I used language facilitation strategies to teach Stella words in a similar way to how I teach young children to talk as a speech-language pathologist. I recently wrote a book where you can learn more about Stella’s and my journey, and it includes a ton of strategies you can use at home with your dog. You can also take a look at the “Your Dog is Ready to Talk” and the “Getting Started” sections and follow @hunger4words on Instagram where I share information about speech therapy and Stella’s progress.

We recently released a set of buttons called the “Talking Pet Starter Set” that are the original buttons we started with Stella combined with a set of instructions that Christina wrote to help you teach your pet to talk! You can find them on our website or on Amazon.

Stella develops a motor plan for each word, the same way in which we all develop muscle memory when we type on a keyboard or use our phones. With time and practice, the locations of each word become automatic.

We created the new, custom-made board by modifying the Talking Pet Starter Set buttons in order to have a smaller, more convenient setup for us.

The first words I introduced to Stella were “outside”, “play”, “water”, and “walk.” Beginning words should be highly motivating and frequently occurring for your dog to learn best.

Just like humans, every dog is different. Progress is not always immediate, and is dependent on a variety of  factors. My advice is to have patience, give your dog time and attention, and believe in their potential!

Yes! With time and practice, I’ve seen puppies as small as five pounds activate the buttons. It is important to get your dog comfortable around the buttons, and give them as much encouragement as possible!

Stella is a Catahoula / Australian Cattle Dog mix. While cattle dogs are known to be an intelligent breed, many different dog breeds are learning to talk, not just Stella’s breed.

I can’t wait to find out! As of now, I only have experience working with humans and dogs. But, that doesn’t mean it’s not possible. In fact, there are people trying my methods with many different kinds of animals, which is very exciting to see!