Gabra Zachman

Bunny picked it up easily. One day she pressed, ouch, ouch, ear, help, and Divine understood that she had an earache and flushed her ear with medication. Through her social accounts, Divine met other dog owners teaching their dogs to use buttons. And a couple dozen now gather in person every year. Bunny had changed Divine's life entirely. Divine picked up a new career and moved house.

Bunny picked it up easily. One day she pressed, ouch, ouch, ear, help, and Divine understood that she had an earache and flushed her ear with medication. Through her social accounts, Divine met other dog owners teaching their dogs to use buttons. And a couple dozen now gather in person every year. Bunny had changed Divine's life entirely. Divine picked up a new career and moved house.

She got an autism diagnosis. She started to question the entire logic of pet ownership. It's just not cool, man, that we have these captive animals, Divine said. Like, it's weird. Animal ownership is a very strange thing to me now. In our conversations, Divine didn't evangelize for the buttons.

She got an autism diagnosis. She started to question the entire logic of pet ownership. It's just not cool, man, that we have these captive animals, Divine said. Like, it's weird. Animal ownership is a very strange thing to me now. In our conversations, Divine didn't evangelize for the buttons.

She believed that they were a good way to understand her dogs and that they allowed her dogs to advocate for themselves. My overarching goal is for that dynamic to exist with or without buttons, she said. In the past several months, Bunny had been using the buttons less, Divine said. She was more relaxed, less needy. She didn't need to speak out so much.

She believed that they were a good way to understand her dogs and that they allowed her dogs to advocate for themselves. My overarching goal is for that dynamic to exist with or without buttons, she said. In the past several months, Bunny had been using the buttons less, Divine said. She was more relaxed, less needy. She didn't need to speak out so much.

Whether or not Bunny was a genius dog, she carried a remarkable presence. Her shaggy head followed me around the cabin. Her eyes were a soulful, piercing hazel that seemed to see me exactly. Her enormous paws flopped around when she walked. She sat next to me on the floor of the cabin, watching while I drank a seltzer. I asked if I could talk to Bunny with the buttons.

Whether or not Bunny was a genius dog, she carried a remarkable presence. Her shaggy head followed me around the cabin. Her eyes were a soulful, piercing hazel that seemed to see me exactly. Her enormous paws flopped around when she walked. She sat next to me on the floor of the cabin, watching while I drank a seltzer. I asked if I could talk to Bunny with the buttons.

We went over to the board, and Alexis stood by the buttons. Bunny sat and looked up at her expectantly. Divine switched into a button voice that I recognized from her videos. "'You want talk?' she said to Bunny. "'You want talk, friend?' "'Hi, Bunny,' I pressed, and waited as Tenrec trampled the mat, releasing a cascade of words." Bunny, you want talk, new friend? Divine said. You want talk?

We went over to the board, and Alexis stood by the buttons. Bunny sat and looked up at her expectantly. Divine switched into a button voice that I recognized from her videos. "'You want talk?' she said to Bunny. "'You want talk, friend?' "'Hi, Bunny,' I pressed, and waited as Tenrec trampled the mat, releasing a cascade of words." Bunny, you want talk, new friend? Divine said. You want talk?

She pressed want. Talk. Hmm? In emphatic staccato. Bunny looked at her. What do you want to say? Do you want to say hi? Pause. New friend, love you. She pressed friend. Pause. Do you want talk? Bunny pawed at Divine. Yes, Bunny pressed. Yes, what? Divine said. Hi, Bunny, I pressed. I, friend. How about small talk, Divine said. She pressed small talk. Remember when I said friend come later?

She pressed want. Talk. Hmm? In emphatic staccato. Bunny looked at her. What do you want to say? Do you want to say hi? Pause. New friend, love you. She pressed friend. Pause. Do you want talk? Bunny pawed at Divine. Yes, Bunny pressed. Yes, what? Divine said. Hi, Bunny, I pressed. I, friend. How about small talk, Divine said. She pressed small talk. Remember when I said friend come later?

Now friend is here. Bunny seemed to recognize something was expected of her. She pawed at Divine. Bubba, I know it's hard, but could you use your words for a moment, please? Divine said. Bunny came over and licked my face. We tried some more, but Bunny didn't want to talk to me. She just wanted to nap. I didn't mind.

Now friend is here. Bunny seemed to recognize something was expected of her. She pawed at Divine. Bubba, I know it's hard, but could you use your words for a moment, please? Divine said. Bunny came over and licked my face. We tried some more, but Bunny didn't want to talk to me. She just wanted to nap. I didn't mind.

The cabin was peaceful, with the late afternoon sun streaming in through the windows. It was more pleasant to sit there with a dog in the loose quiet, without buttons going off. I sat with Bunny while she dozed and threw a ball for a bit with Otter and Tenrec. When I got in the car to leave, the three dogs lined up on the porch and watched me drive off. The next day I got a message from Divine.

The cabin was peaceful, with the late afternoon sun streaming in through the windows. It was more pleasant to sit there with a dog in the loose quiet, without buttons going off. I sat with Bunny while she dozed and threw a ball for a bit with Otter and Tenrec. When I got in the car to leave, the three dogs lined up on the porch and watched me drive off. The next day I got a message from Divine.

This morning we were talking about you, Divine wrote. And Bunny said, Bye, stranger friend.

This morning we were talking about you, Divine wrote. And Bunny said, Bye, stranger friend.