Episode Details

A dog with a board of recordable buttons pressed "night," "talk," and "sleep" together, over and over, for weeks. It took a research intern's suggestion before anyone realized what she was actually trying to say.

Em talks with Alexis, whose dog Bunny helped pioneer button communication for dogs, about how a single outside button turned into a hundred-word vocabulary, the moment Bunny used her buttons to describe her own dreams, and what years of this work has taught Alexis about curiosity, skepticism, and what dogs are actually capable of communicating.

You'll hear:

• How Bunny figured out she could describe her dreams using buttons she already knew
• The moment Bunny used her buttons to alert Alexis to a foxtail stuck in her paw, and what that revealed about self-advocacy
• How to start with just three buttons if you want to try this with your own dog

Press play if you've ever wished you could know what your dog was actually thinking.

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Questions

📧 em@thedogwhoaskedformore.com

This podcast explores life with dogs, including dog behavior, dog behavior problems, dog obedience, dog anxiety, reactive dogs, dog reactivity, dog training, and the relationship with your dog. It's for dog parents navigating overwhelm, dog parent guilt, chronic stress, burnout recovery, and the challenges of life with a dog who asks for more. Episodes cover dog nutrition, canine nutrition, pet nutrition, dog food, dog enrichment, dog body language, dog communication, emotional healing, healing with dogs, self-trust, personal growth, and building a deeper connection with your dog. Whether you're raising a reactive dog, feeling discouraged, or simply trying to better understand your dog and yourself, this podcast helps you create a calmer life together and strengthen the bond that changes both of you. We're now taking this conversation on the road, bringing honest support directly to dog parents around the world.

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