Do Pet Buttons Work? The Science Behind Talking Dog Buttons
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День тому#bunnythedog #kpassionate #dogbuttons
Can dogs talk with buttons? Two years ago, I did a video on What About Bunny, the talking dog who speaks with buttons. I got hundreds of comments like "You need to watch more videos” and “One video with nothing but your educated opinion and a lot of ego.” So let’s look at more videos of Bunny the talking dog.
00:00 - Bunny the Dog
01:06 - Responding to Criticism
02:16 - What About Bunny's Thorn in Paw
03:10 - Biologist Reacts to Bunny the Dog
04:20 - Do Pet Buttons Work?
05:49 - The Self Aware Dog
07:41 - Can Dogs Understand English?
08:46 - Why Dogs Can't Talk
10:01 - What About Bunny's Existential Crisis
In part 2, I take a close look at the video where Bunny looks in a mirror and appears to say "who this" and discover something shocking → • The Truth About the Se...
There are two reasons why I personally don’t see evidence of communication. One, the famous video where Bunny appears to tell her owner "ouch stranger paw" to indicate that she has a thorn in her paw is EDITED in two very key moments. The first cut is right after Bunny pressed the “ouch” button. How much time passed between “ouch” and “stranger paw”? How many other buttons were pressed? Were there any failed attempts? Was it even filmed on the same day? We don’t know. The second cut is more important, we never see the thorn being removed from Bunny's paw. We have no way of knowing if the thorn came from the paw. There’s a lot of missing context that we simply can’t ignore. It’s impossible to know if the video was cut just to remove dead air or to tell a curated story.
My second concern is the definition of the word "stranger." Here, stranger means a thorn. In other videos, stranger means a coyote or even a new smell. That’s a common thing in these videos. Definitions are fluid and change meaning in order to be “accurate”. In another video, Bunny pressed the word “bird” and that was interpreted to mean “airplane.”
“Some well-known research biases that are normally carefully avoided in formal scientific studies are not controlled for in these videos. In particular, the ‘meaning’ of ‘sentences’ produced by the dogs is often reconstructed by the owners themselves… and what is interpreted often seems to be… whatever the owner wants it to be.” -- Neuroscience News
neurosciencenews.com/animal-c...
Study after study has shown that visual, tactile, and olfactory communication is far more important to a dog than verbal communication.
[1] pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27338...
[2] www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...
There have also been studies using EEGs and MRIs to measure brain activity in dogs when they hear human words. These studies found that dogs do not have the ability to distinguish different words AND that almost 50% of what they respond to when they hear a human speak is their emotion and tone of voice.
[1] royalsocietypublishing.org/do...
[2] www.livescience.com/dogs-word...
[3] www.sciencedaily.com/releases...
[4]www.rspca.org.uk/-/blog_how_d...
[5] phys.org/news/2020-12-dogs-wo...
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What About Bunny
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@KPassionate 3 місяці тому
In part 2, I take a close look at the video where Bunny looks in a mirror and appears to say "who this" and discover something shocking → ukposts.info/have/v-deo/on-Tl46tn5CmwIU.html Learn more about animal training with these videos! [1] How and Why Zoos and Aquariums Train Their Animals → ukposts.info/have/v-deo/sF2jaqR9hXqg0ac.html [2] Secrets of the Navy's Classified Dolphin Program → ukposts.info/have/v-deo/q5R3d5CGgJiZlXU.html [3] How to Train Your Aggressive Dog → ukposts.info/have/v-deo/iIikdqN7gpunpp8.html
@waterguy001 3 місяці тому
Google PETA and Aquariums Marine Parks (Pseudo Sanctuaries) The link is getting deleted here
@KPassionate 3 місяці тому
PETA is an organization of eco-terrorists who don’t actually care about the welfare of animals but only the publicity they can garner. Their kill rate at their shelters is more than enough evidence of this. As such, I will not be allowing promotion of the PETA on this page. That kind of misinformation is dangerous at best, and cruel at worst.
@waterguy001 3 місяці тому
There seems to be a lot of anger inside of you.
@KPassionate 3 місяці тому
@@waterguy001 animal abuse and misinformation do make me angry for sure.
@waterguy001 3 місяці тому
@@KPassionate But it doesn't seem to be only PETAs view. I don't know all of their methods, which I may condem as well if they are using criminal means. Anyway there seem to be a lot of democratic, free states that do ban at least marine parks/dolphinariums? Or isn't that true either? I think it's always important to have a critical mind and not only use information that validate what you already seem to know. Otherwise either you or me could end up like the owner of bunny the dog and me living in a world of delusion :D
@DakotaHerb 3 місяці тому
I'm getting a German Shephed puppy and he's been professionally trained for the past month to develop verbal communication skills. Last week he texted me using the trainer's phone and told me to tip the trainer a thousand dollars. This dog will be amazing! 😮
@KPassionate 3 місяці тому
God-tier comment 😂
@MarysZenDoodleArt Місяць тому
Lol 😋
@talonsaurn5764 3 місяці тому
this whole thing just feels like the old psychic trick of cold reading, where everything is turned to a positive response... lots of people believe those too unfortunately
@KPassionate 3 місяці тому
It is very similar to that for sure!
@rsharpy24uk 3 місяці тому
I can hear the pitchforks being sharpened all the way from my hospital bed 😂😂
@KPassionate 3 місяці тому
I am ready!
@batacumba 3 місяці тому
Sorry you’re in the hospital, I hope you are on the mend!
@obcl8569 3 місяці тому
Wishing you a speedy recovery 🤍
@krat5576 3 місяці тому
Every time Bunny presses a button his owner immediately asks 'what [button]?' or 'why [button]?' After which she completely fills out all the blanks. People LOVE to think that animals think like them, but their thinking can be very different from ours. Not because they are stupid, but because they excell at different things. For one, dogs are not dumb enough to project their thoughts onto others, this is a human thing and can help us socially, but dogs have different solutions to the same problem. They are smart in their own right.
@phylippusvonhohenheim3232 3 місяці тому
The SAME THING can be say about "God" responses
@Selfproclaimedtheologian 2 місяці тому
My dog is very smart and I love him but I don't think he will be able to talk through buttons she's right 😅
@DerdOn0ner 3 місяці тому
It‘s mindblowing that people would rather put their trust and belief in a heavily edited video about a talking dog, than consider scientific facts and reasoning. No wonder conspiracy theories are on the rise 😂
@KhanMann66 3 місяці тому
As education drops in quality so does the rise in misinformation.
