Boyfriend clings to dog - she decides to bow out

Dear Diane: My boyfriend will not leave his dog alone for anyamount of time.

I'm talking about a 32-year-old professional, not a child. Hestill lives with his parents and they will cancel their plans beforethey will leave the dog home alone.

I told him I thought it was sort of strange to attend to a dogas if it were a newborn child. He claims it's cruel to leave theanimal home alone because it gets lonely and cries.

I suggested a dog sitter. He said the dog might bite thesitter. I told him he was being irrational. He accused me of beingjealous of the dog.

Actually, his dog-sitting cuts into the time we spend together.I don't see anything wrong with leaving a healthy animal home byitself one or two evenings a week (we only see each other on Saturdayand Sunday), and I really don't want to spend my time watching hisdog.

He hasn't made any effort to remedy the situation, so I calledit quits. Do you think I was out of line? Does he need professionalcounseling? CARLEEN

Dear Carleen: Your boyfriend apparently learned from his parentsthat dogs run the house.

You gave him the choice of you or the dog, and just look who hechose! You were smart to call it quits.

Two types of psychologists may be needed to straighten out thatfamily: one therapist for the people and another for the dog. (Whoknows how neurotic the poor dog is with three adult human beings whohave trained him to be scared to death of being alone.)

Dear Diane: I am interested in using the Prentif cervical cap asbirth control. (This is not to be confused with the diaphragm - theyare different methods.)

I can't locate a practitioner who fits them. I have the nameand address of the British distributor, but is there a doctor in themetropolitan Chicago area who can obtain a cap and fit me?

I was a longtime Pill taker, but I had to quit due to bad sideeffects. Can you help? M.H.

Dear M.H.: The Prentif cervical cap, which is fitted similarlyto a diaphragm and can remain in place for several days, has notcompleted the process of Food and Drug Administration approval.

If all goes well, it should be available for consumers in thenear future. But physicians will have to wait for FDA approvalbefore providing cervical caps to their patients.

Watch your newspaper for news of FDA approval, and ask yourgynecologist about the device. Of course, you also can telephoneyour local medical society for referral to a gynecologist in yourarea.

Dear Diane: I am a 16-year-old girl who is dating an 18-year-oldguy. Recently he broke my finger and gave me a black eye.

He says it will never happen again, but I don't know if I shouldstay with him. I have heard that once people do things like this,they will do it again. DANA

Dear Dana: People can change, if they want to. But why shouldyou wait around hoping this thug will see the light and mend hisways?

Talk to your parents to consider filing a complaint against theguy. Then drop him.

Send your questions to Diane Crowley, Box 3254, Chicago 60654.