DR. WALLACE: Several times my mother has called me an irresponsible pet owner. I love my dog, but my mom thinks I do two things that are not correct. First, when I leave my dog outside on the runway between our house and the outer wall, my pup tends to bark a little more than I would like him to, and he doesn't stop until I come to get him.

Second, once she saw me walking my dog back home in the neighborhood, and my dog used a neighbor's lawn about five houses down from ours to do his business. I of course picked everything up, but my mother told me what I did was still illegal and I could get a ticket for it. Then she also said I could get another ticket for my dog barking too much.

Is my mom just making all this up to mess with me and my beloved puppy? — I Love My New Puppy, via email

I LOVE MY NEW PUPPY: Unfortunately for you and your new four-legged friend, your mother is correct on both counts.

Allowing the dog to use a private lawn, driveway or any other nonpublic space as a bathroom location could indeed result in a ticket. My research has indicated that these fines range from a low of about $50 per incident all the way up to $1,000 in some cases! The biggest fine I noticed was levied in Washington, D.C.

And too much parking could also result in a citation. For example, in Laguna Beach, California, a brand-new ordinance is in place whereby a complaint can be filed with the Laguna Beach Animal Control Department when the reporting party captures audio or video of 30 minutes of incessant barking. A complaint can also be legally filed with proof of documentation of 60 minutes of intermittent barking in a 24-hour period. Officers can issue a warning to violators or issue a $100 fine. From there additional fines can climb as high as $500 for subsequent offense by the same pet owner.

I'M NEW AND EVERYONE IS "DIVIDED UP" ALREADY

DR. WALLACE: Here I am at a new high school and already this early in the school year most students are already divided up into little "cliques" that hang out together and seemingly steer clear of everyone else.

Needless to say, since I'm new I'm not in anybody's clique at the moment. It's going to be a long, lonesome school year if I don't figure out a way to connect with a few people. Any ideas? — Stuck at a New High School, via email

STUCK AT A NEW HIGH SCHOOL: Use the classroom as your prime location to meet new people. Look for other students who are paying attention in class and ask one or two of them if they could use a study partner, or if you could go over some of the material with them since you're new to the class and to the school as well.

If you approach enough people politely, your odds are good that you'll meet someone worth talking to and hanging out with. Be low-key, smile and simply ask for help since you're at a new school. Deep at their core, almost all teenagers are nice people. Someone that's new and politely asking for help will likely find a helping hand in short order. Good luck, and if you get the chance, let us know how you're doing once you settle into your new environment.

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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