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Unless you live off the grid, chances are, you’ve seen videos of pet owners “talking” with their animals using speech buttons on Instagram or TikTok. (@hunger4words, anyone?) The videos are adorable and nothing short of impressive. Typically, a person asks their dog a question and the dog responds by pressing a button that vocalizes a pre-recorded word or phrase.
It’s not telepathy, and no, you don’t need a degree in speech pathology to talk to Fido. In fact, teaching a pet to use speech buttons is easier than it looks. “Essentially, speech buttons are really meant to provide a way for a dog or cat — or really, probably any animal — a way to communicate with us using the same words we use,” Dr. Learn, a V.M.D. and board-certified veterinary behaviorist (DACVB) at Virginia’s Animal Behavior Wellness Center, tells HuffPost. “We know that our dogs understand words, right? So what we’re trying to do now is use these buttons to teach them that they can choose to communicate with us — that they can use our words.”
Several reviewers speak to actually having the experience Dr. Learn describes with their pets — using a doggone good speech button set deal on Amazon for under $30!
Before you write off speech buttons as too time-consuming or complicated, here’s how they work:
Give yourself (and your pet) some credit! Dogs are sentient beings that have likes, dislikes, feelings and preferences. More importantly, they understand many of our words. (If they couldn’t, how else would they recognize the words “treat” and “outside?”)
As Dr. Learn explains, it all comes down to association: “If a dog recognizes a word and can operate the button, they can press it to ‘say’ something to us — and they know we’ll respond, because we share a mutual understanding of what that word means.”
Dr. Learn recently picked up a button starter kit from FluentPet, a popular speech-button brand co-founded by Alexis Devine — best known for using these buttons with her dog Bunny (@whataboutbunny).
While Bunny can string together complex sentences using multiple buttons, that level of communication comes from building a strong foundation over time.
Here’s how to get started using the speech buttons at home.
For beginners, it’s best to start small. We found an 8-pack of speech buttons that let you record your own words and phrases. They’re also color-coded, so your animal can understand that each color will correspond to a specific command.
“As far as speech buttons go, they’re really just recordable devices,” says Dr. Learn. “The owner records a familiar word — let’s say potty — and models the behavior associated with that word. So every time the owner touches the potty button, they walk to the door or go outside.”
Over time, dogs begin to associate the sound of the button with the action. “Just like they understand the spoken word potty, they start to learn that this button also means they’ll be let outside,” she says. “Eventually, the dog can choose to press the button themselves to communicate that need.”
This kind of training builds on how dogs already interpret us. Dr. Learn says that dogs already read our body language, tone and routine. They’re examining our facial expressions, posture, stances and more to use clues to figure out what’s happening. (That’s how your dog knows to pout about you leaving the house before you even grab your keys.)
But brace yourself: It’ll take time!
Learning the meaning of each button and how to use them takes time, and your pet’s confusion is part of the process. “If a pet doesn’t clearly associate a word with its action, they might hit the wrong button or get frustrated,” she says. Frustration can also happen if the owner isn’t present to hear the button press, leaving the dog “saying” something with no response. “The dog’s like, ‘I just told you something,’ and the human has no idea what was said.”
Speech buttons don’t always work on your schedule, either. “Your cat might hit the ‘food’ button at 4 a.m.,” Dr. Learn jokes, “or your dog might ask to play in the middle of your Zoom meeting.”
Just remember to set boundaries, gently.
Dr. Learn cautions against using buttons to punish or deny in a negative way. Never tell your pet “no” for using these buttons or you’ll risk them associating button-use with bad behavior. “Punishment is always aversive, and if the buttons are linked to something bad, pets will stop using them,” she explains. That doesn’t mean you have to grant every request. Instead, many trainers introduce neutral cues like “not now” or “later” to acknowledge the pet’s request without reinforcing unwanted timing
These buttons can be a net positive for deeper bonds
Speech buttons can deepen the bond between pets and people by creating a two-way channel for communication. “This gives them a tool to participate more directly,” Dr. Learn notes.
If you’re interested in starting a conversation with your pet, check out this basic set we found on Amazon that many reviewers say actually does help them communicate with their pets.
