How Stella Learned to Talk: The Groundbreaking Story of the World's First Talking Dog

by Christina Hunger

TAKEAWAYS FOR TEACHING YOUR DOG Narrate what’s happening in your dog’s environment by saying single words and short phrases. Talk about what your dog is doing, what you’re doing, or what is about to happen. Be repetitive. Aim to say a word at least five to ten times before moving on to something else. The more often your dog hears a word in the right context, the faster she’ll be able to learn its meaning. Program words into your device that are frequently occurring, and relevant to your dog’s daily life. Remember, a more general word like play will be more valuable and frequently occurring than the name of one specific toy. Turn your dog’s typical activities into teachable moments. Before you take your dog outside, go for a walk, feed her, play with her, replenish water, or give her belly rubs, take a moment to say what you are doing multiple times. Use verbal speech and your dog’s buttons to talk to your dog. Every time you use your dog’s button to say a word, you are modeling appropriate use of it for her. Teach more than one word to start. Greater exposure leads to greater learning. Be on the lookout for small changes in how your dog interacts with the buttons, responds to you, and communicates. Your dog probably will not learn to functionally communicate with AAC overnight. That is completely normal for both humans and canines. Look for small victories along the way, such as your dog looking at the buttons, watching you use the buttons, standing next to the buttons, o...