Dog Takes Over Driving When Owner Steps From Car

Instead of chasing a car in circles, a dog in Florida took the wheel Thursday as humans helplessly watched the car do loops in a cul-de-sac. Max, a black Lab retriever, moved into the driver's seat after his owner mistakenly turned into the cul-de-sac in Port St. Lucie. The owner stopped, got out of the car, apparently to assess the situation, and closed the door. The car was still running, the New York Post reports. His dog knocked the transmission into reverse, or maybe the owner left it in reverse, per WPBF. For about an hour, Max drove slowly, in circles, in reverse. Police and firefighters came, but there was no panic, a neighbor said, because it was all going so well.

The car "was going in a perfect circle … and it was staying on track," she said. In fact, she didn't realize a dog was driving until the car slowed down and police let Max out. Max did nick a mailbox and a few garbage cans, but it was his first time driving. No one was hurt, reports the Orlando Sentinel. The owner, who did not want to be identified, said he'd take care of the mailbox. The neighbor thinks Max should be given a driver's license. "I'll tell you what, the dog drives better than most people in Florida," she said. See video here. (More dogs stories.)