Do you ever wish that your dog could talk? Well, this one can and yours can learn, too.
When speech pathologist, Christina Hunger, noticed that her new puppy was showing signs of wanting to communicate, much like kids vocalize before they can actually say words, she decided to teach her to talk.
Since the puppy named Stella would whine, gesture, and paw at things, Christina knew that the puppy could communicate non-verbally. Since Stella also understood words, Christina realized that had she been a child rather than a canine, she would be expecting her to start saying her first words.
So, that got Christina thinking, could she teach Stella to communicate even though she wasn’t verbal?
She decided to try and ordered a pack of buttons. Then she taught her the meaning of a few simple words, such as outside, play, and water. Stella then learned to press the corresponding button for each word.
Once she grasped that concept, Stella quickly learned more words. She even learned how to ask for help when she wanted her blanket, to say, “I love you,” and tell Christian when she wanted to go outside or was hungry.
The effort to teach Stella to talk paid off because she loves using her word buttons to communicate with her mom. And she didn’t need much coaxing. Once she grasped the concept, she learned more and more words and even volunteered conversation.
Today, Stella has 48 buttons that help her communicate. On an average day, Christina shared that she uses 26 – 50 words to express herself, convey a desire, or send a message. Stella likes to talk!
Interestingly, Stella has never received a treat for using her buttons. Communicating with her family is rewarding enough. Of course, when she asks for something specific, she does get a response. Such as when she wants to play outside or asks for water.
Christina says that her buttons help her understand Stella much better and give her a way to know what her dog is thinking about. Christina even wrote a book, How Stella Learned to Talk so that all dogs and their owners can learn to communicate better.
We hope you enjoyed watching Stella communicate her desires and thoughts. As always, please feel free to share with your friends.
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