We have two baby gates in our house, one to block off the laundry room where the cat litter boxes are, and one to block off the master bathroom, which contains dirty underwear, bathroom trash & cat food, the 3 most basenji-coveted items in our household. We got these when Booger was a puppy, and he has never tried to get past the gates.
Lola is used to the gates where they are… I think she just sees them as walls & since she has never been on the other side, she doesn't try to get on the other side.
This weekend I dog sat for a friend, and his first night here, I moved a baby gate & blocked my dogs in the bedroom so I could feed my friend's dog in the living room without fights. I turn around & there is Lola, right behind me! I picked her up, told her no & put her back in my bedroom. I turned around & walked back down the hall, and there she goes, passing me & running to the food. I pick her up, tell her no & put her back in my bedroom. Halfway down the hall, I turn around & watch her jump over the gate. I started towards her, but by this time she had gotten smart. She turned around & jumped back over the gate into my bedroom!! Everybody was too excited, so I put the food away & put everybody to bed.
Yesterday we went to the park & since its been raining for several days straight, the dogs got very dirty. I blocked off my bedroom so they couldn't get on my clean bed. I went to take a shower & when I returned, Booger was curled up with Andrew, but Lola wasn't in sight. I glanced around, and realized where she was. I walked to the master bathroom & found her licking the cat bowls clean. I said her full name, and she started slinking past me, acting, I swear, like she was invisible & I wouldn't notice. I just had to laugh.
Same thing today: went to the park, dirty dogs, blocked off the bedroom (I am a slow learner!!!) And within seconds, Lola was over the gate & on my bed!!! She completely ignores the gates where they are now, but if I move the gate to block off a room she normally has free access to, she jumps right over!! I guess I can't complain as she still respects the boundaries she's grown up with, and its actually a funny "battle" we have going. I don't even think she realizes she's not supposed to be in the bedroom... the gates are just an annoying obstacle in her way.