DEAR ABBY: My 9-year-old son’s friend “Isaac” was over for a visit. He was captivated by our Labrador retriever, “Layla,” who is very loving. Isaac doesn’t have a dog, so he wanted to play with Layla. At one point, I overheard him say to my son, “Look, I’m riding your dog!” I immediately intervened, but […]

DEAR ABBY: Like many other young adults, I was too busy establishing a career during my 20s and early 30s to care much about diet and exercise. I felt healthy, so I saw no need to change my lifestyle. My doctor had told me my blood pressure was elevated during a number of my yearly […]

DEAR ABBY: In our family, pets are irreplaceable, full-fledged, beloved members. One of them was a beautiful, very affectionate cat we had rescued as an abandoned kitten. Tragically, he didn’t make it through an operation we hoped would save his life. His death was a needless accident, and we are writing this in the hope […]

DEAR ABBY: I recently attended a play with my mother and daughter. We were looking forward to an evening together. After we were seated, a young girl and her mother came and sat directly behind us. The girl was sick and she coughed — hacked, really — throughout the entire performance. Not only was it […]

DEAR ABBY: For several years, a group of ladies at work have held fundraisers so they could participate in cancer charity walks. We have all donated willingly, but someone recently pointed out something disturbing. Every year, this group travels to a different location for the walk, using the funds they have raised for the charity. […]

DEAR ABBY: Every year for the last six years, I have hosted a family gathering at my home. Each and every year, my cousin’s wife “Jodie” does everything possible to ensure that we all know she’s upset about something. She’ll sit on my couch as far removed from the family as possible, grumbling under her […]

DEAR ABBY: My husband and I moved into our first home two years ago. A few months after that, our lives got even better with the addition of our son. After living here for a while, we noticed that the neighbors behind us have a large window in their shower, and they tend to take […]

DEAR ABBY: This is in response to your Jan. 7 column about “Frannie,” whose personal grooming issues may have cost her a promotion at work. The friend who wrote you might suggest that she is making an appointment for both of them at a day spa where trained cosmetologists could “pluck, primp and pretty” them […]

DEAR ABBY: My best friend “Diane” and I have known each other since we were children. She has always had difficulty in her relationships with men. In the last three years, she has begun dating married men. She was sure the latest one was the man of her dreams, but it was short-lived and destroyed […]

DEAR ABBY: I am a 49-year-old woman. I was recently contacted by the boyfriend I had when I was in my 20s. “Byron” was the love of my life, but I foolishly broke up with him. I then married a bum and had a child I am raising by myself on a very limited income. […]