Those Three Clever Dogs Trained To Drive A Car Provide Valuable Lessons For AI Self-Driving Cars

Perhaps this dog would prefer driving the car, just like three dogs that were trained to do so. We've all seen dogs traveling in cars, including how they like to peek out an open window and enjoy the fur-fluffing breeze and dwell in the cacophony of scents that blow along in the flavorful wind. Dogs have also frequently been used as living props in commercials for cars, pretending in some cases to drive a car, such as the Subaru "Barkleys" advertising campaign that initially launched on TV in 2018 and continued in 2019, proclaiming that Subaru cars were "officially" dog tested and dog approved. What you might not know or might not remember is that there were three dogs that were trained on driving a car and had their moment of unveiling in December of 2012 when they were showcased by driving a car on an outdoor track (the YouTube posted video has amassed millions of views). Yes, three dogs named Monty, Ginny, and Porter were destined to become the first true car drivers on behalf of the entire canine family. Monty at the time was an 18-month-old giant schnauzer cross, while the slightly younger Ginny at one year of age was a beardie whippet cross, and Porter was a youthful 10-month-old beardie.