@felinakats6716 3 місяці тому
I'll never understand why some people want animals to be like humans, what ever happened to accepting animals as they are? it's almost like they think that animals are not good enough unless they can preform unnatural behaviour.
@G-starr13 3 місяці тому
Because its kinda cool
@RevPeterTrabaris 3 місяці тому
Why can't we admire them as they are, and also want to communicate more clearly with them? I don't think that the two desires are either one inappropriate.
@yourewrongabouteverything 3 місяці тому
Its because they are lonely
@saskiadavies111 3 місяці тому
Why assume that non-humans have nothing in common with us? Why assume that anything they think or feel is only something humans are imagining?
@purpleonii 2 місяці тому
yea is the same for ppl that feed carnvore pets greens like cats
@ladyangua1 3 місяці тому
It bothers me that Bunny isn't using any "dog language" in the "stranger" video, she shows no sign of discomfort. If my dog had something stuck in her paw she would be worrying at it, trying to remove it; which would tell me something was there and I would look.
@KPassionate 3 місяці тому
Yes exactly! There is no indication at all that the dog is uncomfortable
@John_Weiss 3 місяці тому
It's interesting timing. One of the language channels I subscribe to just did a video about The Clever Hans Effect. The case of Clever Hans showed that a horse was so good at picking up subtle cues in human body language, it was able to see hints that the humans were giving it _that the humans themselves were unaware that they were making._ Someone in the comments on that video raised three dogs with buttons videos, even telling me, "You're biased. You don't know what you're talking about." My sin? Pointing out that we only have videos of the dogs being successful. We don't have the videos showing how often these dogs just pushed buttons at random. That is *Selection Bias.* And I was assuming no editing in the videos of the animals "successfully" communicating with the buttons. But in a response back to the attack I got, I stated that I'm a physicist by training, and "in the 'hard' sciences, it is drilled into us that you _do not_ collect data to prove your hypothesis, you collect data _to try and _*_DISPROVE_*_ yourself._ You pull out a hammer and try and break your model. And when the hammer breaks instead, you get a different hammer and keep doing this until you run out of hammers. "I would find this thing with pets and buttons credible if there were a series of videos going, 'So I've tried to show that my dog is tapping these buttons for any reason other than trying to communicate with me, and every alternative reason has proven wrong. Am I missing something? Am I imagining it? Or is this for really using these buttons to talk to me?"
@notmyname9625 3 місяці тому
I’ve also heard that horses can hear your heart beat. I used to walk a trail that had a lot of horseback riders and they would always remind us to keep talking when we pass them because they can hear your heart beat so if they know your there but cant see you or hear your voice they might suspect that you are a threat. Idk if its even true or not but if so that could be part of it too. If so i think horses probably use all 3 (body language, intonation and heart rate) to be so in tune with us.
@parenteflavia 2 місяці тому
I entered this comment section precisely to mention the clever Hans' (der kluge Hans) case. Not only the humans at first were unaware they were giving physical cues Hans was picking up on, even when this was found out by Oskar Pfungst he couldn't help but produce these cues involuntarily regardless of whether he wished to exhibit or suppress them.
@John_Weiss 6 днів тому
@@theriverschool822Where did I say anyone "accidentally" trained Clever Hans? I think you need to watch a video about Clever Hans. The tests done in him were done with Hans' trainer behind a screen or otherwise out of sight of Hans. In other words, they designed the tests to account for the trainer signaling the horse. The problem was, Hans was looking for _any_ change in human body-language. The independent investigator later realized that _he himself_ was leaning forward as Hans got close to the correct count. Or a second investigator noticed that the first was doing this, completely subconsciously. But that was enough for Clever Hans to notice. *_That_* is the _real_ Clever Hans Effect: when we humans underestimate how perceptive animals are and thus fail to account for all of the ways an animal will pick up signals, even inadvertent ones, from the human experimenter.
@theriverschool822 6 днів тому
You're right, I didn't fully understand that. I thought it was just the trainer. Thank you for that full explanation. Clever Hans doesn't explain talking/language though. A talking dog can answer questions you don't know the answer to.
@theriverschool822 6 днів тому
@@John_Weiss I don't think Bunny can talk, but dogs can learn to speak vocally. I'm going to turn my dogs language into visual language using the wave-forms, since learning dog dialect English is a learned trait. You can see the answers in wave-forms to see language visually. I would love ideas for tests. I don't doubt he can talk anymore, but I did my first talking dog and even this one until I could test him. I'm an ME engineer. He's really good at talking. We can almost have a conversation. I just don't have a social media following.
@lordofthe6string 3 місяці тому
It's just depressing we all know people will still defend it and call you unintelligent. Common sense used to mean something. Looking forward to part 2 😍
@KhanMann66 3 місяці тому
Some people refuse to see the truth. Animals can’t speak human language.
@batacumba 3 місяці тому
I know, and they’re so mean about it too. I’ve noticed people get especially nasty when their silly, childish worldviews get challenged. 🙄
@shannonessig5959 3 місяці тому
I'm so glad you mentioned the importance of intonation. Communication between animals and humans is based on patterns of behavior and anticipated outcomes more than the words we say. Always happy to see a KP vid in my list. Thank you!
@sellingacoerwa8318 3 місяці тому
My dog once crocheted a functioning ladder from strategically torn up blankets, shoes and toilet paper to climb to the top shelf in our kitchen where the dog treats are stored. So, personally I'm on team dog self aware
@KPassionate 3 місяці тому
😂
@friendhaus1858 3 місяці тому
dogs are definitely self aware, but not to the extent more complex life is. Their sense of self is much more limited, they likely don't even realize they're not the same species as the humans around them.
@Shydore-Official 3 місяці тому
Thank you for being the only person to address this lunacy, I feel myself both losing faith in humanity and going crazy scrolling through those comments
@TheCrosshare 3 місяці тому
I feel like there's also a "healthy" dose of confirmation bias in these, much like with ghost hunting shows. If Bunny says "water", and i go on a treasure hunt for the meaning, any sink, tap, rain, bottle of water, empty bowl, can fit that. Same as with ghost hunters hearing the word "went" from a muguffin box. They don't question the word, but instead lead it to *some* conclusion like "Yes, this spirit went to school here" or "This spirit went outside".
