Meet Joelle & Bastian: How a Hurricane Rescue Found His Voice
Q. Who is this learner of yours? Bastian is a hurricane Florence rescue from 2018; he was found wading in the flood waters with his sister, Ariel, at 4 months old. I had put an application in to ...
Traveling with Dogs and Cats: Dos and Don’ts
Whether it be a short ride to the vet clinic or a road trip down the coast, there is almost always something about co-piloting with a dog or cat that will surprise you. So, to make the most of your...
It’s that time of year again. For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, summer means warmer temperatures, longer days, and (ideally) more time outside! As someone with an aversion to the cold, I ...
Meet Quinta & Bunbun—70+ Words and Counting
Q. Who is this learner of yours? Bunbun is a 3-year-old Border Collie, and we’ve had him since he was 8 weeks old. Q. How long did it take for him to press their first button? Before we got a...
Dogs Understand More Than We Think
I was recently at a party where someone told a joke about their dog learning to spell faster than their human children. My friend explained that their dog Zucco got so excited when he heard the wor...
From Border Collie to Blind Cats: Morgan Krug’s Multispecies Button Journey
Catch Morgan's crew in action on Instagram @pawsitivebehavior Q. Who is/are this/these learners of yours? Current learners:Adora, 6 yo Border CollieCady, 1 yo, visually impaired black catBernie, 1 ...
If we’re lucky, we’ll have at least one or two inspiring mentors through the years. These mentors will be the people who are there at the critical points to guide, support, and listen, the people w...
What is the first thing you do when someone tells you to think of a loved one? Usually, we picture their face in our mind’s eye. Faces are special not only because they help us identify each other,...
Meet Kim and Curiosity: A Button Journey Full of Heart and Humor!
Q. Who is/are this/these learners of yours? Curiosity is a 2 year old pepper and salt giant schnauzer I got as a puppy. He’s trained to alert to low cortisol for my adrenal insufficiency, but most...
A Brief History of Kennel Clubs
Over the years I have noticed that many people, myself included, tend to be drawn to particular breeds or breed groups when it comes to the dogs with whom we share our lives. In talking to people a...
by Courtney Sexton “The Mirror Test” I recently attended a volunteer orientation meeting at a wildlife rehabilitation clinic. As we were discussing the needs and care of injured animals that come i...
by Courtney Sexton I wouldn’t describe myself as especially athletic. I love to ski when the weather and time allows, am happy to pedal a beach cruiser, and keep an on-again-off-again yoga practice...
Sing Us a Song, You’re the Piano Dog…
I was somewhat of a serious pianist for most of my girlhood. But, and much to my dismay, these days I rarely get the chance to play. Among the many things I miss about sitting down in front of a se...
Meet Sascha and Parker : How Parker Leaned to Talk!
Catch Parker in action on Instagram @puppyparkerposey . Q. Who is/are this/these learners of yours? Parker is a 4 year old beagle mix! Q. How long did it take for them to press their first butt...
Meet Jennifer and Phoebe: She Taught Her Rescue Pup to Talk!
Discover how Phoebe, a rescued Poodle-Shih Tzu mix, found her voice through button communication, transforming her relationship with her human.
From "Go to Bed" to "Help!": The Journey of Blue's Button Communication
Catch Blue in action on Instagram @blue.talk.talk. Q. Who is/are this/these learners of yours? My one and only learner is Blue, a 17-month-old blue merle Australian Shepherd. She's a bundle of int...
Meet Fog and Sidhe: How Buttons Gave Our Cats a Voice
Catch Fog and Sidhe in action on Instagram @wyrdfamiliars and YouTube @Wyrd Familiars. Q. Who is/are this/these learners of yours? Our primary learner is Fog, a 7-year-old lynx point Siamese mix ca...
FluentPet's Commitment to Research Integrity and Open Science
At FluentPet, we are committed to advancing the scientific understanding of animal cognition and communication through rigorous, transparent, and ethical research practices. As a company founded by...
Bert and Ernie’s Button Journey!
Catch Bert and Ernie in action on Instagram @bertandernie_bestfriends. Q. So Robin, who are these learners of yours? Bert and Ernie are best buds who arrived in my life right around the same time....
Jake's Surprising Post-Surgery Presses
Catch Jake in action on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Q. So Doug, who is this learner of yours? Jake was rescued from the Humboldt County Animal shelter as a young puppy. He was named by the...
Elsie and Guppy's Journey With Buttons!
Catch Mary Robinette, Elsie, and Guppy in action on Instagram. Q. So Mary Robinette, who are these learners of yours? I have two learners, Elsie and Guppy. Elsie is a calico and is both sweet ...
Get Inside Dogs’ Minds by Paying Attention to Their Noses
By Courtney Sexton I first heard the term “umwelt” a dozen or so years ago when I read psychologist and canine cognition expert Alexandra Horowitz’s book, “Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, an...
The Energetic Flounder Meatloaf on Pressing Buttons
Catch Flounder and Nina in action on Instagram and TikTok. Q. So Nina, who is this learner of yours? Flounder Meatloaf is a border collie in a cat body. She has all of the energy! She loves to...
Have Safe Summer Fun With Your Dogs and Cats
By Courtney Sexton For many of us, summer means more time outside enjoying nature, the sunshine, and good weather. And that goes for our animal companions as well. My dog relishes more frequent tra...