0 How to keep children from getting their parents’ faults

siminsarahashim asks: My husband is a good man who loves his family a lot, but he has many bad habits, such as sitting around most of the time watching TV while drinking beer. I don’t want our children to grow up to behave that same way. What can I do?

Hi siminsarahashim –

I have both good and bad news for you.  I’ll give the bad news first – children learn immensely more from what they see their parents do than what their parents tell them.  Think about it – imagine if someone tried to teach you your first language, or how to walk; it’d just be impossible!   A child’s brain observes those around them, and the child then copies that to a giant extent.  This is why it’s so silly for parents who smoke, drink, or use bad language to try to teach their children not to do such things: the desire for the kid to emulate their parents is so much stronger than the desire to Continue reading

0 What to do about uncontrollable diarrhea

ktarr asks: I’m not sure if I have diarrhea. I go to poop quite a lot, and when I do my poop is runny, and watery. When I look at it I feel sick. Also sometimes this happens at school and I go in my pants by accident. Please help. I’m not going to tell my mum, because I’m scared as she’s upset about dad leaving her. She doesn’t care. And my tummy hurts a lot.

Hi ktarr –

Diarrhea has a number of different definitions, but the most common one is exactly what you have – runny, watery poops.  Especially if they’re frequent, and hard to control.  People and dogs get it pretty frequently, often from eating food that’s too spicy for their system, having more fruit than usual, or, of course, from some sort of digestive illness, like a flu.

So the literal answer to your question, ktarr, is yes, you have diarrhea.  But from what you say, I think there’s more concern than just that.

It sounds to me like you have a condition that’s probably brought on by Continue reading

0 Should a redhead dye her hair to be liked?

ED104 asks: I have red hair and really want a boyfriend, but no guys like me. I sometimes get bullied about my hair colour, and everyone is so judgmental. I’m thinking of dying my hair darker for a change, but also to get a boyfriend. But I don’t know if I should or not.

Hi ED104 –

Although we dogs aren’t nearly as interested in looks as we are in smells and sounds, I understand your desire to look more beautiful.  It’s clear to me that when I’m dirty and covered in burrs and smells, most people don’t want to pet me, and even Handsome just does enough that it’s clear he’s just letting me know he still likes me.  But when I’m clean and brushed and not so smelly, so many more people want to hug and pet me, and kiss my nose and all.  You just want to be more attractive, and that makes total sense.

But you bring up a really important other issue .  It sounds like you’re saying that your red hair means you’re not Continue reading

0 What should you do if your boyfriend cheats on you?

batha asks: I need advice about my boyfriend. I love him but he’s having an affair. What can I do?

Hi batha –

Oh what a horrible feeling you must be having!  It’s just awful to be cheated on!  I’ve never experienced it exactly – just felt very jealous when Handsome pets other dogs – but when I’ve seen others go through it, it looks awful.

So you have a pretty simple question to ask, and it’s only yourself you’re asking:  What can you put up with?  Is it okay with you that he’s having an affair?  And if he promised to stop it and not have another one, would you Continue reading

0 How can a teenager avoid dating?

Pgirl asks: I’m 14 years old. Next year I will go to high school. I hear that, in the school that I want to go to, girls have boyfriends. I know that’s common, but I’m afraid that that will inspire me to want to have a boyfriend. Also, when girls go home after school, boys often stand in front of the school to ask girls out, and I don’t want this happen to me. What do you suggest for me? Please help me, or a boy might ask me to be his girl friend 🙁

Hi Pgirl –

You know, one of the values I really push is that everyone should have the right to know what they want, and no one else has the right to tell them what to want.  My Pack Members have the right to whatever religion they choose, whatever they like to eat, to be attracted to whomever they like – hey you even have the right to like CATS, which mystifies me completely!  So I know that some of our readers will be absolutely dumbstruck by your Continue reading

0 Should one pursue a relationship that shows no hope of success?

tessa asks: I like this guy and he’s moving across the country. I’m pretty sure he doesn’t like me. I’m not sure what to do. I think he knows I like him but I’m not sure. I don’t know if I should just try to forget about him or ask him out. My friend also offered to try to get us together. What should I do?

Hi tessa –

Okay, you’ve probably read enough of my posts here to know that I usually try to see both sides of an issue, and point out different ways of going about things.  This answer will be an exception to that.

Give Continue reading

0 How to handle a parent who can’t trust your boyfriend

Julia asks: If you have a friend that tells your mother “good morning” and everything but she doesn’t reply, and then says that he is disrespectful and has no manners… what do you do about that?

Hi Julia –

It sounds to me like your mother has a major case of “I Don’t Like That Boy!” going on.  It could be for many reasons, and the most likely one is just because he’s a boy and he’s hanging around you!

When Handsome was a teenager, he had a girlfriend whose father just complained and complained about him.  When he girl finally confronted him and made him admit that Handsome was a perfectly nice enough boy, the father told the truth, “All right, yes he is.  But he’s still a Continue reading

1 What are the constraints of becoming pregnant at an early age?

Sparkle asks: what are the constraints of becoming pregnant at an early age?

Hi Sparkle –

There are really two answers to your question.  The first is what the constraints are of becoming pregnant at any age.

I was spayed when I was six months old, so have no experience with pregnancy.  But from what I hear, it’s the most intense experience anyone ever goes through.  Your body changes in countless ways – your hormones go wild (which is of course happening in your teen years anyway, so just figure it’s more of what you’ve been already experiencing!).   Your belly of course swells to many times its normal size.  The pregnancy cuts into pretty much all your activities, from athletic physical ones (of course) to social and academic ones (you’ll need lots of extra sleep, crave odd foods, have to avoid lots of your favorite foods, throw up lots, and have to pee ALL THE TIME since your bladder is being sat on by the Continue reading

0 What is Bipolar?

ti-f asks: I have this friend who thinks she’s bipolar. She doesn’t really act like she is bipolar, though she does cut herself (but just to hurt herself, not like she wants to kill herself). I told her she isn’t bipolar, but I don’t know how to convince her of it. She is only 12, and is Christian. Can you help me?

Hi ti-f –

ti-f, we’re dealing with two really big issues here.  First, exactly what is meant by “bipolar.”  Lots of people use that term very casually, referring to someone who’s moody or goes to extremes in excitement.  Well that applies to me!  And I’m definitely not bipolar.  I’m just a very active and friendly dog.

The true meaning of Bipolar is someone who is usually depressed, but at times will slip into some form of a Continue reading

1 What are the advantages and disadvantages of Facebook for teenagers?

tango asks: What are some advantages and disadvantages of Facebook for high schoolers?

Hi tango –

Facebook is, I suppose, the most profound change in humans’ social world of the last decade.  I don’t even know what would come in second place!  It has exploded in popularity and importance so quickly that most of the world has been struggling to keep up with it – including trying to grasp what its advantages and disadvantages are.  Besides its original intent to create a place for friends to meet online, it has contributed to the fall of empires, to countless reunions of lost contacts, and – yes – to millions of acts of thoughtlessness and cruelty.

I’m only a dog and don’t have nearly the imagination or wisdom to know all the advantages or disadvantages inherent in Facebook.  But there are a few things I do know, and they all have Continue reading