A dog owner has finally figured out how her devious pup was thwarting the security of his crate while she was out of the house.

Tank, a 1-year-old German shepherd, was caught on what has been dubbed the "menace cam," escaping his crate in the most unbelievable way. In a 15-second TikTok clip, posted six days ago on @samanthajo1007, the dog is seen squeezing himself through a tiny cap between the door and sides of the crate, despite it being tied with both zip ties and carabiners daily.

The clever German shepherd doesn't stop there, either. When he hears his mom arriving home, Tank incredibly manages to squeeze himself back into the crate, ensuring she finds him where she left him.

"We always have a camera in the living room because of the kids, but when he started escaping, I moved his crate to where I could see him on camera if I went somewhere," owner Samantha told Newsweek.

"He would escape five minutes after I pulled away from the house. His separation anxiety gets the best of him, so crate training is the safest route for him so he doesn't get hurt."

Once she had watched the footage back, Samantha realized she needed to invest in a new crate; she joked on the video that it was like "a new steel jail cell." Now, when she leaves the house for a few hours, she knows that Tank is safely secured in his crate.

While crate training can be controversial among pet owners, Samantha said that it is used for Tank's safety while she is out of the house. She was pleased to share that, since getting the new crate two months ago, Tank hasn't escaped.

The video has gained more than 5.6 million views on TikTok and prompted plenty of comments from pet lovers and fellow dog owners.

"Getting out is smart. Getting back in is genius," posted CarbonAnimation, while TikTok user Kelly added: "The way he put himself back in there had me cackling."

Fellow dog owner Jessi shared: "Oh this is just great because I had to do the same thing! Mine tore out the bottom and ran around like a hamster ball. He got prison bars too."

Naomi added: "My shepherd does the same thing."

"My dog figured out how to pick the heavy-duty latches so we have to put a heavy-gauge bike lock on the door as well," posted BogWitch_Maybe.

Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.

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This story was originally published July 5, 2024, 3:36 AM.