All animals are “smart” in their own unique way! There are different kinds of intelligence aside from the traditional human definition. A desire to communicate and interact with you is just as, if not more, important than conventional intelligence when it comes to teaching buttons. The Junior Teacher’s Workbook provides a step-by-step process on button teaching and our community can share what has worked for them based on their learner’s age and temperament.

Honestly, it depends. Every learner (human or animal) is different. As with most things, the more time you put into button teaching, the more you and your learner will likely get out of it. However, we often find that having all family members, including Junior Teachers, engaged in the process can expedite learning, especially if they are working in tandem with a parent. We do recommend being as consistent as possible in modeling and responding in the very early stages, especially the first week or so that your learner begins actively using the buttons. It’s important to understand that buttons are meant to be incorporated into your daily lifestyle and routine so it's more about forming new habits in your interactions with your learner than outlining rigorous teaching schedules.

When it comes to button communication, we’ve found it is more about the dog’s/cat’s personality than age, as well as the training techniques used (best to keep it fun and stress free), and consistency in teaching (modeling). 

While we have many animal trainers using talking buttons with their learners, the majority of our FluentPet community has no training background. This is a journey that animals and humans take together, learning from one another what works best for their unique relationship. We are here to support you every step of the way, through our Junior Teacher's Workbook as well as our How.TheyCanTalk.org community.