How Stella Learned to Talk: Unlocking Canine Communication

The desire to understand what our dogs are thinking has been a long-standing curiosity for dog owners. Christina Hunger, a speech-language pathologist, has opened a new door into the minds of our canine companions with her work teaching her dog, Stella, to "talk." Her book, "How Stella Learned to Talk," details this journey and offers insights for other dog owners interested in exploring augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) with their pets.

A Window into Canine Communication

For the first time, we are gaining a window into our dogs' minds and can hear firsthand how they’re experiencing the environment we share with them. Hunger's work has sparked a movement, inspiring many to explore the possibilities of communication through AAC devices.

The Genesis of a "Talking" Dog

Hunger began teaching her dog Stella after noticing the gestures and vocalizations Stella was already using to express herself. Stella has surpassed all of Hunger’s expectations. Using a custom soundboard, Stella, a Catahoula Leopard Dog and Australian Cattle Dog mix, pushes buttons to form phrases up to five words in length. For example, upon hearing a noise outside, an excited Stella put together “Look, look, look, look, look, look, look, look, look! “She definitely says ‘outside’ the most,” Hunger told CNN.

Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)

Hunger is a speech pathologist credited with starting the “talking dog button” movement you’ve probably seen on social media. The book follows her personal experience implementing an AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) device with her puppy from start to finish.

AAC is a field dedicated to finding ways for individuals with communication difficulties to express themselves. These methods can range from simple picture boards to sophisticated speech-generating devices. Hunger adapted these techniques, typically used with children, to create a system for Stella to communicate her needs and thoughts.

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"How Stella Learned to Talk": A Book Review

Last month I read How Stella Learned to Talk by Christina Hunger. The book follows her personal experience implementing an AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) device with her puppy from start to finish.

"How Stella Learned to Talk" is part memoir and part how-to guide. It chronicles the journey Christina and Stella have taken together, from the day they met, to the day Stella “spoke” her first word, and the other breakthroughs they’ve had since. It also reveals the techniques Christina used to teach Stella, broken down into simple stages and actionable steps any dog owner can use to start communicating with their pets.

The book was accessible and engaging, marrying clear scientific points with rich narrative writing. Hunger struck me as thoughtful, open minded, and kind.

The "Talking Dog Button" Movement

The best thing about the popularity of talking dog buttons is seeing just how many people are invested in better understanding the animals they live with-and therefore providing better care. Attempting to use any form of two-way communication with our dogs indicates concern for our companions’ emotions and overall wellbeing. That intent is something to celebrate a million times over.

Building a Communication System

The core of Stella's communication system is a set of buttons, each programmed with a specific word. Stella can press these buttons to create phrases and express her desires. For example, upon hearing a noise outside, an excited Stella put together “Look, look, look, look, look, look, look, look, look! “She definitely says ‘outside’ the most,” Hunger told CNN.

Read also: Holistic Education at Stella Maris

One specific purpose for talking dog buttons: It absolutely is possible to help our dogs associate a certain verbal sound with a “picture” of what comes next, and I think AAC devices can give our dogs the opportunity to request things more specifically.

The Science Behind the Method

Hunger's approach is rooted in her understanding of language development and learning principles.

One thing Hunger specifically mentioned in How Stella Learned to Talk was that the more we listen to our dogs, the more they’ll listen to us. This concept hits home for me. Cooperation speaks to the collaborative nature of our longstanding bond with man’s best friend. While we are certainly different species with different perceptions of the world, we are also uniquely suited to live together after a long period of coevolution.

Modeling and Reinforcement

Hunger emphasizes the importance of modeling the use of the buttons for the dog. By consistently using the buttons in relevant contexts, Stella began to associate the words with their meanings.

While I’m absolutely not hating on the use of food in training or the importance of understanding operant conditioning learning theory, I’d also love to see the greater dog training community embrace social learning more! The Genius of Dogs and Dog is Love were great reads touching on these concepts.

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Individualized Approach

It's crucial to recognize that every dog is different, and what works for Stella may not work for every dog. Patience, observation, and a willingness to adapt are essential for success.

Addressing Skepticism and Concerns

I still hold onto much of my initial skepticism-and was pleased to see Hunger herself embraced my questions more than some others I’ve seen implementing the devices-but I also feel like I have a better understanding of her intent and approach.

Anthropomorphism

One common concern is the potential for anthropomorphism - attributing human-like qualities and understanding to dogs.

I believe in critical anthropomorphism. This means I’m not against ascribing “human” traits to animals-humans are animals and we share many emotional processes with our fellow social mammals!-but I believe we need to be thoughtful about our comparisons, maintain a species-appropriate lens, and stay grounded in data whenever available.

I think there’s danger in over-anthropomorphizing our pets. We need to stay grounded in available data on the canine experience (lots more on that in this blog). I’m cautious with some of the ways people implement and share about their talking dog buttons.

Hunger acknowledges this concern and emphasizes the importance of grounding interpretations in canine behavior and cognition.

Over-Reliance on Anecdotes

The talking dog movement is relatively young, so the anecdote thing is of course not completely avoidable. And I understand that more intentional research is currently being conducted! But I’m automatically skeptical of anything that primarily relies on only a small handful of experiences to make its point.

Understanding vs. Association

Another question is whether dogs truly understand the meaning of the words or are simply associating the button presses with desired outcomes.

While I don’t believe dogs naturally understand human verbal language in the way some people try to claim, I also don’t think it’s at all productive to shame people who use buttons with their dogs or make fun of the very real moments of communication that can happen between pets & people with an AAC device.

Ethical Considerations

There are also ethical considerations when considering the "talking dog" movement.

Responsible Dog Ownership

I’m generally uncomfortable with laissez-faire attitudes about dog training and our pets’ potential impacts on the world around us. I’d love to see us (dog people, collectively) normalize the process of teaching and proofing a solid recall before engaging in off-leash adventures.

Tying into the above point: I’m passionate about respecting the fact that not everyone loves dogs. (I know, it’s hard to swallow as a self-proclaimed dog enthusiast-but it’s true, and non-dog people have every right to their own perceptions and experiences.)

Meeting Dogs' Needs

Regardless of communication form (body language, buttons, etc) and regardless of species (dog, human, etc) no relationship is healthy if it’s completely one sided. Yes, it would be a problem if we were constantly catering to the demands of our dogs (just as it would be if we did that with our children). But the idea that dogs should only ever always want to please us is pretty outdated. It’s okay to do things for them. It’s okay to have compromise!It’s fully possible to give our dogs the ability to ask us for things (whether through buttons or more classic approaches like ringing a bell to go outside or bringing us a toy to play) without automatically becoming their servants. We can sometimes say no thanks.

The Broader Implications

Hunger's work has implications beyond individual dog-owner relationships.

Strengthening the Human-Animal Bond

Not much makes me happier than fellow owners wanting to build fulfilling, trusting, mutually beneficial relationships with their pets. The best thing about the popularity of talking dog buttons is seeing just how many people are invested in better understanding the animals they live with-and therefore providing better care.

Challenging Assumptions about Animal Cognition

I am totally on board with the author’s mission of starting a “communication revolution”. She discovered something amazing, and her results challenge everything that conventional wisdom held about dog cognitive ability. The book also gives a pretty useful overview of her methodology and makes it easy to design a program of your own.

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