Social media is a great place for owners to share funny and educational videos of their dogs, but no matter how cute or entertaining, we know that much if it is not real. So when we see a video of a dog communicating with the help of talk buttons, our amazement is quickly followed by suspicion. Can dogs really talk by using buttons? Especially when Bunny the dog starts telling her owner about her dreams, it is much easier to believe that the canine is simply pressing random buttons. In this blog post, I want to talk about interspecies communication, the concept of language, and how I have been using talk buttons with my Samoyed Banshee for the past 2 1/2 years.
Can Dogs Learn Words?
To answer the most important question first: Yes, dogs can learn words. Studies have shown that the average dog knows approximately 165 words, with more intelligent specimens able to learn up to 200. Of course, a dog’s idea of language differs from that of humans and that is a common argument often used against talk buttons. If you’ve ever learned a second language, think back on how you learned it. Of course, some words were taught to you directly via translation, others you learned over time through context and association. English is my second language and I have a vivid memory of when and how I first learned certain words, in what context they appeared, and how I connected them to what they described. This is not too different from how dogs can learn the meaning of words. Even if you aren’t utilising talk buttons, your dog will know quite a few words. They will know that “sit” means “put your butt on the floor” and that their name means “look/come over here”. I’m also willing to bet some money that they know words you have never intentionally taught them which you now have to spell out to avoid excitement, such as “walk” or “dinner”. My previous dog knew the names of every household member as well as those of frequent guests, which prompted us to only talk about them using their initials. There is also a Corgi that caught on to their owners’ use of sign language.
While words may only be random sounds to dogs, they can learn to associate these specific sounds in context, which is how words and names can be connected to people, items, and actions. A lot of this can happen naturally over time, as was the case with my previous dog and people’s names, but it can also be taught intentionally, for example, when you’re teaching “sit” and other commands.
From Understanding Words to Using Buttons
Understanding a sound is one thing, pressing a button to communicate is another. For a species that communicates mainly through body language and barking, using their paws or nose to press a button is not a naturally occurring behaviour – it needs to be taught. We already know that dogs can learn words and connect their meanings to people, items, and actions, whether it was taught intentionally or unintentionally, but the act of using buttons as a method of communication is something we have to put effort into to teach. But how can we make sure they aren’t pressing random buttons to see what happens? The answer to that is an interesting one.
First of all, we need to look at various button setups. Most people keep all their buttons in one place. FluentPet and other companies offer differently coloured or patterned tiles to hold the buttons. I still own the old FluentPet layout that has various patterns, which I personally think is superior to the unicoloured tiles, but this comes down to personal preference. However, all these tiles come in colours dogs can differentiate. Once introduced, a button will keep its place on the tile while others are added around or next to it, keeping the layout the same over time. Dogs not only learn the meaning of the button and what it does, but they also learn its place on the board. They learn that the “outside” button is located at the centre of the yellow tile, for example, while the button for “water” is on the bottom of the blue tile. However, this isn’t the only way buttons can be presented to a dog, as some people position singular buttons near spots where the action occurs. For example, the “outside” button might be located by the front door whereas the “play” button can be found next to the toy box.
False presses occur, even with dogs who have been using talk buttons for a while, but they are usually easily spotted in context or through your dog’s body language. Aside from using talk buttons, my Samoyed is trained to point (look) at things she wants, so if she happens to press her “puzzle” button but looks at the door, I can pretty easily determine that she wanted to press the “wobbler” button next to it for her enrichment activity we usually do outdoors. In most cases, her button use and body language correspond. When my Samoyed presses “play” and “outside”, grabs a toy, and runs towards the door, it is a pretty good indicator that she does, indeed, want to play outside. 99% of the time, Banshee’s body language confirms the use of her words.
Sometimes, dogs can get very creative with their words and their meaning, causing us to have to think about what they’re trying to say. One time, my dad was dogsitting Banshee in the evening and at the same time I entered our courtyard, Banshee got up to press her “outside” button. She wasn’t trying to tell him that she wanted to go outside, rather she was alerting him to something happening outside. Occasionally, she will also use her buttons to comment or confirm. Usually, when dogs are beginning to use buttons to express something else, it is time to add a new button for that specific meaning. For example, my Samoyed tried to use the “outside” button to request her Kong Wobbler (an outdoor activity for us) for a couple of days before I caught on and added a “wobbler” button, which she now uses instead.
