Can Dogs Learn to Talk?

Can Dogs Learn to Talk?

               Have you ever wondered what your dog might say if he could talk? We all know dogs can learn words (who hasn’t spelled words like r-i-d-e or b-a-l-l because their dog gets so excited when they hear the word?), and, of course, dogs are masters of non-verbal communication.  One only needs to look into a dog’s eyes or see a wagging tail to feel the love and happiness. But, could our dogs learn to truly communicate with us? One speech-language pathologist thought so, and now there is a method to teach your dog to “talk” using buttons (the “That Was Easy” kind of button from Staples).

               Christina Hunger is a speech pathologist who saw potential in her dog Stella and decided to devise a method to teach Stella to use words to communicate.  To teach Stella to “talk” Hunger started teaching her to push buttons with pre-recorded words.  Stella now knows about 45 words and even puts together short phrases like “Want outside” and “Love you come come” when she wants attention. Apparently, Stella uses her buttons every day to communicate with her owner. Hunger says, “Instead of me making assumptions about her thoughts, [Stella] is actually able to tell me exactly what she wants to do….  Because Stella and I have a shared language, our relationship is much more collaborative than the stereotypical owner-dog dynamic.”

               Of course, this should be viewed with some skepticism as one dog learning to press buttons to “speak” doesn’t mean every dog can learn this or even that Stella actually understands what she’s doing. However, it’s intriguing enough that some studies are underway to determine if dogs can truly learn to use speech to communicate. Either way, it’s fun to imagine what your dog might be thinking and could be a good bonding activity for you and your dog.

Want to try it with your pooch? Here’s how!  Start with four or five easy words such as play, outside, or food. Buy recordable buttons and record simple words as described. Start pairing the dog’s activity with the word and also press the button when doing the activity. Eventually, you teach your pet to push the button with his nose or paw to initiate the activity. More words can be added over time so your dog can create short phrases, though maybe avoid words like “treat” that might get over-used!

Dogs understand words and are excellent at non-verbal communication but with some time and patience, we may be able to give dogs the tools to talk back!  Here’s to many happy conversations with your favorite pup!

More information on training your dog to use speech buttons can be found at: https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/training/how-to-teach-your-dog-to-talk/

This blog brought to you by the Patton Veterinary Hospital serving Red Lion, York and the surrounding communities.

https://moderndogmagazine.com/articles/want-teach-your-dog-talk-speech-language-pathologist-christina-hunger-shows-you-how/133601

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2021/08/06/talking-dogs-aac-devices-buttons/