The Science Behind Dogs Pressing Buttons to Communicate.

The concept of "button dogs" - dogs that communicate by pressing buttons with prerecorded words on them - is growing in popularity, with pet owners recording nouns, verbs, and emotions. However, animal behavior experts are raising questions about what the dogs are really "saying" and whether the words mean the same thing to a dog as they do to humans. A large study underway at the University of California at San Diego is trying to determine whether the buttons can enable dogs to communicate meaningfully. Results likely won’t be available before year’s end.