FluentPet Blog

Get access to our latest news by signing up for our newsletter.

From Border Collie to Blind Cats: Morgan Krug’s Multispecies Button Journey

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 ...

CommunicationCelebrating Karen Pryor

Celebrating Karen Pryor

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...

WelfareAI and Pain Detection

AI and Pain Detection

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,...

CommunicationMeet Kim and Curiosity: A Button Journey Full of Heart and Humor!

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...

BehaviorA Brief History of Kennel Clubs

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...

BehaviorThe Mirror Test

The Mirror Test

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...

BehaviorSports for Mental Enrichment

Sports for Mental Enrichment

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...

BehaviorSing Us a Song, You’re the Piano Dog…

Sing Us a Song, You’re the Piano Dog…

by Courtney Sexton 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 ...

Meet Sascha and Parker : How Parker Leaned to Talk!

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!

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

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

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

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!

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

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!

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

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

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

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...

It’s Firework Season—Do You Know Where Your Dog Is?

It’s Firework Season—Do You Know Where Your Dog Is?

By Courtney Sexton For us humans, the sound of a firework can be startling, but since we understand that this surprising sound is safe, what would be scary becomes merely exciting. Unfortunately, d...

My Reactive Dog Just Wants to Be Safe

My Reactive Dog Just Wants to Be Safe

by Elizabeth Phelps Your browser does not support the video tag. Part 1: My New Puppy I brought Roscoe home from a local farmer's market when he was just 8-weeks old because I...

FluentPet’s Scientific Integrity Review Board

FluentPet’s Scientific Integrity Review Board

At FluentPet, we’re excited to announce a significant step forward in our mission to revolutionize animal communication: the formation of our Scientific Integrity Review Board (SIRB). This board wi...

Food-Related Buttons Got Fülöp Talking

Food-Related Buttons Got Fülöp Talking

Catch Beki & Fülöp in action on Instagram @fulop.a.beszelo.beagle Q. Who is this learner of yours? Fülöp is a 5-year-old Beagle from Hungary and he is without a question true to his breed: ...

How Breed May Influence Your Dog’s Learning Style

How Breed May Influence Your Dog’s Learning Style

I don’t know about you, but I’m a “do it” learner. I can read and digest a good amount of material, and visual depictions are really helpful, but learning new things is easiest for me when I watch ...