Each dog is different, learns at a different pace, can handle a different number of words, and has different means of using the buttons. Some use their nose to press and do better if their tiles are mounted to the wall, others need the buttons a little more spaced out, while some individuals do best if each button is located near the item or activity. However, if taught properly, a communicative animal can learn to use talk buttons correctly.
How To Teach a Dog to Use Talk Buttons
If you are interested in teaching your dog to “talk”, you might be wondering where to start and how to best approach this skill. I was fortunate to start when my Samoyed puppy was only 14 weeks old and soaked up new skills like a little sponge, but I don’t think her age mattered much and I could have easily started when she was one year or two years old. Also, it might even be easier if your dog already has a vocabulary to start with and knows the words for certain activities or people when the buttons are introduced.
I had not planned to start introducing buttons as early as 14 weeks, but when she moved into my home, it was clear to me that she was the ideal candidate for them. Right from the beginning, she was smart, curious, inquisitive, and eager to learn new skills. Additionally, she was naturally communicative and used her body language, barks, awoos, and pointing behaviours to tell me what she wanted – and she loved using her paws. We already had an amazing basis before she had ever seen a button.
I started our button journey by introducing her to the button and the tile, rewarding any curiosity she had towards it that didn’t involve her tiny puppy teeth. Then I quickly moved on to teach her the physical action of pressing it without attaching any meaning to the button. That means she got a treat every single time she used her paw or nose to activate its sound. In just two short training sessions, she had understood what I wanted her to.
As soon as I was certain she could physically press and activate the button, I introduced a meaning. Now, this was a little experiment that didn’t immediately bear fruit. When introducing a new button, it is done by modelling. In our case, we started with an “outside” button, which I pressed every single time before we went outside. A few weeks went by without her taking much notice of this. Starting with a single button works for many dogs, but not for all, and we didn’t have any success until I added a second button – “play” – which I introduced and modelled in the same fashion every single time we were playing.
Within two weeks, Banshee had understood what I was doing and what those buttons meant. When I pressed her “outside” button, she ran towards the door, expecting to be let outside, so I knew that the meaning had sunk in. Another week went by and she started looking at the buttons when she wanted to do a certain activity, which was an amazing step towards using the buttons. Then, within a few days, she made her first unprompted button press to request to be let outside.
For a while, we went back and forth between her using the buttons on her own and using the buttons after being prompted by me. She was also still very much a puppy, so she occasionally had the smart idea of trying to eat the buttons and tiles, causing me to have to remove them for her safety. In hindsight, I wish I had kept a diary of her button use, but from old videos and pictures, I can tell you that from her first introduction in mid-February, it took her until the end of March to consistently use the buttons. Since she was still a puppy and learning to use buttons to communicate, it took a while longer for her to a) use them correctly the majority of the time and b) stop viewing them as a potential chew toy.
We currently have 5 tiles with a total of 10 buttons that she uses on a regular basis, some more often than others. Here is a photo of our setup:
Our buttons include: outside, play, training, snuggles, puzzle, chew, wobbler, scatter, boring, and a German curse word. Yes, we are bilingual in this household, even the dog, so some buttons contain German words while others are in English.
As you can tell from the image, some tiles only hold one button while others have three and there is a good reason for it. It’s easier for Banshee to have them spaced out and I had to move a button or two shortly after the initial introduction because Banshee wasn’t using it or she was confusing it with another that was too close. This current setup is not too busy for her paws and she can easily differentiate her words. Another thing you might have noticed is that they are grouped. “Outside” is located on a tile dedicated to places, where I plan on introducing “upstairs” and “downstairs” later. “Boring” and the curse word are located together because they express emotions. The other buttons are all activities that could be on one tile but are spread out to make access easier.
A little note on the curse word: I’m often asked why and how I have taught Banshee to curse and whether is she using it correctly. The answer is simple. I thought it was adorable and it’s a rather mild German curse word (“Mist”, which roughly translates to “damn” or “shoot”). It also gives Banshee the opportunity to express her displeasure with something and that is exactly how I taught and modelled the button. Whenever something inconvenient happened that bothered her, I modelled the button. Now she uses it for moments when her toy gets stuck under the sofa, when she hates the weather, or when my dad is sitting on her side of the couch. Can you imagine the look on his face to be told off by a dog for sitting in her spot? Priceless!
While we haven’t introduced these buttons (yet), here are some more ideas for words I have seen other people use: water, upstairs/downstairs, ouch, stranger, mad, concerned, toy names, family member names, other pets, …
Why Should I Introduce Talk Buttons?
