New Zealand Dogs Learn How To Drive

MINI New Zealand and the SPCA have found an ingenious way to encourage the public to adopt shelter pets—train three cross-breed rescue dogs to drive a modified Mini Countryman in order to prove abandoned mutts can be loyal, intelligent pets.

The Royal New Zealand Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals felt too few people were adopting orphaned pooches. Renowned animal trainer Mark Vette from Animals on Q was commissioned to train Porter, Monty and Ginny—three rescues from the Auckland SPCA—to operate specially-designed dashboard-height pedals to accelerate and brake upon Vette’s command. The dogs also learned to steer the Mini with a steering wheel fitted with handles and press a dashboard-mounted button that serves as a “starter key.”

Footage of the dogs’ training sessions over the past eight weeks has already attracted more than 300,000 views on Youtube and is trending on Twitter. They sit on their haunches, harnessed in the driver’s seat, with their paws on the steering wheel. Their feet sit on the extension levers attached to the accelerator and brake, while one paw works the gearstick.

We train the dogs to do different actions, touch is the first thing and then we teach them to touch different objects with the right paw and left paw,” Vette said in a preview for an upcoming television show featuring the dogs.

There’s about 10 different behaviors involved, so we had to break them down into each behavior—using the accelerator, feet on the wheel, turn the key on, feet on the brake, the gear (stick) and so on,” Vette said.

The dogs’ driving lessons began with mock-up wooden carts as they learned basic commands through clicker training, receiving treats as rewards along the way. They spent five weeks of indoor training as they grew comfortable with the basic commands to touch and move the brakes, gear sticks and steering wheels.

After a total of seven weeks of training, they were ready to apply their lessons to a real car. One week later—on Dec. 10—they will be tested on live television as they undergo a “doggie driving test.

The dogs have achieved amazing things in eight short weeks of training, which really shows with the right environment just how much potential all dogs from the SPCA have as family pets,” Christine Kalin, chief executive of the Auckland SPCA said.

In fact, the dogs—a beardie mix, a whippet mix and a giant schnauzer mix—all had troubled pasts. 10-month-old Porter was a nervous stray, 1-year-old Ginny was neglected and poor Monty, 18 months, was dumped at the shelter by an owner who called him a “handful.”

I think sometimes people think because they’re getting an animal that’s been abandoned that somehow it’s second class,” Kalin said. “Animals this smart deserve a home.

Vette couldn’t agree more.

Monty, Porter and Ginny are great dogs each with their own distinct personality,” he said. “You wouldn’t believe any dog could learn to drive a car on its own and the way all three SPCA rescue dogs have taken to training really does prove that intelligent creature adapt to the situation they’re in. It really is remarkable.”

The project was the creation of Auckland’s DraftFCB advertising agency—commissioned by Mini to devise a campaign that would help the SPCA challenge public misconceptions about shelter dogs.

Ultimately the aim is that an SPCA rescue dog will become top of mind and top choice for people thinking of adopting a pet,” Kalin said. “Driving a car actively demonstrates to potential adopters that you can teach an old dog new tricks.

[Image via SPCA Auckland/Facebook]