A documentary titled “Can Dogs Talk?” delves into the intriguing phenomenon of dogs seemingly communicating with their owners through word buttons on soundboards. These videos showcasing dogs like Stella, dubbed “the world’s first talking dog,” requesting activities or expressing discomfort have captured social media attention.

The University of California San Diego’s associate professor, Federico Rossano, initially skeptical of these videos, embarked on a comprehensive study to investigate the legitimacy of these interactions. Rossano’s research, involving thousands of pets globally, revealed that dogs respond to specific words pressed on sound buttons, indicating a level of understanding beyond random button presses.

Contrary to skeptics’ claims, Rossano’s team found that certain words like “outside,” “play,” and “food” were consistently used by dogs, suggesting a meaningful connection between the words and their actions. Further experiments conducted by researcher Amalia Bastos explored dogs’ comprehension of more complex terms like “help,” reinforcing the notion that dogs can associate words with actions to convey needs.

Rossano’s ongoing research is focused on studying dogs engaging in linguistic productivity, where they combine multiple buttons to express diverse ideas. Despite facing skepticism, Rossano remains committed to collecting data to unravel the depths of canine communication abilities.

For more insights on this fascinating research, viewers can watch “Can Dogs Talk?” on CBC Gem and The Nature of Things YouTube channel. Roberto Verdecchia, the documentary director and dog owner, shares his perspective on the evolving understanding of canine communication.