@KhanMann66 3 місяці тому
I don’t understand how anyone can interpret a bunch of mumble jumbo from a radio box that siphons hundreds of radio channels.
@SaskiaSketches 3 місяці тому
Thank you for helping us think twice and critically about what we see on the internet!
@marymorgan285 3 місяці тому
People always want to humanize animals . It’s the “Bambi” syndrome. Think about it. If animals could really talk, they would be using four letter words at humans to let them know what they really are thinking!!! Thanks KP! Until my cat say’s “ I want a steak, rare, I,m with you!!!! 😂
@SepiaSapien 3 місяці тому
I NEED PART 2 NOW
@KPassionate 3 місяці тому
In the editing process!!!
@jasperjudd 3 місяці тому
I would absolutely love to see a video on the African Grey named Apollo. (Aka Apollo and Frens). He’s definitely not the same as these button videos because he can ya know, actually speak, and I find it amazing how many words he has learned and his ability to use context to use what he already knows in order to identify things (like seeing a bug he’d never seen before but being able to identify it because it’s small and moves). His owners seem really cool and are clearly trying to actually train him in a scientific way to learn the extent of African Greys intelligence. It’s super cool to me. He definitely doesn’t always get things right, but they leave that in and he gets things right more often than not
@KPassionate 3 місяці тому
Birds are very much outside of my wheelhouse but I believe there have been studies that show they have language, both physical and verbal, and there are even parallels between their languages and human speech. Many bird species have also passed the mirror self recognition test! The world is wild.
@jasperjudd 3 місяці тому
@@KPassionate thanks so much for replying!! I completely understand you not wanting to make a video of it, I study zoology as well and bird intelligence isn’t my strong suite either 😂 all I know is that they can be crazy smart! It’s so fascinating though and I love learning more about it! If you’re interested, I’d still highly recommend you check it out just for the joy of it (not to make a video but just because who doesn’t love to watch videos of amazing intelligent animals!)
@AaaaNinja 3 місяці тому
We are sooooooo accustomed to watching videos that people don't even understand editing and the ways it can be used to manipulate a presentation, EVEN THOUGH more people than ever have access to the ability to learn how to do it.
@KPassionate 3 місяці тому
It is wild to me how many people don’t look at information on the internet with a critical eye. Especially videos. The amount of people believing in clearly virtual videos is astounding.
@orchdork775 3 місяці тому
And they won't listen once you point it out, because then they would feel stupid. Instead, they find a way to frame you as the person who is wrong, because you're just negative and want to ruin everyone else's joy, or in this case, because you clearly think dogs are incapable of intelligence. Good old cognitive dissonance, am I right? 😅
@KPassionate 3 місяці тому
@@orchdork775 ah I do love a good gaslighting in the morning! 😂
@TheAkjody 3 місяці тому
You explain this very well. No need for people to get ugly about your observations. I am still amazed how people can anthropomorphize with their pets. Especially dogs. I have worked with Service dogs, military dogs, hunting dogs, sled dogs and humble dachshunds. They are all capable of learning words. Right, left, stay, Seek (whatever thing) I could go on. But they are simple concepts and not structured speech. I love the idea of outside, danger, eat, potty, hurt. But go outside play with the cat um. ya... right... Its just not how they communicate. I did get buttons. Started with eat and outside. it took a while to teach them to a dachshund. My Pyrenees learned they over the course of a few months. My older 14 year old dachshund, Nufie and pyrenees eventually learned "Pain" for joint medication. I have another button I might use for baby (toy) or drink so I can hear when they run out of water (probably not). But I have to admit I have no need for much more. I know when scared, danger, play, love, tired, stranger all by how they bark and act, even waking me up specific sound of their bark (tone etc) to wake me up to let them outside at 5am. I have to agree with everything you said in your opinion and oversations on the videos Honestly my dogs understand sign language much better than voice commands. I teach them commands with both at the same time from the very start. Anyhow GREAT VIDEO AND INFORMATION (‾◡◝) (❁´◡`❁)
@KPassionate 3 місяці тому
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing your experiences
@rainstriderstreamflower5645 3 місяці тому
Dog's may understand a word or two, but they don't grasp syntax.
@friendhaus1858 3 місяці тому
its very irritating that people like her are giving the wrong impression that dogs can understand human "language" as opposed to their own. They do understand language, body language and basic words. There may be a correlation between "I've pressed this before, and action has occurred" but the likelihood of the dog thinking the voice comes from the button itself is very low.
@chrisl6496 Місяць тому
I did not watch this video with an open mind. Being a dog-lover (big time), & a Bunny fan, I was rather offended that she would suggest that Bunny was not really doing what she we all saw her do. I clicked on the video with every expectation that I would strongly disagree with her argument. However, she did make some very valid & substantiated points. The major one being editing. I enjoy Bunny's videos so much and is so enthralled by her cuteness that I didn't even notice the videos were so obviously edited. There was a famous dog named Chase, who could remember the names of thousands of toys. His owner was a psychologist, I believe. I think dog's intelligence is more akin to that. Dog pressing a button to communicate that they want to "walk", "potty" or "scritches are proven abilities that dogs have. They can communicate that, but to be able to string words together to express a thought is rather farfetched. That said, I will still watch Bunny videos cos she is just so darn cute.
@KPassionate Місяць тому
I really appreciate you watching! Thanks for taking the time and keeping an open mind even if you didn’t intend to 😂
@batacumba 3 місяці тому
I commented on your original video and I’m really glad you’re continuing to spread awareness on what bs this is. My dog of 18 years just died and I wish more than anything that I could have verbally expressed certain things to him, but I know that isn’t possible and all I could do is show him love in ways he could understand. I wish people wouldn’t get caught up in the trap of using emotional rather than logical thinking. Of course most of us want to verbally communicate more complex concepts to our animals and have them do the same in return but they just communicate differently than us and that’s ok. They are perfect as they are.
