# Talking dogs



## scooterscout99 (Dec 3, 2015)

The NYT wrote about two sets of paw-activated word buttons. I'd heard of Stella, the talking dog, but not Bunny, the sheep doodle. Also didn't know that these technologies are available for purchase. Here's the article and links to the two products.

Hunger4Words was developed by Stella's owner. TheyCanTalk.org (associated with Bunny's owner) is also conducting research through UCSD on dogs' ability to use this technology.

Is anyone else interested in learning if their dog could learn to communicate this way? I'd like to think that my poodle has the brains. No bias here!









The ‘Talking’ Dog of TikTok (Published 2021)


Bunny, an internet-famous sheepadoodle, has brought attention to a new area of study within animal cognition: the use of assistive technology for language acquisition.




www.nytimes.com






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http://instagr.am/p/CO0XTMWsgbW/









Getting started


Choosing your buttons We recommend getting started by ordering a kit from FluentPet! They've developed specialized buttons and matching tiles to make setting everything up as easy as possible,and to maximize the probability of success with your learner. Note: You do not need to use FluentPet




www.theycantalk.org


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## Starla (Nov 5, 2020)

There’s a couple threads on this. I was gifted the fluentpet get started kit for Mother’s Day. It hasn’t arrived yet, but neither has my poodle.


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## Liz (Oct 2, 2010)

Oh Ellen, I'm so excited to hear this. You should order Christina Hunger's book, it's a really helpful guide on how to get started.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Bunny’s Instagram account has fundamentally changed my perception of dogs, which, in turn, has shifted my approach to meeting and honouring Peggy‘s needs. Once you get beyond the novelty (and sheer cuteness!!), it’s really, really powerful stuff. 

What struck me most recently was how Bunny was still talking _the next day_ about some strangers who had unexpectedly knocked on their door. She was still wondering about them, still worrying. The sort of thing we think nothing of, except maybe “ugh, solicitors,” was causing her real anxiety and it didn’t just go away when they did.

We love to say feel-good things like “_Dogs live in the moment!_” But what a disservice we do to them when we box them in like that.

I’m especially aware these days of how often Peggy thinks about being outside, and even longs for it. And why shouldn’t she?


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## Starla (Nov 5, 2020)

Thanks for the suggestion! I just bought it on my kindle.


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## Liz (Oct 2, 2010)

The book is very much about Christina's adventure in teaching Stella, so it reads as a biography, but obviously, there is a lot of science built in. Bunny's owner is an artist, so her tiktoks and insta are fantastic, but for learning purposes, I prefer Christina's approach because I trust that she's following the science (even if it's an n of 1). That said, Bunny is adorable! I think it's revolutionary to hear for ourselves what dogs think about and what dogs want to communicate to us, whether it's dad's poop sounds (ha!), or strangers at the door (or in her paw!), or how much they appreciate a pleasant day.


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## Phaz23 (May 31, 2020)

Tekno has fluent pet buttons and he took to them right away. It's so interesting to see how he uses the buttons and which ones are his new favorites. He really likes his name button and uses it when he wants me to call him or pick him up. He also uses "Play " and "Toy" a lot, and every once in a while uses "outside" but mostly still rings his potty bells. He gets most chatty at night around 7pm. I want to buy him more buttons but am trying to slow my roll until he's consistently using his starter set


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## Newport (Jul 16, 2014)

I am a big Bunny fan. It has been very enlightening to see what she has to say. However, I’m not sure I want my dog talking to me, lol. I’m envisioning constant demands on her part, and increased guilt for me.

Another highly entertaining talking dog is bastianandbrews on Instagram. A terrier’s approach to language is about what you’d expect.


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## Liz (Oct 2, 2010)

Newport said:


> Another highly entertaining talking dog is bastianandbrews on Instagram. A terrier’s approach to language is about what you’d expect.


Wow - watching the cat say "bye" and "all done" when she's dying. That's something else.


