An accidental misstep by one dog owner led to a puppy's great escape and viewers can't stop cracking up.

The dog owner told Newsweek that her golden retriever puppy Merc went into the crate on his own to take a nap in the middle of the day. Wanting to provide him more comfort and let him get rest, she turned off the lights and closed the crate door. But she missed a crucial step. She didn't lock the crate door.

"My father runs a business next door and needed my help," she said. "[Merc] was just in there napping with the door open so I shut the door and didn't remove his collar, that's on me. He was sleeping and I knew I'd be right back."

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She kept her phone on her to watch the pet camera of Merc's every move, but the puppy learned he was no longer bound to the crate until his owner returned.

The July 26 TikTok video posted to the account @million.dollar.me1shows Merc stretching his legs and leaning them against the crate. The owner said he always sleeps upside down and stretches. In that position, his paws unintentionally kicked the gate open.

He shot up realizing what he had done. He wasted no time exploring his uninterrupted and unsupervised time in his owner's room where the door was shut.

The caption reads: "Dog's accidental jail break."

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However, his freedom didn't last long. The owner received an alert on her phone that said "Merc is walking," which is usual when he switches positions in the crate. She looked down, saw the crate was empty and rushed back.

His so-called jailbreak lasted less than five minutes. The owner couldn't leave him in the room alone even though her bedroom door was shut. She stated that Merc was only 12 weeks old at the time and since he is still going through training, he couldn't be left in the room alone.

"When he can be trusted and older of course I'll let him free roam," she said. "But he's a baby and just is eating everything."

Plenty of owners keep their dogs in crates when they aren't home and Merc is not the only one who managed a successful escape.

One dog worked endlessly to unlock the crate from the inside to gain his freedom. Another learned to slip through the sides of the doggy crate.

TikToker Reactions

The great escape quickly gained traction on TikTok, bringing in over 2.5 million views, 132,300 likes and 414 comments as of Monday.

"He ain't think twice about wasting NO time," said a viewer. He took his opportunity and ran.

Another added: "Bro accidentally broke free."

A third person said: "Most adorable jail break ever."

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.