Christina Hunger, a speech-language pathologist, adopted an adorable Catahoula and Australian Cattle Dog mix puppy named Stella.  She noticed similarities between how Stella learned words and how the toddlers she worked with learned.

The toddlers with delays in language development used Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices to help them communicate.  Many of these devices utilize push buttons that stand in for words.

Christina wondered if this same method could be used to teach Stella how to communicate with her.  She created a device with paw sized buttons that Stella could use to communicate basic wants and needs like going outside or eating.

The results have been amazing, and Christina wrote a book about her success in teaching Stella, so that other dog owners can try this same technique.  The book is called How Stella Learned to Talk: The Groundbreaking Story of the World’s First Talking Dog.

Christina also has a website about her work with Stella called Hunger for Words.

Here’s a segment on Christina and Stella from the CBS Sunday Morning television show:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTHktun5vKc&w=560&h=315]

Featured image: Hunger for Words website.