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

by Christina Hunger

Focused language stimulation involves repeating target words that are relevant to what is happening at the time. In a single interaction or activity, a word should be repeated at least five times before moving on. When Stella and I were about to go to the backyard, I said “outside” five times between my verbal speech and using her button. When we were in the backyard, I said “outside” another two times. That means, during this thirty-second period of getting ready to open the door and going into the backyard, Stella heard “outside” seven times. If we take Stella outside six times per day, she would hear “outside” around forty-two times. If we took her outside ten times a day, which was more realistic during this potty-training phase, she would hear “outside” seventy times in one day, all during the appropriate contexts.