@KPassionate 3 місяці тому
Thanks for watching. I'm really sorry about your 18 year-old companion. That's so incredibly hard... sounds like he lived a long and happy life though. I didn't get to it in this video, but studies have shown that dogs can smell human emotions which is why they always seem to know when to come over and comfort us when we're not feeling great. So I'm positive he knew how much he was loved.
@batacumba 3 місяці тому
@@KPassionate thank you! He was a mini dachshund and I was definitely lucky to have him as long as I did. His health began to decline a couple years ago and he started having dementia and incontinence issues and then eventually congestive heart failure and most likely cancer as well. I guess when you live that long all sorts of fun things start popping up. He got along surprisingly well but his last month was tough and I knew the end was near when he started being picky about food after being an indiscriminate garbage disposal his whole life. He let me know when it was time and he went very peacefully at home with a home euthanasia. I’m not a spiritual or religious person but a couple nights after he passed he came to me in a dream and he was happy and seemed restored to his original self. I knew he wasn’t real in the dream and mourned him and said I wished he could be real but maybe he was letting me know he was ok. I have no idea where we go after we pass but I hope it’s somewhere nice. Thanks for listening and for your kind words.
@maikibordercollie 2 місяці тому
Fascinating. You present your perspective so well, communicating so clearly. I've had border collies for most of my life. (They're pretty smart as you probably know.) One of my dogs, 20 years ago, knew 400 different words, and we have video evidence of her fetching different objects on command. While border collies are masters at UNDERSTANDING our human language, I've always felt it was my job to understand their language and the way they communicate what they want to "say." So I've never wanted to venture into the world of those buttons. My current dog knows around 200 tricks, and will respond to both verbal and physical cues for those behaviours. But, exactly like you say in the video, I had to be careful not to use words that sound too similar. Maiki knows cues in three different languages, so that there's no change of her confusing hug and tug, or mixing up abajo and abrazo.
@frankleh9841 3 місяці тому
Thank you for this video. I hated your first one and felt the need for this second one. You nailed it. Thank you
@KPassionate 3 місяці тому
Glad it was helpful!
@MultiBlamm 3 місяці тому
Love it ❤ can’t wait for part two. Keep up the great work 👍
@rousedg 3 місяці тому
As long as they have sufficient motivation, people will believe what they _want_ to believe, even if that belief never addresses facts and evidence against it. As someone who didn't watch any of the mentioned videos (neither yours nor theirs), thank you for bringing up evidence.
@neon2870 3 місяці тому
I am far from an expert in any of this, but about a year into this trend, I got recommended a video about a gorilla who could "speak" sign language, and it turned out that the gorilla could not. It was just close-enough signs to get specific rewards. Ever since watching that I've seen the same red flags in every one of these "talking animal" videos. I still watch them bc the animals are cute. But I have to scoff when meaning is invented.
@KPassionate 3 місяці тому
I am going to do a video on the Koko the gorilla hoax as well!
@stevemichael8458 3 місяці тому
More people need to make sensible, informed content like this on a whole range of different topics. I find it quite scary how many folk seem to believe everything they see on social media. And, worse, will defend their interpretations to the last breath even when shown to be misinformed by people much more qualified than they are. It seems that 'being right' has displaced discussion and debate from our society. :( Great video. Thank you.
@KPassionate 3 місяці тому
Thank you! I agree, there is far too much misinformation out there and it can absolutely cause harm.
@wisewordings 3 місяці тому
All support to you and Bunny (and the gang). Having worked closely with dogs (as a trainer, agility competitor) I have zero doubts about their intelligence, empathic natures, and communication abilities. To think anyone could question their sentience is mind-boggling to me, but then the behaviorists at one time wanted to deny ours as well, and speak only in terms of observable behaviors, ignoring our internal experience altogether. Re the videos you're addressing: I watched one nay-sayer who talked about the buttons making us blind to the normal body language communication that dogs already use with us. I don't understand that argument: it's not replacing that form of communication, just offering another avenue. I'm sure the handlers of Koko the Gorilla paid attention to her body language as well as signing with her. When I taught my babies sign language, I didn't stop talking to them or ignore their cries, grunts, facial expressions, etc. And lo and behold, they learned to speak and sign. Forget the armchair "debunkers": let's wait for the research papers and more importantly, enjoy watching Bunny (and other animals) communicate as best she can using our human conceptual categories. If it's uncomfortable to get more insight into the depth of experience of non-human animals, let's face that head-on and reevaluate how we treat (and mistreat) them.
@KPassionate 3 місяці тому
Koko the gorilla couldn't actually use sign language. In fact, no gorilla or chimpanzee could sign. We just wanted to believe they could so we did. bigthink.com/life/ape-sign-language/
@kindredspirit617 Місяць тому
This was really helpful, thank you! I literally just bought some buttons to teach my dog to talk (primarily so they can let me know when they need to go to the toilet, since we don't have a dog door in our rental), and I was considering teaching them more words. Hopefully if I only teach them that word, this won't be a waste of money, but if it is then at least I bought the cheapest ones I could find!
@KPassionate Місяць тому
I think a button for outside or potty is a great use of these buttons. I've also seen people use a bell that they hang from the door knob that works pretty well. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment!
@dragonscottage9796 3 місяці тому
Can't wait for part 2. What a good video, I hope it helps quell misinformation about buttons magically bridging communication with our furry friends.
@CrankyGrandma 3 місяці тому
Bunny and other button using animals seem to learn buttons for words important to them like food and poop. But the abstract thinking bits seem a stretch. Billy the cat is worth watching.
