I have a crate with two latches on the door. If one is unlatched my dogs can squeeze out. The top latch will remain latched and they are free. I have had to use a clip to make sure the latches remain latched so the dogs remain in their crate.
Yes, picture would make it easier..here is one from Amazon as I am not home to take a pic of it right now..the front door swings up and tucks into the roof just like a garage door does…Pippin's has three latches at the bottom edge to latch the door shut into the molded plastic base. I had only locked the middle one, leaving the two on either sides unlocked, which makes for a 2" gap or so if pushed on really hard, I mean I had to use some force..is it possible a 11 week puppy could open that enough...I guess it is since he was out..but I am still amazed..rascal.
So everything was still latched up and the bottom tray still inside when you got home? Amazing. I find that most dogs that get out do so by knocking the bottom tray out of the crate, turning the crate over, and squeezing through the wires at the bottom of the crate which are usually spaced further apart. Yours doesn't look like the kind where that's possible, though, so he probably squeezed through the door…
Paco always tries to escape, especially since two or three times, we didn't realize that the kids next door had unlatched the side door of the crate while playing with it, so he has managed to escape a couple of times. We'd come home and there he'd be, waiting for us at the front door.
Once he realizes he can't escape, though, he settles down and naps until we get home. He refuses any special treats or toys we give him to occupy his time; instead, he just sleeps. I know because I've left a camera up. Perhaps you should try doing the same thing to give you a little peace of mind.
The times where Paco's escaped from the crate, he's never made any trouble. The time where we decided to "experiment" with leaving him out of the crate, it was a disaster. I think the "escape" gives him something to do , and then he just wants to wait for us.
He's going to have to get used to a crate if you're going to show that little escape artist. 
I did Crate Games with Zoni, that worked reasonably well. You practice alot with the door opening and closing at first via that approach which I think helps get them used to the door being closed. But I think Zoni got used to the crate in the car before the ones in the house though. The crate in the car was like a second home when we were traveling to dog shows.
Exactly why it is imperative that he gets to "love" his crate..he will be shown and therefor crated at times..he did better this evening when we ran out for dinner, cried I am sure, but settled down and played with his toys…they were soaking wet with mouthed saliva..better the toy then me I say...now he is playing like the dickens with the other dogs..yeaahh
So Pippin broke out of jail. Did he do any damage or go in the house while you were gone?
Tillo doesn't like to be crated when left alone, but he never had a problem with it at shows (but I never crate him long… He can choose to go in himself and if he sleeps, I leave). Anyway... Maybe you can give him more space? Or leave him out with moses in a closed room/area..? Are the other dogs loose if you leave?
Buddy is pretty good about the crate and doesn't mind it. I only crated him when I first had him and then used it less and less over time. Now at 2 years old I just leave him loose in the house all day while I'm at work (there's a dog door to get out) and he doesn't touch a thing. I walk him in the morning for 25 minutes. He gets in his chair and could care less when I leave.
Tillo is about the same, never touches a thing and if he had a good walk in the morning, he's happy to sleep on the couch a couple of hours. But he doesn't like to be home alone, he wants to be where the action is 
The Basenji of a friend of us was in his crate (the same crate as on your picture)
They were on vacation at a place they stayed there often, one day they came back ith the car and saw a Basenji!
It was their basenji, he got out his crate!
Bu and chaf don't mind being in their crates when we have to do shopping but they had both nylon crates and Chafuko once got out.
They can be home allone without being in their crates for a couple of hours.
He didn't do a whole lot of damage, mainly paper and typical basenji thngs, but he had used the restroom in several places.
Moses and Gus are crated in a much larger crate together…Moses due to the fact that he tries to get out through a window if he sees a squirrel or dog, Gus because he scrathes the wall next to the frontdoor until it is only wall studs...they both conk out and sleep while I am gone. Luna, our mutt she is loose in the house, never had issues with her. The day before I left them all loose in the house and boy was my house "redecorated" when I got home....not teh best idea, but I wanted to test it?them..hehehe, they all failed..:)
Pippin did much better last night while we went and got food, so I think he is warming up to the idea of ....."I might as well like it"
He sleeps in his crate or in his basket at night, no problems at all...
I will work with him and see if we can't find a mutual agreement as to what to do..:);)
We were at a show once, took all the dogs as our sitter canceled. Just as we came out of the ring, an announcement came over the loudspeaker. "We have a black and white Basenji at the super's table." As our hearts sank, we ran to the table and discovered our boy Dino. He had somehow opened his crate and gone for a walkabout on the show grounds. After that, he was only crated INSIDE the motorhome, with clips on the crate door.
Bruce can also open the wire crate and ex pen doors, so he is secured with clips also.
Terry
Leighton's girl Korii was a escape artist… she could open anything... they had to use 4 snaps on a 200 size wire crate to "slow" her down. They had an "opps" litter one time when Korii opened a bitch's crate and then let out one of the males...gggg Marilyn came home just in time to see the deed being done... with Korii watching
We were at a show once, took all the dogs as our sitter canceled. Just as we came out of the ring, an announcement came over the loudspeaker. "We have a black and white Basenji at the super's table." As our hearts sank, we ran to the table and discovered our boy Dino. He had somehow opened his crate and gone for a walkabout on the show grounds. After that, he was only crated INSIDE the motorhome, with clips on the crate door.
Bruce can also open the wire crate and ex pen doors, so he is secured with clips also.Terry
LOL…this was my worst fear with my girl Aaliyah since she can open wire crates. She would open hers, let herself out and then let playmates Ruby & Brando out of theirs. Consequently we ended up always putting her in a vari-kennel at shows as she never tried to escape from those.
So funny, and scary too…I guess Pippin is a basenji through and through....
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Petra, that must have been horribly scary, because if you can't use the crate to keep your dog safe, what DO you do!? Here's hoping that doesn't happen again.
Fran,
he spent a few hours in his crate today and did great..cried a little at first then started chewing on his marrow "cratebone"…and seemed quite content...I do leave teh radio on so the have something to listen to..
…and met me at the front door when I got home from running errands.
He has a wire crate with a garage style front door..I don't know how he got out, the crate was locked, but is wondering if he could've squeezed himself out on the side of the door (it has three latches and I only locked one, the middle one) which makes a tiny gap of pushed hard, I mean hard on...could it be?
And Kipawa met us at the door when we came back from my husband's pain specialist today! Wire crate with two latch style locks. Only one was undone, and I myself tried pulling on the open area to see how much give it had - not in my estimation enough for a 5 month old basenji, but it certainly must have been!
Of course, we have no idea when he got out (we were gone 3 hours) but the house was undisturbed. No accidents in the house, no de-stuffed pillows, nothing damaged… just kind of scary (for him) knowing he was roaming around a house all alone. Perhaps the cats kept him company. So tomorrow, I am off to the hardware store to buy some screw-style C clamps. Hope those will be sufficient for our little escape artist!
And Kipawa met us at the door when we came back from my husband's pain specialist today! Wire crate with two latch style locks. Only one was undone, and I myself tried pulling on the open area to see how much give it had - not in my estimation enough for a 5 month old basenji, but it certainly must have been!
Of course, we have no idea when he got out (we were gone 3 hours) but the house was undisturbed. No accidents in the house, no de-stuffed pillows, nothing damaged… just kind of scary (for him) knowing he was roaming around a house all alone. Perhaps the cats kept him company. So tomorrow, I am off to the hardware store to buy some screw-style C clamps. Hope those will be sufficient for our little escape artist!
Silly booger…Glad he didn't get into anything harmful.
