There are walls and barriers in place to keep dogs safe and secure at the PUPS Pet Club daycare center locations in Chicago and New York. But for one canine attendee named Charlie, it recently became apparent that he’s been sticking around by choice.

Charlie, as it turns out, isn’t so easily contained.

Recently, PUPS Pet Club shared footage of Charlie’s exceptional brain in action.

While hanging out with his furry friends at daycare, he heard familiar voices in the room out front. They were the voices of his parents — they’d just arrived to pick him up and were talking to the daycare attendant.

It would only be a matter of minutes before Charlie would head home, but the pup chose not to wait.

Displaying some extraordinary smarts and craftiness, Charlie devised a way to escape.

Charlie’s dog companions, looking on, were visibly stunned by his abilities:

Fortunately, after managing to move a folded step stool in place, and then open it up, Charlie wasn’t injured by the little leap he made to reunite with his parents.

If anything, the act only reinforced the fact that he’s got quite the head on his shoulders.

“You’ve got to see it to believe it!” PUPS Pet Club wrote of the escape. “Charlie is one smart cookie.”