Dogs are communicating via button boards
12 hours ago
- #animal communication
- #dog behavior
- #viral trends
- Bunny the dog became a viral sensation on TikTok during the 2020 pandemic by using a button soundboard to communicate.
- A study published in Scientific Reports suggests dogs use button boards deliberately, with some combinations not explainable by chance.
- Dogs may string together short phrases, but the research does not confirm they understand abstract concepts or human language structure.
- The study involved 152 dogs and analyzed nearly 200,000 button presses, showing dogs communicate needs like 'food' and 'play' more than abstract concepts.
- Dogs' button use is non-random and intentional, but they do not meet the full criteria of human language abilities.
- Future research aims to explore dogs' use of abstract concepts, longer word combinations, and communication about unseen objects.
- Early findings suggest anxious dogs may use the soundboard more to gain control over their environment.