Dog buttons: Thoughts on How Stella Learned to Talk

Last month I read How Stella Learned to Talk by Christina Hunger. Hunger is a speech pathologist credited with starting the “talking dog button” movement you’ve probably seen on social media. The book follows her personal experience implementing an AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) device with her puppy from start to finish.

Since I’ve long been skeptical about the buttons that now feel ubiquitous in the dog Instagram community, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this read. I still hold onto much of my initial skepticism—and was pleased to see Hunger herself embraced my questions more than some others I’ve seen implementing the devices—but I also feel like I have a better understanding of her intent and approach.

So in an attempt to finally answer the questions “how do you feel about talking dog buttons?” and “would you use them with Scout?” here’s a deep dive into my thoughts on How Stella Learned to Talk from a book review and overall concept perspective.

As always, I…