARE DOGS OR CATS SMARTER?

DR. WALLACE: My pet dog is not even 2 full years old yet, and already he can do many tricks and is learning more every week or two. He can fetch things, and he shakes paws with me. He can roll over, lie down, sit and bark — all on command!

My sister has a cat she likes a lot, but this cat only seems to hang out in her room, and it just does what it wants. She lets it sleep on the bed at night, but my dog sleeps in our garage in his dog bed. He doesn't bark or whine. In fact, at night he'll go right into his bed when I tell him to. Then the first thing I do each morning is go out and get him and take him for a walk to get his bathroom break. My sister's cat uses a gross litter box in the corner of her room and it stinks!

So, I was showing my sister some of the tricks my dog can do, and she calmy told me that her cat is smarter than my dog will ever be. I think she's crazy! I already know that dogs can be pretty smart because they are used as guide dogs, police dogs, guard dogs and even bomb-smelling dogs.

My sister claims her cat can take care of himself and that means he's the smarter animal. I disagree. Do you think dogs or cats are smarter? We need your vote to break the tie! — Dog Lover, via email

DOG LOVER: Dogs are highly intelligent and can be taught to do numerous tasks. But your sister has a point with her cat being pretty smart, too. Over the years, our household had many dogs and a few cats, too, since my daughter also loved felines as a child.

Based only on my personal experiences and observations, I'd say that both dogs and cats are quite smart animals. But there is a difference. I feel dogs are more book-smart, meaning they can learn a task and repeat it, just as you've discovered with your own dog. Dogs also know sounds such as car keys jingling, and they immediately know someone is going for a ride in a vehicle, something they usually enjoy.

I find cats, on the other hand, to be more street-smart. They have little to no interest in doing tricks or riding in cars, but they sure know how to set themselves up to spend their days their way. They hide when they want to, socialize when they want to and also have the ability to bathe themselves so that they can avoid the bath nearly every dog dreads!

So, to be generous, I'll call it a tie, but if you add affection and loyalty into the mix, I'd say that would push dogs ahead by a nose.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at [email protected]. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

Photo credit: Ichigo121212 at Pixabay