One of the first times we left him alone, he frantically tried to get out of the house. Trying to break free, he managed to pop the screen out of an open window in the front of the house. Luckily, some neighborhood kids saw him and put him in the back yard.

Here is the thing, though: there are wooden blinds on all the windows in our brand-new house, and let me tell you, the strings of wooden blinds are not designed to withstand the strength of determined Labrador puppies.

Within a short period of time I had four window blinds broken along with the blinds on the back door. What to do? I found some blind string, ordered it, and away we go. But it turns out that I didn’t even need to purchase the string.

After searching the web for fix-it ideas, I read that the key to fixing window blind strings that are frayed or broken is to get your lighter or matches, warm the strings, and melt them back together! I did the old switcheroo with the mended living room blinds and three fresh blinds in the garage, and now our living room looks brand spanking new again.

Now that I have tested a cupboard cure, I hope you don’t have to learn to fix blinds and rope the hard way, or spend money on materials you don't need.

And the dog? When we go out now, off to the crate goes the dog. Poor baby.