Ask Amy: 2 pregnant girlfriends is 2 too many

Dear Amy: I am a 23-year-old personal trainer. I'm good looking and muscular, and get hit on by older females.

I was seeing a 38-year-old; she is in a long-term relationship, but her man wasn't satisfying her, and we were hooking up three or four times a week.

We went on a three-day bicycle trip last summer, and I got her pregnant with twins. (She forgot her birth control.) Her man knows the whole story and is willing to raise the babies and make me their godparent. I am glad he is willing to do that.

I am currently seeing a 34-year-old beautiful, sexy, divorced woman, and we just found out I got her pregnant. I'm thinking I should offer to marry her.

Do you have any advice?

Amy says: For someone whose professional expertise concerns the human body, you don't seem to respect the longer-term ramifications of your fertility. At the ripe old age of 23, and over the course of just a few months, you are now the prospective biological father of (at least) three children.

It's vital that you grasp the basics of birth control, as well as the legal, financial and emotional repercussions and responsibilities of fathering children.

Given how cavalier you are about offering up your muscular DNA for procreating, you don't seem mature enough to become a father or a husband. If it were your girlfriend who had written to me, I would advise her not to become matrimonially entangled with you.

It's great that she is gorgeous and sexy, but you don't mention loving — or even liking — her.

Dear Amy: I suffer from major depression and social anxiety. I've moved to a new state and am slowly making friends. I live alone in a studio apartment, work from home and am struggling with feelings of loneliness.

I want to get a pet as a companion. I think a dog will be the most helpful for me because I struggle with going outside and getting regular exercise. I'm also hoping daily walks will help me meet new dog-loving friends.

I'm wondering if it is OK to get a dog in order to help me to become more active? But I have no experience with dogs. What if it's a complete failure, and I still don't change my habits? Should I just get a cat?

I'd appreciate your advice.

Amy says: Your reasons for wanting a dog (companionship, being forced to go outside) are legitimate, and are the same reasons many people choose dogs.

However, because you lack experience I would caution you to choose extremely carefully. Does your apartment building allow dogs? How easy would it be for you to take the dog outside three or four times a day, via stairs or an elevator?

Whether you go with a cat or a dog, I urge you to look for a small, quiet, calm older animal. Work closely with your local shelter and take lots of time to find the best fit for you.

My local shelter understands that adoptions do not always work out, and insists that any animal adopted from them can be returned to them, no questions asked.

Dear Amy: A letter writer wondered why her widowed friend continued to send holiday cards featuring photos of her with her late husband. As a widow, I appreciated that you suggested that these photos be seen as a celebration, rather than as a morbid refusal to move on.

Amy says: I've heard from many surviving spouses who agree.

Send questions to Amy Dickinson at askamy@amydickinson.com.