DEAR ABBY: I’m a retiree with diabetes and heart trouble. My husband is disabled. I’m his sole caregiver when I even have the energy to do it. Our adult daughter lives with us and works full-time within the medical field on weekends. She does practically nothing across the house.
The true problem is, we now have 4 dogs. Two of them are large. All 4 spend a whole lot of time in the home. The youngest is a puppy that already weighs 50 kilos. She’s uncontrollable — jumping, biting, scratching my arms together with her claws and barking. I’ve been a dog owner my entire life, and I even have never seen one other one behave like this.
I used to be against getting the puppy but was outvoted by my husband and daughter. In fact, as soon because the novelty wore off, it became my responsibility to feed her, clean up her house-training messes and maintain her. I even have begged my daughter to get her trained as she promised, but she all the time has an excuse.
Abby, I’m exhausted! I’m able to say, “It’s the dog or me,” but I even have nowhere else to go. My husband is barely mobile and is commonly confined to his bed. We had home health care last 12 months, but that ended when Medicare would not pay. I can barely maintain him and do the whole lot that should be done. The dog is just an excessive amount of. Help! –– OVERWHELMED IN TEXAS
DEAR OVERWHELMED: I do know you’re exhausted, but enough is enough. For the sake of your individual health, summon the strength to say yourself. Is your daughter paying for her food and rent? If not, give her a listing of chores you expect her to do — including starting dog-training classes with the animal she insisted change into a member of the household. If she refuses, contact an animal rescue group to search out it a recent home. Then follow through.
P.S. A big, undisciplined dog could cause you or your husband to trip and fall, and the result may very well be catastrophic. In case your daughter decides to depart, she will be able to take her canine wrecking ball together with her. Problem solved.
DEAR ABBY: I even have an issue about invitation etiquette. I need to ask relations and friends I haven’t seen or spoken with in an extended time to my children’s birthday parties and special events like baptisms. Nevertheless, I don’t need to look like I’m soliciting gifts or money.
I even have heard that it’s improper to request “no gifts” on the invitation because that assumes gifts can be given. What’s proper etiquette for this? I need to see my relations, but I don’t wish to offend them. — COME CELEBRATE IN NEW YORK
DEAR CELEBRATE: I can’t see how relations who’re invited to a toddler’s party can be offended. In the event that they wish to attend, tremendous. In the event that they can’t, so be it. Nevertheless, children’s birthday parties do require some type of gift, and it shouldn’t be a hardship to supply something. Relatives and friends whose children are invited to the party will robotically bring a present.
Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also often known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at http://www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.
DEAR ABBY: I’m a retiree with diabetes and heart trouble. My husband is disabled. I’m his sole caregiver when I even have the energy to do it. Our adult daughter lives with us and works full-time within the medical field on weekends. She does practically nothing across the house.
The true problem is, we now have 4 dogs. Two of them are large. All 4 spend a whole lot of time in the home. The youngest is a puppy that already weighs 50 kilos. She’s uncontrollable — jumping, biting, scratching my arms together with her claws and barking. I’ve been a dog owner my entire life, and I even have never seen one other one behave like this.
I used to be against getting the puppy but was outvoted by my husband and daughter. In fact, as soon because the novelty wore off, it became my responsibility to feed her, clean up her house-training messes and maintain her. I even have begged my daughter to get her trained as she promised, but she all the time has an excuse.
Abby, I’m exhausted! I’m able to say, “It’s the dog or me,” but I even have nowhere else to go. My husband is barely mobile and is commonly confined to his bed. We had home health care last 12 months, but that ended when Medicare would not pay. I can barely maintain him and do the whole lot that should be done. The dog is just an excessive amount of. Help! –– OVERWHELMED IN TEXAS
DEAR OVERWHELMED: I do know you’re exhausted, but enough is enough. For the sake of your individual health, summon the strength to say yourself. Is your daughter paying for her food and rent? If not, give her a listing of chores you expect her to do — including starting dog-training classes with the animal she insisted change into a member of the household. If she refuses, contact an animal rescue group to search out it a recent home. Then follow through.
P.S. A big, undisciplined dog could cause you or your husband to trip and fall, and the result may very well be catastrophic. In case your daughter decides to depart, she will be able to take her canine wrecking ball together with her. Problem solved.
DEAR ABBY: I even have an issue about invitation etiquette. I need to ask relations and friends I haven’t seen or spoken with in an extended time to my children’s birthday parties and special events like baptisms. Nevertheless, I don’t need to look like I’m soliciting gifts or money.
I even have heard that it’s improper to request “no gifts” on the invitation because that assumes gifts can be given. What’s proper etiquette for this? I need to see my relations, but I don’t wish to offend them. — COME CELEBRATE IN NEW YORK
DEAR CELEBRATE: I can’t see how relations who’re invited to a toddler’s party can be offended. In the event that they wish to attend, tremendous. In the event that they can’t, so be it. Nevertheless, children’s birthday parties do require some type of gift, and it shouldn’t be a hardship to supply something. Relatives and friends whose children are invited to the party will robotically bring a present.
Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also often known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at http://www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.
