I dropped off my children in reverse order this morning, which meant my path to work went past my house. I decided to take advantage and stop in and grab a mug of milk.

Good thing. VERY good thing.

As I looked through the glass of the kitchen door, I saw the ironing board, which had been left folded and leaning up against the wall, flat on the floor. Since my cat is about 11 and a half pounds, knocking it over seemed beyond his capability. Then the puppy stepped into view.

Oh, no. Oh, no no no.

A quick survey showed that she hadn’t been out long enough to cause any further trouble. I tucked her back into her kennel, redid the fastener, added another for good measure. Still uneasy, I moved the piano bench in front of the opening, so each leg blocked one side of the gate.

She’s a darling pup. But 4 months of Lab pup, especially one given to chewing chair legs in plain sight because she just can’t help herself, sounds like a recipe for disaster when combined with several hours of alone time.

This post originally appeared on ourMidland.com, the online home of the Midland (MI) Daily News. Republished with permission.