New Zealand dogs pass their driving tests
Three rescue dogs in New Zealand who were learning to drive have passed their tests.
The trio of pooches - Monty, a giant schnauzer; Ginny, a whippet cross; and Porter, an old beardie cross – no longer need L-plates after successfully steering a modified Mini around a race track in Auckland, New Zealand in front of a live TV audience.
Animal trainer Mark Vette – who has taught canines various tricks on Hollywood movie sets – insists the dogs are doing all the driving themselves without any help.
He said: "It’s all the dog doing it.
"He’s started the key, put the paw on the brake to allow it to go into gear, put it into drive, paw on the steering wheel, accelerator on, and off he goes down the track.
"This has been the toughest assignment we’ve had.
"We’ve done 'Lord of the Rings, ['The Last] Samurai', many of the big movies but to actually get a dog in a car with no trainer and it does the whole gig itself, I tell you what, it’s been a real challenge."
