In the last few years, the internet has been flooded with clips of dogs pressing buttons that “speak” human words — asking for food, expressing affection, even forming full sentences.
It’s fascinating. It’s hilarious. It’s also deeply controversial.
Some people believe we’re on the edge of a new era in animal communication. Others think we’ve just trained our dogs to push plastic circles for treats and attention.
I say: it’s a conversation worth having.
The Rise of the Talking Dog
You’ve likely seen one by now — a dog walks up to a soundboard, presses “I want,” then “outside.” The human responds like it’s a normal Tuesday. “Okay, let’s go.”
To those unfamiliar, it looks scripted. Or lucky. Or like the human is doing most of the interpreting. And in some cases? Maybe they are.
There are entire channels and accounts dedicated to these talking dogs, and they’ve drawn millions of views — along with plenty of eye rolls. The line between “trained response” and “true communication” is blurry, especially when viewed through a screen. That’s part of the challenge. Without context, it’s easy to assume it’s all just clever editing or enthusiastic interpretation.
But if you’ve lived with a dog using communication buttons — especially an expressive breed like a Cane Corso — you start to see patterns that are not random. In my case, I live with TuxnDog, a button-talking Cane Corso whose conversations are anything but accidental.
This isn’t guessing. It’s intentional communication. Tuxn has over 100 talking buttons she uses in brilliant conversation and often argues with me in three languages at once; English on her talking gizmos, Corsonian (her native dog tongue), while using expressive body language.
But first, let’s give the skeptics their due.
What the Skeptics Say — And Why They Have a Point
Critics of talking dog buttons often fall into three main camps:
1. “It’s just random button mashing.” Dogs may hit buttons out of habit or pattern, not intent. They’re smart, but maybe not that smart.
2. “The humans are projecting meaning.” This is the Clever Hans argument — the horse that “solved” math problems by reading tiny cues from people, not actually doing arithmetic. Are we just seeing what we want to see?
3. “They’re just doing it for treats.” Training = reward = repetition. The dog presses the button, gets what they want, and learns a trick — not a language.
I actually agree with all three of those — in some cases. The internet is a big place. For every genuine communicator, there are plenty of dogs hitting buttons because they’re bored, excited, or simply mimicking patterns that work.
And that’s where a lot of the confusion begins: not all button-using dogs are doing the same thing. Not all humans are training & interacting with the buttons in the same way. Just as some people train tricks, others open space for dialogue using AAC devices, pet speech boards, or dog communication tools.
So yes — some skepticism is earned. But it’s also incomplete.
When It’s Not a Trick
TuxnDog doesn’t just press buttons — she initiates conversations. She repeats herself when I don’t respond instantaneously. She adds more words if I question her intent. She escalates urgency when she’s really excited about what she’s asking for. By adding “Get to Crackin”, “I need it now!” or even “If not now, when?” or “I can’t wait !” when I say, “You’ll have to wait.”
Sometimes, when Tuxn has a particular demand in mind, and her buttons are inaccessible, she paws my knee, yelling at me in Corsonian while pushing any object closest to her with her nose. She’s not performing. She’s trying to get access to her talking buttons.
“OW! What Are You Trying To Do?” Dog Says “I Don’t Know.” [TuxnDog] 10 Sec Laugh.The difference isn’t just in the button press — it’s in the body language, the pacing, the context. When Tuxn presses “Danger” “On the deck.” and then flys out the door in guard mode, or says “I want” “Daddy” “My Yard” when daddy is out working in her yard, that’s not random. It’s not coincidence. It’s much more.
And it happens again. And again. And again.
I didn’t train her to perform these phrases in certain orders. I taught her what to expect with each individual button phrase. (hours of daily cognitive training.) She learned on her own how to string the words together to formulate full sentences and how to answer my questions during our conversations — always with clarity. Usually with sass and urgency, with full intention.
The Danger of Dismissing
It’s tempting to brush all of this off as wishful thinking. To say “It’s cute, but it’s not real.” To call it coincidence and move on.
But that closes a door. It misses the opportunity to observe — to really observe — what might be happening when we stop assuming dogs can’t talk and start asking: what if they can talk and actually understand what they are saying?
That’s where things start to shift. When we listen without trying to control the outcome. When we wait long enough to see the patterns emerge on their own.
I taught her each phrase and what it would get her. Now I just follow Tuxn’s lead. And here we are — 100 + word/phrases deep, with thousands of smart & bossy dog/human conversations captured on video and posted Online. (Google Tuxn Dog.)
Coming Up in Part 2…
In the next post, I’ll share what the skeptics don’t see: the emotion, the urgency, the timing, and the stunning clarity that emerges when you stop waiting for grammar and start listening for meaning.
Because maybe the question isn’t:
“Do dogs really talk?”
Maybe the question is:
“What are we missing by assuming they don’t talk with intention and understanding?