WELLINGTON — Rather than chasing cars, dogs in New Zealand are being taught to drive them — steering, pedals and all — in a heartwarming project aimed at increasing pet adoptions from animal shelters. Animal trainer Mark Vette has spent two months training three cross-breed rescue dogs from the Auckland SPCA to drive a modified Mini as a way of proving that even unwanted canines can be taught to perform complex tasks. The motorized mutts — Porter, Monty and Ginny — sit in the driver's seat, belted in with a safety harness, using their paws to operate specially designed dashboard-height pedals for the accelerator and brakes at Vette's command. The car's steering wheel has been fitted with handles, allowing the dogs to turn it, while the “starter key” is a dashboard-mounted button that the dogs press to get the motor running. “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 began their driving lessons on a mock-up rig, learning basic commands through clicker training, before graduating to the Mini. So far, their experience in the modified car has been limited but they will undergo a “doggie driving test” live on New Zealand television on Monday. Footage of the old dogs being taught new tricks has attracted more than 300,000 views on YouTube and also proved a trending hit on Twitter. Responses on social media sites were overwhelmingly positive, although some dismissed the stunt as a shaggy dog story. — AP