“My dog is very smart, German Sheppard… I did Izzy go out. She hit it right away,” one reviewer, David, wrote.
“I put it by her bowl so she would hit it on accident. When she did, out she went. She learned after 2 tries. She is nutz over my wife so I put ‘mommy go out.’ When she came home Izzy immediately hit ‘mommy go out.’ The wife was mad. I put ‘Izzy wants hugs’ and she does that alot and expects a hug. She will put her paw on your shoulder and pull u in so she knows exactly what she’s asking for. The problem is I can’t come up with anything else. Do they make buttons for people? She is smarter than I am.”
This eight-pack will give you a nice starter for you and your animal to communicate and gives you plenty of room to expand your pet’s vocabulary over time.
Try having a conversation with your dog and grab some of these speech buttons on Amazon. If you’re hesitant about trying some for yourself, check out these promising reviews.
“Not only did my grandkids love these, my dog really does use them. Took about a few minutes for her to learn. Easy to teach a dog to use.
I have a pool which is fully screened/ cage around it. I had no place to hang a bell and didn’t want my dog scratching at the screen when she needed to go out. So, I got the buttons. She loves them and communicates well with me.
Warning: The “I want to eat” button, is tricky! Once she figured out she could get food by pushing the button, it was an all day . We had to change that button! lol
Great and well-worth it!
PS. I’m not paid for my review nor did I get any compensation, coupons or free items. Just a real girl with a real write up!” — nom“These have been so much fun. I read the book How Stella Learned to Talk about how a young speech pathologist started using the communication buttons she used with preverbal autistic children with her dog, then used them with my dog, a 7-year-old collie. At first she couldn’t see how they could benefit her, but then she discovered the SNACKIES button. We’re using 6 buttons now and I’ll introduce more as she seems ready. Sometimes I feel as if I’ve created a monster. She uses these buttons every day, and if I want her to continue to use them, I have to respond. But it’s been fun for both of us. Sometimes a dog gets tired of pantomine and just wants to say what she wants. These buttons are not long-lasting with an impatient 75-pound dog pawing at them. She’s broken 3 or 4 in about 8 months.” — Sharon In Virginia
“They work. Now only if my goofy dog would step on them! I’ve done hand over paw and she yanks her paw away after I have her touch the button. She gets soooooo excited when she hears treat please, but cannot seem to figure out how to push the button. Yes, i moved the button near her head, etc but she just hasn’t figured it out quite yet. Yes we work on it frequently and for a desired item, heck, im a behavior specialist! I know how to do this stuff from conditioning and learning! I think she’s just trying to be difficult. 🙄😬 I have made them play different phrases for my son and my friends which I find comical 🤣” — heather1974
“We have a beagle who was rescued from a mass breeding facility. It has taken her a while to warm up to people but we’ve made progress. We bought these to see how she and her Chiweenie brother would react.
We recorded different things we say to her (ie “do you want a treat”, etc) on all 8 of these.
These are good voice quality recordings, easy to set up and use. Dogs catch on quickly to “outside” and “do you want to play?” . Really cute idea. Highly recommend this. Even if they don’t communicate with complete thoughts or sentences, it’s feel good moments like this one in the video that just make our day! This was her favorite button. 🙂
***As an unexpected joy…this was very therapeutic after recently losing a family member and hearing their voice recording on one of the buttons when the dogs pushed it. I wish he could have recorded more of these now. This “I love you” button is now heart-warming to hear when the dogs see I’m starting to get melancholy and push it for me. :)” — Kim G“My dog is very smart, German Sheppard. You just record and when she hit, it talked. I did Izzy go out. She hit it right away. I put it by her bowl so she would hit it on accident. When she did, out she went. She learned after 2 tries. She is nutz over my wife so I put mommy go out. When she came home Izzy immediately hit mommy go out. The wife was mad. I put Izzy wants hugs and she does that alot and expects a hug. She will put her paw on your shoulder and pull u in so she knows exactly what she’s asking for. The problem is I can’t come up with anything else. Do they make buttons for people? She is smarter than I am.” — David
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