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## scooterscout99 (Dec 3, 2015)

I've just checked the Hunger book from the library. Guess I should read it first before purchasing this technology. Would be interesting now to have a button for bunny, as there's a small one living under our deck and my poodle is incessant about wanting to search for it.


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## Dianaleez (Dec 14, 2019)

Liz said:


> Oh Ellen, I'm so excited to hear this. You should order Christina Hunger's book, it's a really helpful guide on how to get started.


Liz, thanks for that. I'd ordered the first basic button set and now I'll know how to make better use of it.


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## Liz (Oct 2, 2010)

Phaz23 said:


> Tekno has fluent pet buttons


@Phaz23 - how clear are the buttons? I returned a different, cheaper set because I could hardly understand the recording. I wasn't sure if paying more resulted in better quality.


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## Oonapup (Oct 16, 2020)

Bunny is getting a baby brother and from the clip, he looks like a phantom poodle!


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Oonapup said:


> Bunny is getting a baby brother and from the clip, he looks like a phantom poodle!


Will be interesting to hear what Bunny has to say! Her owner tells me Bunny’s a bit of a guardy girl (relatable!), so I’ll be watching their relationship with interest.

Here’s the new little brother:












http://highdesertstandardpoodles.com/


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## Starla (Nov 5, 2020)

My fluentpet arrived today!! I’m so excited and we’ve already set up the “outside” button.


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## Phaz23 (May 31, 2020)

Liz said:


> @Phaz23 - how clear are the buttons? I returned a different, cheaper set because I could hardly understand the recording. I wasn't sure if paying more resulted in better quality.


Oh I never saw this! Yes the recordings are really nice and clear


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## Looniesense (Jul 10, 2021)

Starla said:


> My fluentpet arrived today!! I’m so excited and we’ve already set up the “outside” button.


I got the fluent pet buttons too and set up the outside and all done buttons near the front door . Didn’t go too well as my pup, who may have been too young, just wanted to pick them out of the mat and run off with a button in his mouth. I panicked knowing they contained batteries and wrestled it out of his mouth saying “No!”. So...now it’s been a few months and the only one who pushes the buttons is me as I inadvertently told him No! I will need to try another method perhaps using a play button now that he’s a little older.


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## Starla (Nov 5, 2020)

Yeah, I’d probably start over, new mat, new button, new location in the house. Mine just got here today. It was ordered before Mother’s Day and said it would be delivered mid-June! So far Phoebe just looks at it as I tap it with my foot before going “outside!” She’s not quite 4 months old.


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## scooterscout99 (Dec 3, 2015)

Thanks for the updates. Guess I should have ordered already with the long wait time. I still think that my dog would be constantly on the 'outside' button. It would be interesting to see how an older dog--who already knows a lot of words--uses the buttons as compared to Stella who started as a puppy.


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## Beryl (May 29, 2020)

I’m quite certain no one will believe this story. If it didn’t happen to me, I wouldn’t. 

When I moved from Colorado to Texas, I drove my car with my sister and my 10 year old 9 lb toy poodle, Latte. There was a lot of normal moving drama including relinquishing a min pin, Boo. Latte and Boo were close. 











At some point when I returned to the car after gassing up, my sister told me that Latte very distinctly said, “Ma Ma” when I left the car. I dismissed it as my sister being confused or joking. 

A few days later, I was driving around with my sister and Latte. Again, I left my sister and Latte in the car to get something. When I returned to the car, I distinctly heard Latte say, “Ma” Surprised, I asked my sister if she heard it. She said, “yes but like I told you before, he said ‘Ma Ma’ at the filling station.” 

6 years latter, Latte has never uttered anything that sounded human again. I’m attributing the utterance with moving stress, missing his brother, and feeling that he might be abandoned. 

When I saw this thread I thought others had experienced something similar. 

(It is okay not to believe this happened.)


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