@KPassionate 3 місяці тому
Some of Bunny's video appear to be faked or in some ways doctored, which I'll discuss in part 2, but if you take a close look at the "who this" mirror video you can clearly see that Bunny only presses the "this" button and not the "who" button even though that is what we hear. As for Billie the cat, I strongly recommend you take a look at Jackson Galaxy's excellent video on the topic. ukposts.info/have/v-deo/fGlomqyIfIaWzKc.html
@aspiringcrone 3 місяці тому
@@KPassionateI agree that something seem fishy about Bunny. I recently saw the video about Bunny learning the "dream". Bunny pushed "dream" and the owner asked "what did you dream about?...did you dream about ___? Did you dream about ___? Did you I dream about dad?" So, Bunny pressed "dad". That is absolutely not conclusive proof that Bunny dreamt about dad. I'm a former educator with a master’s in early childhood education. I've worked with little ones my whole life and I've taught ESL to adults. I dabble in linguistics and languages. So, I'm pretty familiar with how language development works with little humans. So, even if these animals are capable of communicating at the level of a human toddler, these owners still aren't going about it the right way. I see them giving a lot of prompts and cues and making a lot of assumptions. Again, my experience is with HUMAN language development. That being said...as a crazy cat lady and a big fan of Jackson Galaxy...I didn't really agree with his video about buttons. It seemed like just his opinion and not based on evidence. I'd prefer to see a reaction video from him on someone like Billie the cat, more like how you did this video. He seemed to believe cats can't understand the words "love you" or "mad" but will demonstrate them with body language. When Billie presses "love you" she slow blinks and rubs against her humans. She uses the words and matches them with body language. When she presses "mad" her ears are back, an obvious sign of a cat being unhappy. I have seen the owner, Kendra, make mistakes and jump to conclusions about more abstract things, but not to the level of Bunny and some of these other talking animals. Kendra is a vet, has clicker trained Billie (just as Jackson suggests), and doesn't do editing magic like the others, though there could be lots of stuff she's not showing us (maybe Billie babbles utter nonsense most of the time). She does speed things up when Billie is taking forever, but she's pretty good about letting Billie finish her "thoughts" instead of giving her prompts all the time. She does give prompts sometimes though. Is it perfect? No. Does it prove Billie is actually thinking and meaning these things? No. But it's a lot less fishy than Bunny and does demonstrate a decent level of communication and understanding on Billie's part. I do think Billie is probably more intelligent than the average cat and I wish I could've tried buttons with my former cat who was very social and intelligent. My two current cats are amazing, but don't have much going on upstairs lol. I'd love to see your reaction to Billie, particularly her more abstract "conversations". Those are the ones I'm more curious and cautious about. But mostly she just asks for food, pets, play, and complains about noise or other cats.
@ScarlettTheViewer Місяць тому
This video is far more interesting than your previous ones. The scientifically-backed interpretations and added nuance is so much more effective at explaining what's going on than the performative skepticism. I buy a lot more of what you said here, and it makes intuitive sense with what I've personally seen with dogs and how they communicate. I do wonder if cats are a little better at word-linking, whether we can call it language acquisition or not. Animals are amazing!
@kristengerding7203 Місяць тому
My dog can definitely recognize some words, in the same way that they would recognize a command, like treat, mommy, daddy, and walk. But since dogs never had a reason to copy those words and talk back, they didn't evolve that ability. If dogs had a longer lifespan and more time to learn, and were taught in the proper way, they might be able to develop basic communication, though it is hard to believe that they would be able to form sentences and use world like "why". For example, they might be able to press a button that says "walk". But this is not really speaking the English language, rather just communicating, because don't your dogs scratch the door when they want to be taken out for a walk? My dog does, and he also scratches his food bowl when he wants food. This is because he has been trained to expect food or a walk when he does an action. Pushing a button would just be the action rather than him actually understanding the deeper meaning of the word.
@StatedCasually 3 місяці тому
You think my little Timmy ain't a real boy?! Them's fightin' words! 😂 Thanks for doing these! You did nothing wrong in your first video. It's simply not possible to cover a topic like this without triggering hate. A percentage of the population is deeply in love with woo woo. Add that to the fact that many of us see our pets as children. We dress them in human clothes, give them our last names, and let them eat from our plates. The little brood parasites highjacked our parental instincts!
@tinahansen5887 3 місяці тому
My concern with this specific training which I enjoy working with my Lhasa Apso on with very basic words, is setting the animal up for failure by not understanding what they actually may be trying to convey if they are trying to convey something specific. I find that this could lead to anxiety for the and perhaps, if not properly handled, could then discourage the dog or cats from trying to communicate by more natural means. I would just like to see these animals set up for Success and when there is confusion the animal has opportunities to show what it is trying to say through its more natural and common methods like body language and then have that reinforced. The folks who trained the dogs that I have seen online seem to work very well with them the dogs seem to be very healthy and happy well-adjusted I have no concerns for these animals. I'm talking about for those of us who want to work with something like these buttons with our own animals we need to be sure we are paying attention to our animals and what they are conveying to us through all of their language skills. And provide them positive reinforcement no matter how we 'hear' what they are "saying".
@junkobash2365 3 місяці тому
Those bias are beyond funny… it’s scary. The bunny’s owner simply just twist whatever Bunny presses to make it work for her 😂
@cherylmillard2067 3 місяці тому
I think the owner reacted with more urgency to take the dog outside when she used "potty" so over time the dog equated the quicker response to potty and switched to using that que instead of "outside". It's part of operant conditioning, Michael Ellis calls them operant dogs, a dog that figures out what gets the response it wants then uses it in the future. When I got my dog Mimi, I would make her down while I prepared her food, in a few days I noticed she would down in that spot to que me to feed.
@jimmynumale5560 3 місяці тому
What do you think about the cat Billie Speaks? She seems to take time to consider what button to press before pressing and her body language correlates, like thrashing her tail when she presses the "mad" button
@KPassionate 3 місяці тому
I largely feel the same about Billi. The sentences are always reconstructed by the owner and there is no way to empirically test for an emotional state. I did a video on Billi a few years back but it's not my favorite video and I'm not a feline expert. I strongly recommend Jackson Galaxy's video on cat buttons because I think he more eloquently states the concerns I have with Billi. ukposts.info/have/v-deo/fGlomqyIfIaWzKc.html
@zoeykralovetz1744 Місяць тому
We have the buttons for our dogs and I don't think of it as they can talk to us. It's just each button is associated with a different activity. And them pressing the button is them asking to do that. Kind of like when you put a bell on your door knob for them to ring when they want to go outside. Except instead of a bell its a button. And they know what button gets them whichever reward. The button is in it's spot for them to get their desired outcome. And the word is for us to know what outcome they are probably expecting. Our buttons are all actions (play, walk, scritches, outside (go outside), and toy, which gets them a toy from the basket). Idk if any of this makes sense. But it's like them sitting for a treat but instead they're clicking the button in the middle to get a toy, or the one next to that to get an ear massage. and you teach them the context behind each button. They don't have to be trying to "talk" to you. But if they're pressing the button, chances are they want something. I know that's a crap way of explaining it, my mind goes everywhere but yk. To sum it up I think of it more as performing a trick for a treat than "talking". That's just how I believe dogs interpret the buttons.
