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+--- Thread: Article Do dog ‘talking buttons’ actually work? Does the dog really understand? (/thread-15150.html)
Do dog ‘talking buttons’ actually work? Does the dog really understand? - C C - Dec 21, 2023
https://theconversation.com/do-dog-talking-buttons-actually-work-does-my-dog-understand-me-heres-what-the-science-says-219807
EXCERPTS: : Is your dog bothered by something but you can’t work out what? Do you wish they could tell you?
There’s a huge range of dog “talking” buttons on the market that now claim to let your dog do this. A very basic kit will set you back about $15, while more sophisticated ones can cost hundreds of dollars.
But is there any evidence these products work?
The idea behind these buttons is simple. You record yourself speaking a word such as “treat” or “outside” into each button, after which the word is played back each time the button is pressed. Your dog can supposedly be trained to understand the words coming from the buttons, and use them to communicate with you.
[...] A dog could figure out to press talking buttons through a process called operant conditioning – the same process used to teach dogs simple commands such as “sit”. When a dog performs a behaviour and receives something they want, such as a treat, they’re more likely to continue that behaviour.
[...] Data collection started in late 2020, but so far no evidence has been published. Until then, the best “evidence” we have for these products is anecdotal reporting coming from dog owners who are probably biased (since they’d like to think their dog is very clever).
[...] If you can recognise and account for the potential risks mentioned above, then buying talking buttons won’t do any harm to you or your dog (apart from putting a dent in your wallet). That said, there are myriad ways to communicate with your dog without needing such a device... (MORE - missing details)
Meet Bunny the talking dog! She communicates with buttons. https://youtu.be/z8k2upr9vCE
RE: Do dog ‘talking buttons’ actually work? Does the dog really understand? - stryder - Dec 22, 2023
It might of gone to the dogs, however it's been considered before with horses.
Such as
RE: Do dog ‘talking buttons’ actually work? Does the dog really understand? - confused2 - Dec 22, 2023
And now YouTube .. dogs, cats, birds .. that's all I can choose from.
RE: Do dog ‘talking buttons’ actually work? Does the dog really understand? - confused2 - Dec 22, 2023
Time passes..
I'm fairly convinced Bunny the dog knows what's going on - albeit a bit slow to put 'sentences' together.
But.
Billie the cat .. not so much. Could just be training the cat to push buttons and then selective editing to make the cat look smart.
RE: Do dog ‘talking buttons’ actually work? Does the dog really understand? - Zinjanthropos - Dec 23, 2023
Actually it’s the dogs who teach their owners how to converse with them…
https://theconversation.com/how-to-talk-to-your-dog-according-to-science-71049#:~:text=When%20we%20talk%20to%20dogs,talking%20to%20very%20young%20infants.
Beats getting yelled and cursed at by some drunken sot of an owner. Probably some kind of doggy body language used that has humans speaking the language mutts like.