Gabra Zachman

As soon as I got Ellie, my black-eyed, bat-eared German shepherd puppy, I trained her to be a good dog. And so she was. When I spoke, she listened. She kept her barks quiet and her teeth clean. Two years on, I started to think she was a little too obedient.

As soon as I got Ellie, my black-eyed, bat-eared German shepherd puppy, I trained her to be a good dog. And so she was. When I spoke, she listened. She kept her barks quiet and her teeth clean. Two years on, I started to think she was a little too obedient.

There was something pitiful about the way that, even unleashed in the park, she would stop at a fork in the path and look to me to point the way. In the house, she would pause behind a half-closed door instead of pushing through. She was hesitant, whining when she was unsure of herself in a way that clashed with her big muscles and pointy canines.

There was something pitiful about the way that, even unleashed in the park, she would stop at a fork in the path and look to me to point the way. In the house, she would pause behind a half-closed door instead of pushing through. She was hesitant, whining when she was unsure of herself in a way that clashed with her big muscles and pointy canines.

One day, when the cat in our local bodega poked its head out of the store, Ellie squealed like a child. Her training, I saw, had come at the cost of something precious. Her independence, certainly. But also something more intrinsic. Something like her animality. Ellie's dad, my partner, Jesse, agreed. I think she needs more self-confidence, he said. The solution, maybe, was buttons.

One day, when the cat in our local bodega poked its head out of the store, Ellie squealed like a child. Her training, I saw, had come at the cost of something precious. Her independence, certainly. But also something more intrinsic. Something like her animality. Ellie's dad, my partner, Jesse, agreed. I think she needs more self-confidence, he said. The solution, maybe, was buttons.

Around this time, I started to see dogs on social media seeming to express their desires by the most absurdly simple, low-tech means possible, stepping on multicolored plastic buttons on the floor, each disc emitting a word when the dog pressed it. I scrolled through videos on my phone of dogs pawing food and more and now, sometimes in that order.

Around this time, I started to see dogs on social media seeming to express their desires by the most absurdly simple, low-tech means possible, stepping on multicolored plastic buttons on the floor, each disc emitting a word when the dog pressed it. I scrolled through videos on my phone of dogs pawing food and more and now, sometimes in that order.

The most famous was Bunny, a lanky sheepadoodle in Tacoma, Washington, with 8.6 million TikTok followers, a vocabulary of 105 buttons, and a diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder. Bunny's online store sold a starter pack of six buttons for $65. Through the buttons, Bunny reported her experience of the world. She said, "'Look, cat.'" She was frequently concerned.

The most famous was Bunny, a lanky sheepadoodle in Tacoma, Washington, with 8.6 million TikTok followers, a vocabulary of 105 buttons, and a diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder. Bunny's online store sold a starter pack of six buttons for $65. Through the buttons, Bunny reported her experience of the world. She said, "'Look, cat.'" She was frequently concerned.

She seemed to have restless dreams about a stranger animal. A favorite topic of conversation was poop, as in poop play. Bunny was advanced in her use of the buttons. A star student. But there was also an endless video stream of other dogs, also cats, pigs, horses, and cows, making equally clever and entertaining statements.

She seemed to have restless dreams about a stranger animal. A favorite topic of conversation was poop, as in poop play. Bunny was advanced in her use of the buttons. A star student. But there was also an endless video stream of other dogs, also cats, pigs, horses, and cows, making equally clever and entertaining statements.

I would open the apps and see a mini Aussie doodle with a taste for dirt demanding to go outside for a snack. A French cat being denied a treat and complaining, with apparent disdain, pas content. These pets weren't just standing by to serve their human owners. They were companions with voices of their own. I looked over at Ellie, lying in the far corner of the room.

I would open the apps and see a mini Aussie doodle with a taste for dirt demanding to go outside for a snack. A French cat being denied a treat and complaining, with apparent disdain, pas content. These pets weren't just standing by to serve their human owners. They were companions with voices of their own. I looked over at Ellie, lying in the far corner of the room.

Her eyes were dark, her feelings mysterious. What was buried inside that impenetrable dog skull? If I could teach her to use these buttons, she would tell me. or so I imagined. Ellie's first word I decided would be outside. Outside was one of the recommended first words in the informal pedagogy of dog button learning, created by a speech-language pathologist named Christina Hunger.

Her eyes were dark, her feelings mysterious. What was buried inside that impenetrable dog skull? If I could teach her to use these buttons, she would tell me. or so I imagined. Ellie's first word I decided would be outside. Outside was one of the recommended first words in the informal pedagogy of dog button learning, created by a speech-language pathologist named Christina Hunger.

In 2018, when Hunger was raising her blue heeler Catahoula puppy Stella, she noticed that Stella was progressing through the early stages of communication much as the young toddlers she worked with did. Hunger taught children to speak by tapping icons on a tablet. She wondered, could Stella learn words through a similar method?

In 2018, when Hunger was raising her blue heeler Catahoula puppy Stella, she noticed that Stella was progressing through the early stages of communication much as the young toddlers she worked with did. Hunger taught children to speak by tapping icons on a tablet. She wondered, could Stella learn words through a similar method?

To test this hypothesis, Hunger bought a set of recordable buttons that, when pressed, would play back her voice saying simple words. Outside. Water. Play. and fastened them to a board on the floor. Every time she talked to Stella, she pressed the corresponding button. About a month later, Stella caught on, pressing outside to use the bathroom in the yard and play to request playtime.

To test this hypothesis, Hunger bought a set of recordable buttons that, when pressed, would play back her voice saying simple words. Outside. Water. Play. and fastened them to a board on the floor. Every time she talked to Stella, she pressed the corresponding button. About a month later, Stella caught on, pressing outside to use the bathroom in the yard and play to request playtime.