How do I tell my dog walking friend how I really feel?

DEAR DEIDRE: I’VE fallen head over heels for a woman I see every day on my dog walk, and I don’t know how to tell her how I feel.

The last thing I want is to ruin our friendship, but the connection we share is hard to deny.

I’m 34, she’s 30, and we first met four months ago when I took my puppy to the park for the first time. 

It was one of the first times I had taken him off lead when he ran up to her and her dog. To say I had a crush on her was an understatement.

Naturally, we struck up a conversation, and she offered me tips on how to train my dog.

Ever since we spend most of our morning walks chatting and I’d even go as far as to say that we’re friends. 

Now every day I wake up looking forward to seeing her, and often purposely line up my routine so that we can bump into each other. 

I want so badly to ask her on a date, but what if I’ve misread the entire situation? 

DEIDRE SAYS: Confessing romantic feelings to a friend will always feel daunting. 

If you’re worried about being upfront, perhaps you could take baby steps instead. 

Instead of directly asking her on a date, try to test the waters with something like a casual lunch and gauge how she responds.

If all goes well, keep it light and tell her that you are interested in her and wonder if she might be open to exploring things further with you.