DR. WALLACE: A guy I have been texting for over five weeks now recently invited me over to have dinner with him at his house. We met on a dating app, and we've had a lot of phone and video calls together.

He seems very nice and sweet, and I'm hoping that our interest in each other could potentially blossom into a relationship. The only thing I'm concerned about, however, is that he is insistent on me visiting him at his house. He doesn't live far away from me, but I just wish that we could go out to dinner somewhere or hang out in public. I've mentioned this to him, but he said he just recently got a new puppy and can't leave the house for long periods of time since he lives alone, and the puppy cannot be left unattended.

I know that he isn't lying about this because he's sent me multiple pictures of his new dog, but I just feel worried about going over to a guy's house alone when I don't know him all that well. Am I just acting paranoid, or is this a legitimate concern? — Unsure of My Next Move Here, via email

UNSURE OF MY NEXT MOVE HERE: Follow your instincts! The new puppy sounds like a convenient excuse to me. How does he ever go to work, school or even a medical appointment? Doesn't he have to stay home 24/7 to take care of his puppy?

Online dating is fraught with potential and possible pitfalls. Never, ever go to someone's house alone that you have never met before. For all you know, the person at the home might not be the person you've been seeing on the video calls.

This person should only be met in a safe public place like a park, and this should be done during broad daylight. I'd also suggest you have a friend or two there at the park to observe you and keep an eye on you at all times.

If this guy is sincere, safe and has true, honorable intentions, then why would he not agree to meet you at a public park? Tell him he can bring the puppy!

If he still stalls you or objects in any way, I'd strongly advise that you immediately end all communications with him. If you end up doing this, be sure to notify your family and friends of this so that everyone can keep a close eye on your whereabouts, especially for a month or two right after cutting off contact with him.

I'M NOT A RUNNER!

DR. WALLACE: I am in seventh grade and three weeks from now my whole physical education class has to run a timed mile. I am dreading this.

I have never been someone who is naturally good at long-distance running, and it seems that I always get very tired after only two minutes and then I have to walk for a while before I can trot some more again.

I stay active in other ways like playing basketball and volleyball with friends, but running has always been hard for me. I am so worried that I won't be able to do it or that if I do follow through with this next month, I will humiliate myself in front of my friends. When we were just kids nobody really noticed, but now that I'm in junior high school I fear that my friends will razz me about being unable to run.

Do you think there is any way I can prepare for this at this point? What should I do? - Not a runner, via email

NOT A RUNNER: Any running exercise involving distance requires pacing! You can indeed prepare. Start by taking brisk walks every day or even a few times a day. Walk for 15 minutes at a time and go as fast as is comfortable.

After a week of those brisk walks, go to your local high school track and practice running slowly there. Each trip around the track is a quarter of a mile, so you'll ultimately need to be able to run for four laps around the track.

Remember you don't need to race out of the gate when you start. Instead, run at a slow but steady pace. See if you can complete one lap around the track on the first day of the second week. Then from there, seek to add some distance each day. Run as long as you can, but once you stop and walk, just briskly walk home or back to your parents' car if you got a ride to your local high school.

Using the three weeks you have in advance of this running test will greatly help your performance. I trust you'll be able to make your way around the track four times! And once you do it "practicing" on your own, you'll then know in your own mind that you can indeed do it.

Most healthy young people your age can run a mile at a slow, steady pace. I trust you'll fit into that category. To be safe, don't push yourself too hard and have a family member watch you practice if possible. Better yet, you might have someone run with you! Sharing a practice like this makes it much more bearable, and when the day arrives to run your mile at school, your experience will be much more bearable as well because you'll already know what you'll be capable 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. Email him at rwallace@thegreatestgift.com. 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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