Kaili Smalley says it took 18 days to get her 8-year-old German shepherd to talk to her. In July she bought the cheapest recording devices with buttons that she could find with the intention of chatting with her dog, Gracie. It wasn’t until a family reunion that Gracie saw another dog press the button and was hooked. Pet lovers were captivated when speech-language pathologist Christina Hunger last year claimed to have taught her dog Stella how to communicate using augmentative and alternative communication, or AAC. This is often used to help people with speech and language issues communicate without talking by using their body or a device.

Source: Wall Street Journal August 14, 2020 18:13 UTC