Bunny the Talking Dog’s Mom Reveals What Years of ‘Conversations’ Have Taught Her

Some dogs communicate with a bark, a nudge, or a meaningful stare. Bunny, a 7-year-old Sheepadoodle, has another way to make herself understood. With a large soundboard filled with buttons representing different words and ideas, she has developed a remarkable communication routine with her person, Alexis Devine. What began as Alexis’s hope for a deeper connection with her dog has grown into an ongoing exploration of choice, understanding, and just how much dogs may be capable of expressing when given another way to communicate. Credit: Instagram Alexis began learning about communication buttons before Bunny even came home. Inspired by the kind of close human-animal bond often portrayed in stories like Lassie, she wondered whether buttons could give her dog another way to express her wants, needs, and experiences. Over time, that experiment became part of their everyday life. Bunny’s soundboard eventually grew to include around 110 buttons, with Alexis consistently modeling words during their daily interactions. Rather than viewing the board as a trick, Alexis sees it as a way to offer Bunny more agency and choice. Bunny can use the buttons alongside familiar canine communication, i...