I have Kate, a 12 month old bluetick gyp that I raised kenneled in one of the Behlen Magnum kennels. I have been hunting her and Flo, an 11 month old every other morning with my older dogs in an attempt to get them going for lions this fall and winter. Both gyps love to hunt and love to go every morning if possible. Sunday morning, I slept in and when I walked out to my pickup with the dog box, was surprised to find Kate lying beside it. Then I noticed where she had gone around the pickup and left tracks as she tried to load up.
I put her back in her kennel, thinking that was an accident and she will never escape again for the kennel has a nice "almost" dog proof latching system. I drove out to a ranch west of Menard on the river to see if it rained and to check some cattle. I returned in an hour or so and to my surprise, Kate met me in the driveway. Now I have a chain and snap on the gate.
Adios,
Gary

I had a couple that learned to do that.

My cat hunting walker Dixie was like that. She wanted to be hunting every waking hour. She could nose the gate latch to her kennel open, climb it like a monkey, and tunnel under it like a groundhog. She never stopped moving and trying. Every time I blocked her from each trick, she found another way. Then go tree house cats all over the neighborhood.

My V dog Dash has learned how to operate storm door handles to let himself in and out. I had to add a safety gate hook on the storm door to stop him. He even helps himself into the refrigerator for a snack sometimes. As I am sure you have found with your Kate, that is not a bad thing. Especially with a hound. Thinking problem solving dogs make the best hunters.

We had to replace all of our "lever" type handles in the house with round doorknobs to keep My GSP Chance from affording himself the same manner of access in and out of the house. Problem was, he had trouble shutting the door behind himself! I put an auto closer on the backdoor and it worked great... for a while, then I had to start replacing handles because he was a little too rough with them. I finally gave up, replaced the handles with knobs and put in a dog door!

Had to put clips on all my gates because of our Lab.

My first pointer I named Joe. I got him when I was 14 and he was 6 weeks old. Trained him all by myself or I guess looking back he trained me.

He was smart as could be. We had a 6'tall cyclone pen for him 10x10 and one for the females the same size. The base had concrete around and between both pens. Inside was filled with screenings.

He was an escape artist. He would flip that latch open with his nose and let the females out the same way. So we put a pad lock in the hole and didn't lock it. Came home and they were all loose in the back yard again. I got in trouble for not putting the pad lock on. I know I did. So we put the padlock on and left it unlocked. Went in the house and there he went. We watched out the patio door. He would paw at it until it flipped open and then paw at it until it fell to the ground and then he would nose the latch up. So we solved it by locking his gate. Then one of the females came in heat and Joe climbed the 6' fence to get to her. We covered the top the next day on the females with chicken wire. That proved to be no barrier for Joe. He chewed right thru it and dropped down into the pen and bred Jackie. We know that because we had a litter of pups 2 months later. Finally we put cyclone fence on top of his pen and locked the gate every day. He never escaped again. Every once in a while we would see him checking the lock to make sure it was locked. He would get the saddest look on his face and then go lay down. Best bird dog we ever put on the ground though. Never seen his equal yet.

I grew up hunting a place on the headwaters of the San Saba River, west of Menard, Texas. The ranch was 9 miles past the Fort McKavett turn off named the Figure 3 ranch. My how I miss those days of adventure.

The Figure 3 is still there. Lots of deer and turkeys and a few hogs moving in. Thank goodness, still no high fences along that stretch and I hope it stays that way.
Adios,
Gary

I have the same kennels as you, and have a little pointer female that is an escape artist as well. She figured out the latch in no time. So I had to put a snap and chain up high to keep her in. English pointers are not known for their brainpower, but I believe she is one of the more intellegent ones I have owned.

She is also bright enough to back up to the fence and let her neighbors worry about the mess. What a little housekeeper!