I think we can all agree that it’s cute when dogs use talk buttons. But there are actually more reasons for using them than human amusement, all of which can benefit dogs greatly.
Learning A New Skill
Learning new skills is amazing for any species. It provides mental stimulation, contributes to a better relationship between animal and owner, and can boost confidence. Teaching your dog to use talk buttons can be used as quality 1:1 time and tire them out mentally. This is great for rainy days or recovery when long walks aren’t an option.
Interspecies Communication
Humans and dogs can suffer from communication problems when we use words and signals that haven’t been explicitly taught, leading to confusion and frustration in our canine companions – and ourselves as well when the dog fails to follow our cue. At the same time, we often misinterpret their body language or get mad when they are barking to communicate. Putting the time and effort into building a common foundation for communication – not just in the shape of talk buttons but other behaviours, such as pointing, too – greatly improves dog-owner relationships and enables a much more harmonious coexistence.
Agency
Dogs have very little control over their environment, which can lead to behavioural problems, especially in independent specimens. Conversely, providing agency can greatly improve a dog’s quality of life by enhancing resilience and confidence and combating learned helplessness. Talk buttons alone don’t provide agency, but they can be an additional puzzle piece in giving your dog more choices on a daily basis because they receive an opportunity to explicitly ask for what they need. Depending on what words you provide your dog with (and you will see that most of our words are interactions and enrichment opportunities), they will be able to request exactly what they need at that moment. This could be asking for mental stimulation in the shape of puzzles, social interactions, such as cuddles, or even something as simple as asking for fresh water. Buttons can be used to ask for space, for another snack if they feel hungry, or for their favourite toy. They can also be used to express discomfort, pain, or annoyance.
Do Talk Buttons Have Downsides?
Introducing talk buttons can have so many positive effects on the life of your dog and your relationship, even if you don’t plan on adding dozens of buttons. Even just one or two words provide your dog with a new skill to learn, more agency, and a direct way of communicating their needs. In our case, talk buttons even helped to curb demand barking during the adolescent stage because my Samoyed was given a better, more direct opportunity to express herself.
Many owners have reservations, however, which often boil down to the fear that their dog will continuously push buttons to receive more food. While it might happen with some exceptionally hungry individuals, it is not the experience I made – and many of our buttons are food-related. First of all, you can say no. Just because your dog requests something, doesn’t mean you always have to oblige. While it’s useful to perform the activity or give them access to the item they ask for in the initial learning stage, you are free to say no when they ask for a snack. They will not magically un-learn the meaning of the button if their request is denied and they will not feel robbed of their agency because of it. The opportunity to ask is still there. Many people specifically introduce buttons for “all done” or “later” for this specific reason.
Additionally, from my experience with a dog who loves eating and snacking, she doesn’t ask for more food than I would be willing to give her. Most of our food-related buttons are actually buttons to request food-related enrichment activities, such as puzzle, wobbler, scatter feeding, and training. In my experience, my dog is asking for these activities to fulfil a need which isn’t necessarily connected to hunger or appetite – she just wants to perform scavenging activities or engage with me in a training session. The only direct food button we have is “chew” which will give her a chew snack 95% of the time (unless she is currently suffering from an upset tummy). You would expect her to abuse the opportunity to get a tasty snack, however, it is actually one of the buttons that get the least use. Once again, she uses this button not for free food, but to fulfil a need that she has. Sometimes, when dogs request food, however, they simply are hungry. And that is also a very good reason to ask for more food.
If you are introducing talk buttons to a puppy or an adolescent dog, there will be moments I refer to as “button-slamming tantrums”. You can compare these to demand barking fits – just quieter and cuter. They might be difficult to explain in a Zoom meeting, but they are usually short-lived and fade as the dog matures and is continuously taught calm, composed interactions with buttons. Aside from that and the potential that a young dog might see buttons and tiles as chew toys at first, I could not find a single downside to introducing buttons to my Samoyed.
Conclusion
Whether you are planning on giving your dog a few words to express their needs or you want them to become a button superstar – using talk buttons is a great way to add enrichment to your pup’s life and provide them with new skills, agency, and a direct way to express their needs. Some might take to these buttons straight away, others might need a few months of modelling and experimentation to figure out the meaning behind these words, but I’m confident that with time and effort, most dogs will be able to use these as a communication tool. Plus, it is cute to watch your dog talk.