@CelseyAnn 2 місяці тому
I'm glad that my algorithm put your channel and this video on my recommendations. I have always felt weird about the animals with buttons to begin with because of the inconsistency and "fast forwarding" most of the videos do. My dog knows basic and important commands but definitely cannot have "humanly coherent" thoughts.
@KPassionate 2 місяці тому
Welcome in!
@pinkysperfectpets2585 3 місяці тому
Thank you for this!! I am currently in school for animal behavior but have been training dogs for 17 years. I also figured it was a Clever Hans type situation but you definitely put the words to why this irked me so!
@KPassionate 3 місяці тому
I originally thought it was a Clever Hans situation as well. I hope you check out part 2 because after a closer look I think many of the videos are staged or outright faked. Good luck in your studies!
@pinkysperfectpets2585 2 місяці тому
@@KPassionate I did and am now sending my clients your videos any time they ask me about these buttons lol
@theriverschool822 Місяць тому
Similar buttons were used in certain service dogs before the tiktok people. They are normally a single button to control a device or one sound. Trying to use one extreme (Bunny) to say dogs can't learn them at all is a little crazy. I'm not a fan of soundboards, but Stella clearly uses it intelligently. If she wanted to dispel dogs could talk, she should argue why Bunny, (with an owner who says she knew nothing about dog language/training before getting the buttons for social media,) was the best example. Why not Stella with an owner with a PHD in speech pathology that created the buttons? Those are also good questions to ask. I bet I could prove humans can't do calculus by choosing who I test.
@KPassionate Місяць тому
@@theriverschool822 every study ever conducted has shown dogs cannot string together words to form sentences. One button for word association of a simple place or item is completely unrelated. As always, links to actual studies are in the description. Enjoy!
@theriverschool822 Місяць тому
@@KPassionate If there is a study that dogs can't string together sentences, you didn't include it. There is, in fact, no one that tests talking dogs (outside of the button study.) So, no testing equals 0 confirmations. There was a school for talking dogs in Germany that existed in Germany (Hundesprechschule Asra) 1930-1945. I would suggest talking dogs have been proven, but you think it was fake. When you train a dog advanced tricks like "pick up the shoe and give it to Alan" and then I introduce a new person Sarah. Do I have to one-by-one teach the dog "pick-up the "sock" and give it to Sarah" and then "pick up the "shoe"... and so forth? Advanced dog training would be impossible if dogs couldn't string together words/sentences. I can tell when I hear you talk, you don't train dogs. I respect your opinion if you don't call it science. That's the only painful part. I agree with you about Bunny, but why use this dog as an example, if the training is so bad. (And I agree the training method is awful.) The video editing is impossible to follow, and body language never matches the buttons. The owner should have a confirmation of translation, or dismiss a bad translation. The owner admits she doesn't know much about dog training. She's doing a social media thing. I think the buttons make language harder, but Stella clearly used them for basic language.
@Sarappreciates 2 місяці тому
My sister got these buttons for me and my pups last year for my Bday, and I've often wondered if Bunny's owner is putting her own objectives, wishful thinking, and interpretations into these "conversations," and thus may be influencing her "findings." From a scientific POV, it's be interesting is we could see another researcher test Bunny's conversation skills. I haven't had time to bring out my buttons for training yet, but I was still curious to see what's said in this video. I still wish my dogs could talk to me.
@nik7183 3 місяці тому
Why wasn't Bunny limping with that big thorn in her paw? I worked with and trained dogs for years, I'm sorry but a thorn that size would make her limp. As for the talking via buttons, I agree with everything you've said. Bunny's owner is picking the words she wants to make something up and I believe straight up lying with editing.
@ComplacentOtter 3 місяці тому
We used to laugh so hard as kids when our dog would react to rhyming words SO DAMN CONSISTENTLY. Our poor dog had to be feeling teased by it though, a failure of kid's logic.
@brendasears9650 2 місяці тому
Hey good for you. I recently watched Bunny for the first time. My reaction was "cute, but gotta be fake' I have trained animals my entire life and know they can accomplish great things within their abilities. Bunny is not an example of human language and you explained this perfectly.
@MomDestr0yer 3 місяці тому
It's disappointing that people got heated over the last video. I really enjoy the Bunny videos, but as cute fluffy dog content and not cutting-edge scientific innovation. Also, personally, I opted for a pets-over-kids lifestyle partially because they're a lot more quiet💀. My Doberman puppy can get mischievous af with just the door bells, so I'm likely better off not knowing most of her thoughts. Plus, if they truly worked I'd probably want an "I'm developing cancer" button for my rats or something.
@KPassionate 3 місяці тому
I am also happily child-free lol. Thanks for watching!
@FromRussiaWithLuv007 3 місяці тому
I think it’s about creating a common pidgin ( a simplified language shared by groups) It’s simplifying humans to think like animals; and getting the two on the same page to facilitate communicate
@KPassionate 3 місяці тому
We're already on the same page. The common language is body language. Study after study has shown that dogs are adept at reading human facial expressions and body language and that they use body language and facial expressions to communicate with us. [1] pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27338818/ [2] www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6116041/
@steggopotamus 3 місяці тому
Watch billy speaks, little to no edits. Just speeding up. She also makes it clear when she's speculating, and that you can't know for sure. Much better example. I genuinely believe that bunny is super confused because of the over the top way the owner tries to train her. But dogs are hypersocial, they're driven to try to communicate with humans. Just because she's bad at it doesn't make it not language, just not particularly practiced/complex language.
@alexisleonard4971 Місяць тому
Throwing this out there....cats dont meow at other cats past being a kitten...its pretty much all body language and other sounds (not specifically meowing). Cats have learned that to meow at their human is a form of communication for wants, needs and demands. The buttons are of little difference than teaching my dog to nose at a hanging bell tied to the door to indicate the need/desire to go "outside". I tought her by hitting the bell, saying "outside " and then going outside. She figured it out fairly quickly that if she noses at the bells, looks at me...she goes outside. Bells, buttons...different ideologies but very similar concepts.
