Let Human Toddlers Learn Human Language by Pushing Buttons
Good Dogs! (06-22-2022) #6108: Carol Borden and Tracie discuss the misconception that a dog be taught to press buttons through classical conditioning, by stepping on large plastic buttons that emit sounds and this will supposedly express the dog’s feelings or wishes — through words which are not actually even dog-centric. Tens of thousands of dog owners have spent over 7 million dollars to purchase a plastic toy that Tracie, Carol [and many highly regarded dog experts] feel is a species-inappropriate concept, giving owners the expectation that a dog can (or should) be taught to use human words rather than their own canine-appropriate methods of communication with their humans. These toys can be viewed as a way to teach a trick, perhaps but can also create a barrier between the person and actually bonding and understanding between dogs and their people. [But toddlers love noisy buttons, so this could be a handy way to teach toddlers how to speak English!]
