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Celeb dog trainer reveals how he taught groodle to ‘drive a car'

Celeb dog trainer reveals how he taught groodle to ‘drive a car'

Perth Now28-05-2025

The owner of a dog who claims to be the first animal delivery driver in Australia has revealed how he was taught the tricky skill.
Bodhi — a Groodle who knows how to get behind the wheel and start the car — was showcased on Sunrise on Wednesday morning where his trainer explained how it was the dog himself that inspired the idea.
Trainer Luke Hura told Sunrise it had been 'difficult' to train the celebrity dog, who has starred on Neighbours.
'He took to it quite well,' he said.
'Because all the training I had done with him previously, he had to learn how to keep his paws on the steering wheel, and hitting the button to start the car.'
WATCH ABOVE: The dog driving down the street to deliver an Uber Eats order. Bodhi can start and stop the car via pressing a button. Credit: Sunrise
'But he was constantly doing it (pressing the car start button) on and off, so he would be driving, he pressed the button and it would stop the car.
'It takes weeks and weeks to get a dog to learn how to put its feet on the steering wheel, hit the start button and pull it into gear.'
Bodhi had to learn all three skills for his debut as Uber's latest driver which called on the dog for a new partnership with Petbarn.
The companies shut down an entire street to film the promotion. Uber Eats users can now order items from Petbarn Credit: Sunrise
Hura worked with another Melbourne-based trainer, Mira Tomasello to make Bodhi a competent and safe driver.
'I told him he needed another job and earn his keep,' Hura joked with Sunrise's Nat and Shirvo.
'When I saw some clips, I thought, 'my god' — that's hilarious.
'He's sitting there quite relaxed like an old man, he just needed a pair of glasses and a hat.'
The partnership between Uber Eats and Pet Barn means Australians can order items from the pet store through the app.

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"There's something about him that feels like a national audience needs to see him right away," Nicolazzo said. The show next appears in Sydney on June 11 before heading across NSW, Victoria and South Australia. Nicolazzo hopes audience members take one key message from his production. "It's about finding freedom from the shackles of a culture that doesn't want you to be a part of It," he said. "That's a hard thing to do but we can only do it by making art and talking to people." Stephen Nicolazzo felt like throwing away his culture as a kid but is now using it to bring an Aussie classic to the national stage. Born of Melina Marchetta's iconic 1992 book and award-winning film starring Pia Miranda, Looking for Alibrandi the stage show has embarked on a first national tour. The story follows feisty protagonist Josie Alibrandi as she navigates her final year at a prestigious Catholic girls' school in Sydney. 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Nicolazzo points to the story's universal recognition of concepts like having to deal with over-bearing family members or being spoken to in a certain way. "The people that watch it are sobbing and laughing because there's a familiarity to it that goes beyond nostalgia," he said. The show first graced Sydney and Melbourne stages in 2022 and has since undergone script changes to enrich one of Jose's love interests, John Barton. "The audience is getting the best version of the show, which is five years in the making," Nicolazzo said. Three new cast members have also joined the fold, including 23-year-old graduate Riley Warner, who plays Josie's knockabout boyfriend Jacob Cootes. The rising star is debuting in his first stage show, having met Nicolazzo as a student. "There's something about him that feels like a national audience needs to see him right away," Nicolazzo said. The show next appears in Sydney on June 11 before heading across NSW, Victoria and South Australia. 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