I had the same problem with Ginger. It ended up that it was fairly easy to fix. I just needed to get a different type of gate for the doorway. Ginger was home alone for 9-10 hours a day and still wasn't completely potty trained at six months. So my boss, who is just wonderful with dogs said that he thought that she was in the crate too long, and that I should find a room to keep her in and give her pee-pee pads until she could physically wait 9 or 10 hours to go out. Well I, like you bought a gate for the kitchen. And when I came home, Ginger greated me at the door. I tried it again the next day, making sure there was nothing nearby that she could climb up on so she could jump over the gate. Again, she met me at the door. So I went to PetSmart and asked their advise. They said, get a baby gate that only has slats/rails that run from top to bottom. Nothing that goes from side to side, that she can get her little feet on to boost herself over. Worked like a charm. Not only did my little darling stay in the kitchen but three weeks later she was completely housebroken. Babys R Us has baby gates with metal bars running up and down for $49.99. The best investment I ever made. Ginger is now two years old and has had the run of the house while I am gone since she was about 9 months old. I hope this helps. Keep us informed.