Publicidad
Hi!
My name is Christina Hunger. I'm a speech-language pathologist and the
founder of Hunger for Words. When I brought my new puppy Stella home,
I quickly started drawing connections between speech therapy and
Stella's communication. I wondered: If dogs can understand words we say
to them, shouldn't they be able to say words to us? Can dogs use AAC to
communicate with humans?
I put my theory to the test and started teaching Stella to use these paw-
sized buttons that I programmed to say, "outside," "play," and "water," so
she could express a few simple needs. A few weeks later, she said her first
word, "outside"! We continued expanding Stella's vocabulary and now
have over forty words that Stella uses to communicate her wants, needs,
and thoughts on a daily basis.
After I introduced this brand-new concept to the world, thousands
of pet lovers just like you have followed in our footsteps, using the
"Hunger for Words Method" to teach their dogs to talk, sparking an animal
communication revolution! I also wrote a book, How Stella Learned to Talk ,
to share our full story and to teach as many people as I can how to see and
harness their own pet's communication potential.
I am so excited that you have started on your own communication journey
with your pet. I hope this journey is filled with
love and joy, and helps you build a deeper,
more meaningful relationship with your own pet.
I wish you the best of luck!
Love,
Christina and Stella
How to Use:
•
Press and hold the red button
on the side of the main button.
•
Wait for the beep and
then record your word.
•
Release the red button.
You will hear a beep again.
•
Tap the main button and listen
to your word!
Activity One:
Learn your dog's current communication patterns
The first step in helping your dog expand her communication
skills is to understand how she is already communicating.
Gestures, vocalizations, and body language are all parts of
language, and are important building blocks for words. As a
warm-up, complete the following sentences:
I can tell my dog needs to go to the bathroom when
I can tell my dog is hungry when
I can tell my dog wants to play when
I can tell my dog needs more water when
I can tell my dog wants to go for a walk when
With those answers in mind, you can begin modeling words with
the buttons when you see or hear your dog communicating in
the contexts listed above. Use your answers to help you know
when to model words and which words to choose.
* If it's difficult to distinguish between these or if you don't
have an answer, start to teach those words because those are
communication needs that aren't being met.
.
.
.
.
.
Publicidad
