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

by Christina Hunger

TAKEAWAYS FOR TEACHING YOUR DOG Give your dog transition time to adjust to a new board. Even if the words are all staying in the same relative locations, your dog may need time to adjust to a new board. You can make it easier on her by keeping her old board nearby for a little while until your dog claims the new one. Model emotion words when you see your dog exhibiting the emotion. When your dog is smiling, wagging her tail, jumping in circles, or playing at her favorite place, use these opportunities to model the word happy. When you can tell your dog is frustrated or upset, use these times to model the word mad. Avoid telling your dog when to say certain words. Constantly telling your dog “say outside” or “say good” will teach your dog to say what you tell them to say, not to use the buttons for what they are thinking. We are teaching our dogs how to use words, not training them to talk on command. Modeling and naturalistic cues are most effective.