Your Dog Really IS Talking To You Through Their Buttons

Have you joined the guardians who bought sound buttons for their dogs and are currently amazed at how easily your dog learned to use them?

Science has just confirmed what many of us already knew: our dogs genuinely understand the words we're saying to them, and when given the tools, they can communicate back in ways that go far beyond a wagging tail or hopeful stare at the treat cupboard.

A groundbreaking study from UC San Diego, published in PLOS ONE and led by Professor Federico Rossano, has given us the first solid scientific evidence that dogs trained with soundboard buttons truly comprehend specific words and use them meaningfully.

Not only do our dogs understand our words, they can also use them, if we give them the opportunity!

The dogs in the study responded appropriately to words like "play" and "outside" whether those words came from their guardians' mouths, from button presses by their guardians, or even from complete strangers pressing the buttons.

What This Means for You and Your Dog

When your dog hears the word "outside," they're processing the actual word itself and understanding what it represents.

The researchers were meticulous about this. They visited 30 dogs' homes across the country and set up experiments where dogs couldn't rely on their humans' body language or presence.

They also worked with 29 dog guardians who conducted trials at home under remote guidance, a brilliant example of citizen science at work.

Every single time, the dogs demonstrated they understood the words themselves, not just the context around them.

"This validates what so many of us know in our hearts: our dogs are listening, processing, and genuinely understanding far more than we've given them credit for."

This matters because it validates what so many of us know in our hearts: our dogs are listening, processing, and genuinely understanding far more than we've given them credit for.

When you talk to your dog, you're having a conversation with someone who comprehends your words.

How amazing it is. How amazing our dogs are!

In December 2024, the same research team published follow-up findings in Scientific Reports that took this discovery to the next level.

They analysed over 260,000 button presses from 152 dogs over 21 months (a quarter of a million button presses), and discovered that dogs aren't just understanding individual words, they're intentionally combining them to create more complex messages.

Dogs were pressing combinations like "outside" + "potty" or "food" + "water" in meaningful sequences that happened far more often than random chance would predict.

They weren't mimicking their guardians or just hitting buttons at random, they were making deliberate choices about which words to combine and when.

Dogs Are Creating Language

Professor Rossano put it beautifully: "The findings reveal that dogs are pressing buttons purposefully to express their desires and needs, not just imitating their owners. When dogs combine two buttons, these sequences are not random but instead seem to reflect specific requests."

This is the same cognitive leap that human toddlers make when they go from single words to two-word phrases. It's the foundation of language development, and our dogs are showing us they're capable of it too.

"This is the same cognitive leap that human toddlers make. It's the foundation of language development, and our dogs are showing us they're capable of it too."

So where does this leave us as dog guardians? I think it opens up a world of possibility, and responsibility.

Your Words Matter

First, it confirms that our words matter. Every time you speak to your dog, they're listening with intention and understanding.

This isn't anthropomorphising, it's science. So speak to them with the respect that deserves. Explain things. Share your day. Tell them what's happening and why. They're taking it in.

Dogs Have Things to Say

Second, it shows us that many dogs may have things they want to say to us, but they've never been given the tools to say it.

How many times has your dog stared at you with what you just knew was a specific thought, a particular need they couldn't quite communicate? Soundboards might give them that voice.

I'm not saying every dog needs a soundboard (though thousands of families worldwide are now part of this ongoing research project, and you can join if you're interested).

What I am saying is that if your dog is trying to communicate something, through staring, through pawing, through repetitive behaviours, they might have something very specific to tell you.

If there's one thing I've learned in my years working with dogs, it's that they are brilliantly honest communicators.

They don't hide behind social masks or tell polite lies. What they feel shows up clearly, in their body language, their vocalisations, and now, we know, in the words they choose when given the chance.

This research from UC San Diego doesn't just tell us that dogs can understand and use words. It tells us something far more profound: our dogs have been listening to us all along, taking in our language, and waiting for the chance to talk back.

They've been ready for this conversation for a while.

Understanding that dogs genuinely comprehend our words changes everything about how we communicate with them. Finding a community that celebrates this connection makes all the difference.

I would love you to join our community of dog guardians just like us, where we talk dog, learn and laugh a lot and generally spend time realising we are not alone in this dog life!

Reference: Bastos APM, Houghton ZN, Naranjo L, Rossano F. Soundboard-trained dogs produce non-accidental, non-random and non-imitative two-button combinations. Sci Rep. 2024 Dec 9;14(1):28771. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-79517-6. PMID: 39653730; PMCID: PMC11628621.