Dog Talking Buttons
How long does it take to teach dogs to use buttons?
Buttons are meant to be incorporated into your daily routine so it's more about forming new habits in your interactions with your learner than outlining rigorous teaching schedules.
Be consistent
We recommend being as consistent as possible in the the first couple weeks so your learner begins actively using the buttons.
Give it time
As with most things, the more time you put into it the more you and your learner will likely get out of it.
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Michelle Pierce
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Amy
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Beth
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How Talking Dog Buttons Work in 3 Steps
1. Speak regularly to your dog (learner)
To choose your words, pay attention to the things you say that motivate your learner. Once you select a word, use it repeatedly, in context without adding different conjugations. For example, to model ‘play’, when you’re about to play with your learner, say ‘Do you want to play? Ok let’s play! Play play play!’

2. Model how to use buttons
After you’ve recorded your first button, ‘model’ the new word/phrase for your learner by (a) saying the word/phrase, then (b) pressing the corresponding button, and (c) either directing your learner’s attention to an object (‘ball!’) or engaging in the action you’ve just described.
3. Stick with it and be patient
When learning any new language, the first stage is observing and absorbing. This will be the first stage of learning for your dog and it can take some time. Don’t get discouraged, be consistent with your button teaching and check out our Get Started Guide for steps and trouble-shooting tips.
Dog Buttons for Every Level
Frequently Asked Questions
FluentPet buttons are designed to be ultra-easy to press, which makes them perfect for all dogs, even the smallest of species. Our kit includes a combination of recordable sound buttons and HexTiles that hold the buttons securely in place and organize your buttons by word category.
A dog’s “intelligence” is different from how we think about smarts in human terms. Your dog’s desire to communicate and interact with you is just as, if not more, valuable than conventional intelligence when it comes to his/her ability to learn how to use the buttons.
We’ve found it is more about the learner's personality than age, as well as the training techniques used (best to keep it fun and stress free), and consistency in teaching (modeling). For more information please read our Complete Guide To Teaching Dogs & Cats To Talk with Buttons.
While we have many animal trainers using dog talking buttons with their learners, the majority of our FluentPet community has no training background. This is a journey that dogs take with their humans, learning together the techniques that work best for their unique relationship. We are here to support you every step of the way, through our Get Started Guide as well as our How.TheyCanTalk.org community.