@emmaghows3841 2 місяці тому
Like the commenter in the middle of the video, I also work with students with AAC devices, including those switches featured in the video. I'm fascinated by the person's usage of the phrase "errorless learning protocol," which has a very specific meaning (and yes, PROTOCOL) in ABA. ( I don't know anything about this woman, but if she's the well-known dog mom that's a speech language pathologist, that would make sense that that's how she learned of errorless learning.) If you're teaching kids with errorless learning, the whole point is that the instructor knows the correct result and uses the hierarchy of prompts to have the student reach the correct answer; if the student makes a mistake before the instructor can correct them, the instructor goes, "This is the correct answer, try again. [Repeat question/direction])." Notice how it's NOT student-led, and it's NOT about the adult rationalizing the student's answer.
@KPassionate 2 місяці тому
The dog mom who is a speech language pathologist is a different woman. I believe her dog is named Stella. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
@UKfeath 3 місяці тому
This is very good. You remind me to use my debunking skills on talking animal videos. I can understand the original posters wanting to shorten down their videos, cause who's going to sit through 10-30 minutes of an animal thinking it through. But at the same time, you can't have cuts in the video, or you end up looking like it's fake, as you demonstrate. Thanks for reminding me to use my critical thinking.
@theriverschool822 3 місяці тому
I have my talking dog posted on my channel and included a fluid shot video of me asking different questions for skeptics like you. Editing means I cut out my stupid commentary and dead space to keep the video going faster on the other 2 videos, but still include longer shots. The reality is; I don't make any money from my talking dog and don't plan to, I only record him less than 1% of the time on my phone. I'm teaching him to talk out of my own curiosity and learning experience. My channel isn't even monetized.
@batacumba 3 місяці тому
@@theriverschool822 ok so I watched your video of your dog supposedly talking and what I saw was a dog making random whining sounds so he could get treats and you applying a whole lot of your own interpretations in order to arrive at the conclusion that he was saying names and using words. But when he supposedly repeated the same names several times it sounded different each time. Almost like it’s just a dog making noises because he knows he’ll get a treat for it. You’ve got to be kidding me. 😂 your dog is smart in that he knows if he gives you certain vocalizations his owner is goofy enough to think he’s talking and he’ll get rewarded for it, but that’s all.
@UKfeath 3 місяці тому
@@theriverschool822 I'm not a skeptic :) I'm a beliver. I brought up the editing issue in my post, and totally understand why you need to. (I recently got a set of buttons, because I want see if my kitten can communicate this way.) I also want to try using 'cat language' in my buttons, to see if that works. I do believe but at the same time, I have to be a skeptic enough to know it's true, or I'm being biased.
@theriverschool822 3 місяці тому
@@batacumba He gives me unique information that I don't already know. Like what he did with my wife outside or who's at the door. That's the definition of language. I didn't understand some of my Indian professors dialect in the engineering program, but that doesn't mean they didn't speak English. It just meant I couldn't understand them. I could easily do a test, but you would say it was fake. The only way to know he's talking is the viewer understanding dog body language enough to match the dog's words/understanding. I only expect dog trainers and people in linguistics/anthropology fields to be interested in my videos. Training a disabled persons dog to talk has huge advantages. As primitive as it is, I'm offering my piece of research for free. I'm going to teach my puppy to hunt morel mushrooms in March. That's how he'll make money.
@theriverschool822 3 місяці тому
@@UKfeath That's great. I think the buttons are all about how well the owner trains them. I break tricks into 3 orders, 1.) simple commands 2.) 2-step/complex commands like "pick it up and give it to me." or "go look out the window" 3.) 3rd party command, "pick it up and give it to John." (I trained dogs on that level for 15 years before I realized dogs could learn to talk.) The argument that dogs learn "commands" not words comes from people who don't train 3rd order tricks. If you have 10 objects to pick up and 10 people to give it to. The dogs now knows either 100 commands or 20 words. They have to learn more this way. For sure, the human is the weak link in communication, even with me. He learns to talk faster than I learn to understand him. If I was better at understanding him; he would learn so much faster. Dogs really need their own language within their natural vocal range. I'm convinced A.I. will give us it.
@ryanhunterful Місяць тому
Some valid points in the video. Like cutting the video and expressing emotions. All up for interpretation. I have just bought a set of 4 and I would like to give my dog the choice of a bike ride or frisbee. Are you saying he can’t distinguish between the two?
@KPassionate Місяць тому
I’m saying the buttons will not give him the ability to express the difference. Just show him a frisbee and the bike. Much easier.
@lookingglass9966 3 місяці тому
I've had dogs all my life, now I'm no expert, but 1 thing that I've have learned is most animals feed off your energy. I wouldn't waste my time with buttons with my dog. Her & I communicate just fine without buttons. We communicate verbally or hand signals.
@yippee8570 3 місяці тому
As far as I'm aware, there are research scientists accessing the unedited footage. Alexis says she edits to make it more interesting for viewers. I'm naturally sceptical, but I've seen enough of Bunny's videos to know that *something* is going on. No, she can't 'talk', but yes, I believe she is trying to express herself/communicate, at a very basic level. Plus she seems to enjoy it. Also, parents use this same method with babies and toddlers when they're learning language, so it's not inherently 'wrong'. At the end of the day, it's entertainment. This is UKposts, not New Scientist 🤷Edited to add that I would be intrigued to know how much of what Bunny does is in response to her owner's body language. That's definitely not something that is clear from what I've seen.
@KPassionate 3 місяці тому
The problem with this research is that it is being done by the button company itself. Anyone can register their pets for this study as long as they buy the buttons AND post their success to social media. This is a clear conflict of interest. Making things worse, participants with successful social media posts get paid by the button company. Bunny herself is a spokesperson for the company and most of her videos end with affiliate links to buy the buttons. And because Bunny is a participant in the study, her videos on social media are interpreted as being part of the research, and therefore reliable even though the study has been going on for over 5 years and produced no results that have been published, shared, or peer-reviewed.
@yippee8570 3 місяці тому
@@KPassionate I didn't know that. Yes, that's a clear conflict of interest!
@DaniS398 3 місяці тому
I think dogs understand us, but in very narrow and specific circumstances. I think we've picked up more of their cues and communication quirks than they have ours. But they obviously have some ability to understand us, because that is what we bred them for. I do think Bunny is smart but I think the owner just hit a goldmine with their content and is running with it.
