Did I waste $10 on this?

After only two and a half weeks, Halo's fascination with watering my kitchen floor has gotten old. The only way to keep her from scooping all of the water out of the dog dishes and lying in it has been to tether her to me in the living room. Forgive me if I sometimes need a bit of peace and quiet without a puppy attached to me at the ankle (literally). I finally broke down and bought a baby gate.

I actually bought two. One is for the bottom of the steps to prevent her from running up the stairs and getting busy (#2) in the bathroom. (Please note that I think Halo is rather clever to do her "business" in the bathroom. After all, that is where the humans in the house do so. But unless she is going to learn how to go on the toilet, flush, and spray...she really needs to get busy outside like a regular dog.) That gate seems to be working very well. Now that she is confined to the downstairs, I can see the tell-tale signs of needing to get busy, so she isn't doing that in the house anymore!

The second gate is to block off the kitchen from the living area. She hates it. I love it. It isn't going to last. First, take a look at this:

How long do you think this is going to last??? Halo has already learned to take a running leap and throw herself at the gate. Her little 18-pound body hits the gate just below her front paws. Give her another week or two, and she'll be able to clear it. Once or twice, when I didn't have the gate secure enough in the doorway, she's managed to knock it right down.

Do you think I wasted $10 on this gate?

I'll let you know in a few weeks.