I tried to teach my dog, Luna, how to communicate with me using those buttons that utter a word or phrase when pressed. After all, it would be nice to have a conversation that wasn't always one-sided!

She mostly got used to pressing them at certain times (like when she wanted a treat, or to be fed). I guess that could be considered a small victory. But there are several social media videos showing clever dogs using the buttons to really let their humans know what's on the mind.

But some people are skeptical. Do the dogs really know what they are pressing, or is it more of a case of wishful thinking by their owners? 

Sorry skeptics, but recent research does indicate that the dogs know what they are “saying” via the buttons! 

Dogs are using button boards deliberately and in ways that are distinct from their owners, according to a study published December 9 in the journal Scientific Reports. The research further finds that certain two-word button combinations can’t be explained by chance, and that dogs may be willfully stringing together short phrases.

“They ask for things that are reasonable for dogs, they’re not purely matching training, and combinations are non-random,” says Federico Rossano, senior study author and an associate professor of cognitive science at the University of California, San Diego, where he directs the Comparative Cognition Lab.

Most dogs pressed buttons related to their routine activities and needs like those in the “food”, “play”, “go outside”, or “potty” categories. Common dog-composed combinations that occurred more included variations on “food”+”treat” and “own name”+“want.” In contrast, humans tended to push button combos indicating “love” or “later” more than their canine counterparts. 

In many ways, dogs already communicate their needs to people. Think of your pet standing by the door when it wants to go on a walk, bringing you a favorite toy, or barking by a food bowl for a meal. The buttons aren’t necessarily needed to get these pieces of information, but studying their use among willing dogs and owners is an opportunity to do “a lot of cool research.”