yesterday afternoon I overheard a phone conversation my parents were having, and my mom mentioned my dad bringing a dog home. that alone was enough to make me break down in tears. I just gave up a cat to the local rescue because I'm trying to reduce the number of animals in this house, and therefore the amount of stress I'm constantly under. my parents clearly don't understand just how stressed I am, and have been for a while now. but instead of hearing her own child sobbing with a face full of tears, my mom came into my room to continually justify why we should keep this dog, making empty promises (being that I brought up the fact that I would be the one doing most of the work because she's disabled and my dad works full time, and she said that I wouldn't) and saying "you have your baby" (referring to my dog). she seemingly has no regards or empathy for me. I know that she cares but she's not even attempting to give me the care and respect and understanding that I actually deserve. I really don't give a **** what my parents want to do with their lives, but as long as I'm living with them, I have to face the consequences of my own actions AND THEIRS!
so I ended up having a breakdown two different times yesterday, and I've had one this morning. this dog that they have is a little over a year old, not fixed, he's prob a mutt but looks like he has rat terrier and italian greyhound in him. he has a lot of energy and loves to run. my mom is disabled, so understandably he's been causing issues for her because he wants to get up and move, he's not content to just lie around. and my dad honestly couldn't care less. so guess what? that means that the dog is largely my responsibility! who the hell would've guessed? I can't stand to see him cooped up in my mom's room and not be able to get the stimulation and exercise that he needs, but I also can't give him that attention myself because I'm already dealing with a lot and I have my own dog to take care of, a 90-lb golden retriever.
not to mention, this new dog is young, he's not fully potty trained, he's not fixed, he's very hyper and energetic. he's a nice dog but holy ****. I am not in a place in my life where I can take care of a dog like this right now, and my parents are foolish for thinking that they are. my parents can be so irresponsible, I feel like I've become their parent and that's ****ing ridiculous.
so now my mom is struggling a lot, and she's already tipped me over the edge today so I've decided to put a boundary in place and say no. she wanted a dog, now she has to deal with it. and of course, because I'm not allowed to say no (even though "can you help me" implies the illusion of free choice), she's gotten angry at me multiple times. did I mention that it's not even noon yet and I've only been awake for a few hours?
I have to leave for work in a little while, I still haven't eaten yet and my room is a mess. I've already had to clean up after this dog multiple times. some of his antics really tick me off (he gets nervous and pees a bit on the floor when I work with him because I have an assertive and commanding voice, my dog is used to it but obviously the new dog isn't. I've become a bit of a germaphobe and having him in this house makes me feel really gross. so I'm already dealing with the stress of deep cleaning and organizing my room, on top of going to work and maintaining my relationships and doing self-care and working toward applying for a work visa, and now I have this little rat dog to deal with. I just can't do it. I really can't.
I feel like I'm constantly having my boundaries disrespected and I can't stand that. I don't feel any genuine love or care from this family. I've outgrown them, they clearly can't give me what I need. so I cried out loud, alone, earlier because my mom has no empathy for me whatsoever. I know that if my friends could be there for me then they would. but it's really ****ty that my friends are more supportive and attentive to my needs than my own family is. I'm seriously gonna reach my breaking point with my parents, if they don't stop taking advantage of my desire to help and care for others then I'm gonna go full-stop. they can deal with themselves, I'm done. I guess if my mom wants to make me out to be a horrible child who no longer cares about his mother then whatever. I can't control what she thinks, I can only control how I respond to it.
part of me wishes they would just kick me out so I can actually find a place to stay where I would feel loved and respected.
if you actually read all of that then congrats, you're amazing. I desperately hope that things get better soon. I'll keep trying I guess, I certainly can't afford to stop trying.
I got the brunt of it. I'm fine too, just a bit tender and was quite scary to have a dog attached to you and no way of it releasing its grip. I have never experienced that before with any dog. Blossom got more treats than usual as I was just so grateful she was unharmed and safe. Really, just a warning to myself to be extra cautious of all other dogs, no matter how friendly they seem!
.
I've always tried to plan what I would do in a situation like that, but it happened so quickly but it completely unexpectedly. It felt as if it was the longest time ever, but probably only 20-25 seconds. It looked a contented calm dog until it started snarling, teeth showing then it thought 'They look tasty!' I certainly will be even more cautious of any dogs whether they look content or not! It annoys me that Bully XL dogs and other certain breeds get a bad name. My theory is it's not the dog, it's the owner! I've had plenty of licks, that's the best medicine! 
Make sure to keep the area clean though, and take care of you and your girl! Sending love 
