Soundboard for Dogs

Christina Hunger, a 26-year-old speech-language pathologist from San Diego, California, is redefining communication between humans and their furry friends. Driven by her belief that “everyone deserves a voice,” Hunger applied her expertise to teach her two-month-old puppy, Stella, a Catahoula/Blue Heeler mix, to use a soundboard for communication.

Working with Stella similarly to how she engages with one- and two-year-old children using adaptive devices, Hunger and her fiancé, Jake, started with a simple button labeled “outside.” Each time they mentioned the word or opened the door, they pressed the button. After a few weeks, Stella would look at the button whenever Hunger said “outside.” Remarkably, Stella began stepping on the button when she desired to go outside.

Expanding the vocabulary, Hunger introduced buttons for “eat,” “water,” “play,” “walk,” “no,” “come,” “help,” “bye,” and “love you.” Instead of rewarding Stella with treats, they responded to her communication by acknowledging her message and reacting appropriately, emphasizing the importance of Stella’s voice.

Stella quickly grasped the association between words and actions. For instance, she says “water” when her bowl is empty or “play” when she wants to engage in tug of war. Stella even started saying “bye” if someone put on their jacket by the door. Impressively, Stella learned over 29 words, demonstrating an ability to combine up to five at a time to form phrases or sentences, resembling the language development of a 2-year-old child.

Hunger’s innovative approach aims to strengthen the bond between humans and dogs, enriching the way we communicate with our canine companions. Her work not only showcases the intelligence of dogs but also offers a new perspective on their capabilities for nuanced communication. Through her dedication, Hunger is breaking new ground in the realm of interspecies communication, opening up exciting possibilities for understanding and connecting with our pets in more profound ways.

_{Repurposed article originally published in Upworthy.com}