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 intelligence, curiosity, and enthusiasm, always eager to dive into life and engage with her surroundings. As a herding dog, communication is practically hardwired into her DNA—her outgoing, bright personality always steals the show.
She loves to share her love, make her requests and doesn’t hold back when it’s time to air her complaints.
She’s a pro at reminding me who’s really running the show around here.
Q. How long did it take for them to press their first button?
Blue was introduced to the 11-button-board the moment she was brought home at nine weeks old. I recorded one button with the words “go to bed,” easy to model/apply to her activity and exactly 48 hours after I brought her home, she went to her little bed, then stood up, marched back to her board, and pressed “go to bed.”
She had a big smile on her face, and her tail danced with excitement and confidence - she knew she did well!
Q. What have the buttons revealed about your learners that you wouldn’t have known without the buttons?
The list of what I’ve learned from the buttons could go on forever! If it weren’t for them, I would have never realized just how compassionate and empathetic Blue is. She spends her days not only thinking about food, play, and fun with her friends but also worrying about them when she doesn’t see them—wondering if they’re okay.
Blue loves to know our plans and, like a little scorekeeper, she rates our days based on how much fun we had, how yummy the meals were, and how great her social life was!
For instance, she absolutely loves doggy daycare but only for half a day. If she spends a full day there, she comes home scolding me with her buttons, pressing “mad!” and “wait!”
Q. What do you do to ensure the buttons remain an engaging and positive experience for your learner over time?
Blue is the puppy equivalent of a digital native when it comes to button communication! The button board is an essential part of her world, allowing her to express herself, make choices, and share her experiences. It’s her voice, helping her connect with me and interact with the world around her.
Her relationship with the board doesn’t require encouragement—it's as vital to her as food, play, or her friends. What’s even more satisfying is that she never neglects her body language. She never looks at the board; she presses the buttons almost as if she’s reading braille. This allows her full use of use her body language, she extraordinarily expressive.
Q. What’s your funniest button moment?
It never gets old when I'm on the phone, particularly with customer service that takes forever. Blue, in my recorded voice, says, 'BYE” “ALL DONE”,' leaving the person on the other end wondering. The best part is the long pause after I say, 'Oh, never mind, that’s my dog talking.
Q. What’s your most surprising button moment?
When Blue was just four or five months old, she was sleeping on a chair near the television. One day, while a movie was playing that featured a baby filling the entire screen and crying, she suddenly jumped up, looked at the TV, and ran back to her word board. With only 24 words in her vocabulary at the time, she determinedly pressed the buttons and said, "Hurt, Bruna, help!" It was remarkable to see her so tiny yet so intent on soliciting my help for the baby on screen.
Q. What challenges have you faced with button teaching?
Blue currently has 42 words, but her button-lexicon multiplies many times when considering the meanings behind them. For instance, 'hurt' refers to any discomfort, such as hunger, thirst, pain, injury, illness, or the urgent need to go potty. Similarly, 'water' encompasses various contexts, including a bath, shower, stream, drinking, rain, swimming, and washing.
Responding to her declarations requires being fully present. While she is often clear in her expressions, she sometimes combines words in unexpected ways, which takes time to reflect on and understand. This ongoing process of navigating her communication is both exciting and complex!
Q. How do you decide when to introduce a new word to your learner?
Blue has 42 buttons, but her vocabulary is much larger since she applies different meanings to most of them. I strive to introduce words that meet her evolving needs and reflect changes in her environment, ensuring that I adapt to her life as it unfolds with various activities, social interactions, and life.
Q. How have buttons changed your relationship with your learner?
The buttons have unveiled so much about Blue that I would have otherwise remained unaware of. I've learned how she spends her day thinking about Broson, her best friend, and eagerly anticipating their playdates. The buttons allow her to express her desire to stay informed about our lives, clarify when she's hurt or tired, and communicate how much she wants me to be present.
It's fascinating to discover how often she gets mad over small things and to hear her frequent expressions of love and compassion toward both humans and other animals. This journey has opened up a new world of understanding and connection between us, revealing so much more than I ever expected.
Q. What advice would you give to others who are interested in teaching their learners to use buttons?
There isn’t a one-size-fits-all method for teaching button communication. Each learner's journey is unique and should be tailored to their needs, with the common thread being that the learner feels heard. It is also important to create a joyful experience for both the teacher and the learner.
It’s important for teachers to learn through experience. They should trust their instincts and adapt their approach based on what feels right.
