DR. WALLACE: I live with my grandparents. My mother died at my birth and my father is in Mexico and I haven't seen him in over 10 years. I am now 14. I would like to get a pet dog, but I'm not so sure my grandmother will let me have one because she has a beautiful garden and a yard and she is always complaining that the neighbors' dogs are digging in her yard and damaging her precious plants!
What can I do ahead of time to get her to allow me to have a dog, and if it's not a dog, maybe a cat? — Animal lover, via email
ANIMAL LOVER: Tell grandma that you would like a pet and that you will take full responsibility for it, including feeding and grooming. Tell her that you will train it to behave and that you are sure she will love having a pet around, too.
Make sure the pet comes from your local animal shelter. That way this new pet will have all the necessary inoculations and will be spayed or neutered. Pets in the shelter are homeless and are looking for a wonderful family to adopt them.
Personally, I think every family should have a pet to love if their situation permits. Caring for a pet is a great experience, and the pet will bring much joy into the whole family!
GO FOR IT
DR. WALLACE: I'm a 16-year-old boy, and believe it or not, my best friend is a 16-year-old girl. We talk on the phone every evening and see each other at school during the week. Whenever she has trouble with her boyfriend or I have a problem with my girlfriend, we were cry on each one another's shoulders.
Last week my girlfriend broke up with me because she wanted to date around. Last night my friend called me and said her boyfriend broke up with her because she would not become sexually active with him.
I'd really like to take her out, but I don't want to ruin our friendship. Something inside me says, "Go for it," but I'm not so sure that I actually should. Your advice please! — Nervous friend, Annapolis, Md.
NERVOUS: Go for it! Couples who are good friends have fewer "romantic" problems. Dating this girl will enhance the friendship you both share; it will not ruin it. And if it turns out she does not want to date you, immediately tell her that will not ruin your friendship!
WHY DO COPS PICK ON TEENS?
DR. WALLACE: Why do cops arrest teens? Why don't they catch adult criminals instead of keeping us out of the mall? Why do they pull over teen drivers for speeding and let adult speeders drive on by? Why do they bust teens for drinking a beer in the park and do nothing to drunken adults who stagger out of bars after midnight? Why do they patrol "lovers lane" looking for kids making out instead of patrolling the streets where gangs sell drugs out in the open? Can you answer these questions? — Roberto, El Paso TX.
ROBERTO: The vast majority of police officers risk their lives daily to protect the citizens in their assigned area. I shudder to think what our communities would be like without police protection. If you are a law-abiding citizen, I'm sure you will not be suffering from police harassment. The police have responsibilities to enforce laws with people of all ages. Trust me, there is a lot of police work done with adult perpetrators that you are not aware of.
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. E-mail 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.
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