Meet Meg and Ruby: She’s Learning to “Talk” and I’m Learning to Listen

Q. Who is this learner of yours?

Ruby is my one-year-old, 30-pound mixed-breed rescue! We adopted her from Wright Way Rescue in Chicago back in March 2025. The shelter guessed she was a Boston Terrier/Corgi mix, and since I love Bostons and my daughter is obsessed with Corgis, I drove nine hours and crossed an international border to bring her home to Canada. She’s high-energy, incredibly smart, and has a lot to say!

Q. How long did it take for Ruby to press her first button?

It took me a few weeks to figure out what I was doing wrong! I started with 'useful' words like 'Outside' and 'Help' for a 4-month-old puppy... in a cold Canadian April! She had zero interest. The second I switched to words that were highly motivating for her—specifically 'Kong,' 'Play,' and 'Rubs'—it clicked for her almost instantly. She proved that you have to start with what they love.

Q. What have the buttons revealed about Ruby that you wouldn’t have known without the buttons?

Her profound desire for connection. The other day, she pressed 'Dogpark' and 'Walk.' I was on my way out for a search and rescue callout, so I explained, 'No dogpark right now,' and gave her some consolation rubs before I left. As I walked away, she went right back to her board and pressed 'More Rubs.' It wasn't a negotiation; it was her clearly understanding 'no' to one thing, and then beautifully expressing that she still wanted to connect with me in a different way. It was an incredibly loving, two-way moment.

Q. What do you do to ensure the buttons remain an engaging and positive experience for Ruby over time?

My main strategy is to let Ruby lead. I pay close attention to what she's trying to communicate and add new words based on her needs. For example, I added 'Help' when I realized she was using 'Want Kong' for multiple things. I also model new words consistently ('Love You' is our current project!) to show her that her board can grow with her. As long as it’s a tool that helps her get her needs met, she stays incredibly engaged.

Q. What is your funniest button moment?

The 'spam texts' I get on my phone! Because we have the FluentPet Connect system, I get notifications. About five minutes after we left the house yesterday, my phone just blew up with this 'text' from her: Help Mama Walk Bed Kong Later Bone Kong Dog park Find it Bed Toy Toy Tug Tug Tug Tug Tug Toy Toy Toy Toy Toy Toy Tug Tug Tug More Water. In the AIC community, we often equate this to a toddler learning to talk—you get these incredible moments of pure clarity, mixed with moments of chaotic, wonderful experimentation!

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She uses FluentPet Connect Buttons with HexTiles.

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Q. What is your most surprising button moment?

It has to be the moment that recently went viral. I wasn't home and got an alert from the Connect app: 'Help Want Mama Kong.' I immediately checked our 24/7 cameras, and the footage just shattered my heart. Seeing her so clearly combine those concepts to 'call' me for help when she was distressed and alone... I was completely unprepared for that level of emotional clarity. It was mind-blowing.

Q. What challenges have you faced with button teaching?

My biggest challenge was my own impatience at the beginning! I started with abstract, 'useful' words like 'Help' and 'Outside' and couldn't figure out why it wasn't clicking. The challenge wasn't her, it was me. I had to learn to see the world from her point of view and prioritize her motivations over mine. Once I made that switch, the 'challenge' disappeared.

Q. How do you decide when to introduce a new word to Ruby?

It's a balance between having a long-term plan and letting Ruby lead. When I talk with Ruby, I try to stick to a deliberate, curated vocabulary to set her up for success and maximize her understanding for future words. But I'm always listening. My best example is the 'Help' button. For weeks, she was pressing 'Want Kong' to mean three distinct things: 'I want a Kong,' ‘I want a yummier Kong,’ and 'My Kong is stuck under the couch.' By adding 'Help,' I gave her a tool to be more specific. Now she’s started pressing 'Kong Help,' and I know exactly what she needs. I wait until she shows me a clear 'gap' in her vocabulary and try to fill it.

Q. How have buttons changed your relationship with Ruby?

It's cheesy, but it made our tagline, 'She's a dog learning to talk. I'm her human learning to listen,' a daily reality. I feel like I have a window into her inner world. I don't just 'love' my dog; I understand her on a level I never thought was possible. It’s an incredible, two-way connection that goes so far beyond 'sit' and 'stay.'

Q. What advice would you give to others who are interested in teaching their learners to use buttons?

My biggest advice for the 'button-curious' is to separate your starting method from your long-term goal.

First, the method: Start with their favorite things! My journey didn't really begin until I ditched the 'useful' words at the start. I was trying to teach 'Outside' to a puppy in a cold April and she had zero interest. The moment I switched to her obsessions—'Kong,' 'Play,' and 'Rubs'—the concept of the buttons clicked for her. You have to give them a highly motivating reason to talk first.

Second, the goal: You don't have to commit to 100+ buttons! Once you've used their favorite things to teach them how the buttons work, you can define your own success. That's when you can build that specialized vocabulary. Maybe you just want 'Outside' and 'Water' for utility. Maybe your learner loves to play and you want to give them agency over how they play. Or maybe you have a learner with a medical issue and you want to give them a way to say where it hurts.

Success isn't the number of words; it's about opening a new line of communication.