Am I Wrong for Putting Myself First and Refusing to Dog-Sit Every Weekend for My Brothers Golden Retriever?

Some people don’t recognize a favor, and this weekend dog-sitting situation is the perfect example. A 20-year-old woman has been taking care of her older brother Larry’s golden retriever every weekend since high school, and it started as a free, easy way to help out.

Now college exams are piling up, she’s working a part-time job, and she’s barely keeping up with studying, work, and having any kind of social life. When she finally says she can’t keep doing it every weekend, Larry flips it back on her, calling her selfish, even though he “relies on her heavily” while he’s away.

It’s the classic family conflict, except this time it’s about a dog, a calendar, and who gets to say “no.”

Original Post

So I'm (20F) and I've been dog-sitting my older brother Larry's golden retriever every weekend since high school. It's always been for free, and I've enjoyed it until now.

However, I'm currently in college, dealing with exams, and working a part-time job. It's become extremely overwhelming.

I recently told my brother that I can't keep doing it every weekend, and he called me selfish. For background, Research schedule is hectic, and he relies on me heavily to care for his dog while he's away.

It's a big responsibility that's now conflicting with my own priorities and mental well-being. Quick context, I barely have time to study, work, and have a semblance of a social life with this added commitment.

Larry's response caught me off guard and made me question if I'm being selfish for prioritizing my own obligations over his dog. I love the dog, but it's just becoming too much for me to handle.

So AITA?

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This feels similar to the husband forced to repay 150K for a house he never agreed to accept.

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That’s when the golden retriever went from “always fine” to “every single weekend on her plate,” right on top of exams and a part-time job.

Larry’s call her selfish moment hits harder because she’s not refusing the dog, she’s refusing to keep sacrificing her schedule.

And the worst part is, she’s trying to juggle research-heavy weeks while still being the default sitter whenever he needs coverage.

Now she’s stuck questioning herself, while Larry acts like her boundaries are a betrayal of the free help she used to provide.

How would you handle this situation? Let us know in the comments.

This situation underscores the crucial need for establishing boundaries to safeguard mental health.

Nobody wants to be the family’s unpaid weekend dog-sitter forever, especially when college is already eating her alive.

If you think Larry calling you selfish is bad, wait until you see what happened after a customer refused to pay a 0% tip at a fast food restaurant.