@KPassionate 3 місяці тому
There are some really cool studies that I'll discuss in part 2. Specifically, that dogs can smell human emotions like happiness and fear. It's one way they always seem to know when to comfort us when we're feeling sad or unwell. They also are surprisingly good at reading human facial expressions!
@DaniS398 3 місяці тому
@@KPassionate my older dogs are 13 and 14 and seem much smatter than my 2 year old pup, and I keep telling my hubs, he's still learning. He definitely responds more to hand signals than verbal cues. Like I can tell him sit or lay down but more times than not, if the command doesn't come with a hand signal he just looks at me like a derp. My older 2 are good with either but they've been living with humans for more than a decade lol
@HoneysOcelot 7 днів тому
This is similar to how Penny trained Koko the gorilla. Somewhere there exists a transcript of an AOL interview with Penny and Koko, it reads like a comedy sketch! 🤣
@KPassionate 7 днів тому
Exactly! I did a video on Koko lol and used a text to voice to read that transcript.
@alyssapowell1799 3 місяці тому
If I had these buttons, I'm absolutely sure my puppy could figure out which ones he pushes to get to go outside. Now, getting him to go outside to potty and not play is the bigger issue. But he absolutely has figured out seeming like he needs to pee results in going outside- where he wants to run around and play rather than waste time peeing (which he thinks he can easily just do inside. Ugh). It's absolutely amazing how fast he picks up information, but does he understand vague concepts like what a stranger is? I really doubt that.
@nachoijp 3 місяці тому
I really want to believe that dogs can communicate verbally, sometimes I see the anxiety my pups have when they can't communicate what they want and it makes me really sad. But the truth is that they don't. I trained every command with verbal and gesture cues and the only reliable way for them to obey is with gestures, they even get the confused head tilt when I give them only verbal cues. They don't speak like us, it is a bad thing in some aspects, but we're smart enough to bridge that gap in communication. But imagine if they could actually think like us, imagine a toddler's mind trapped in dog's body, with all the abstract thoughts but without the ability to complete or express them, and imagine existing like that in a human house, it would be the worst torture imaginable!
@MarrisaPlays 3 місяці тому
ive always been leary of these buttons. Yeah i can see a handful working with the pictures on them you train the dog to hit the specific button for potty or food or even follow ques to the human but this full range of buttons is just very questionable.
@edwardschneider6396 3 місяці тому
Dogs and other mammals cannot hold concepts in their brain like us humans. The woman is just reinforcing the cues or words given to bunny the dog. Bunny is relying on perception and limited memorization. As KPassionate pointed out the video is edited.. humans like to insert our own ideas,hopes, and believes into other animals. Called anthropomorphism in psychology. That is why the dogs could not distinguish between the words walk,talk, and chalk. The concepts are different.
@valstarkgraf 3 місяці тому
I wish these buttons would go away. As an AuDHD human, I am very sensitive to the weird wants and whims of NT communication requirements on ND humans, full stop. For CENTURIES, NT humans have linked "intelligence" to "speech" and have tortured (and still torture) ND humans who have autism and other neurodiversities related to being nonverbal. There is still a lot of stigma even now around the idea that "being intelligent" requires speech communication in a way that is recognizable as speech by other humans, and anything else is subject to being classed as disordered and needs to be fixed. This nonsense is a different side of THAT same coin. I have actually worked with and trained a variety of animals. The things about training an animal that ALWAYS needs to be taken into consideration are: 1.) how that animal effectively communicates with members of their own species, and 2.) if that animal has forms of communication it evolved to exclusively communicate with humans. I've worked extensively with guinea pigs, but have also lived and worked with both cats and dogs. All three of those species have very specific forms of auditory communication they ONLY use to communicate with humans (this has been studied and documented). They do it because it works, and because they've learned that we do not have the sensory perception to pick up on subtle clues to convey things in a "normal" way for how they communicate with each other. Guinea pigs have a "WHERE IS MY FAMILY, I AM HERE!" baby call similar to a sea otter meep, and FOR THE EXACT SAME REASON (because they are a prey species not wanting to draw attention to themselves and attract predators) they shut up as they get older. The exception being guinea pigs and sea otters raised in human care. Guinea pigs raised in human care will keep the alarm call to respond to a crinkled plastic bag or the opening of a fridge. Joey seems to have learned to weaponize his meep scream not to alert to his geographic position in the open ocean, but to express some displeasure or desire he wants humans to address. You even illustrate the probable way he learned that in the audio of some of your videos with baby Tazzy where you are talking to her when she squeaks at you. "Humans respond to this noise." Lesson learned. Then consider Quatse, who was mom-trained to shut up by the time she came into human care at almost the age when she would've been on her own. Quatse makes the lower volume otter noises typical of otters, but lost the meep scream long before she came into human care. She was not trained to need it, she was trained away from it by her otter mother (I've seen the same thing in guinea pigs not raised with a lot of human contact as babies). What frustrates me about buttons is, as stated, the fluidity of interpretation based on errorless confirmation bias of the owner. It is actually possible to teach word association learning with buttons or visual words, but that is not what is happening here. If she were interested in actually teaching the words, the correct methodology is to reward for correct, ignore for incorrect...NOT interpret whatever she wants to interpret. But -- hot take -- because dogs are SO visual, she might have better luck actually training bunny to visually recognize words. I don't know if dogs can do this, but they have proven certain birds can. Forcing animals to learn to communicate on human terms in ways humans view as valid language (whether it is or not) instead of taking time to TRULY pay attention to the subtle non-verbal sensory communications that non-human species use with each other and learn from THAT really just smacks of human arrogance.
@John_Weiss 3 місяці тому
I recently learned - to my horror - that the are people who consider _sign language_ to not be a "real language" or even a valid form of communication! And I'm not only hearing, I'm _very_ sound-oriented. And I find that bias towards verbal communication over all others to be utter garbage. Your right, the stigma is real.
@valstarkgraf 3 місяці тому
@@John_Weiss this is exactly that, anthropomorphized.
@orchdork775 3 місяці тому
There's a really interesting video about koko the gorilla and why she couldn't talk, and it goes into exactly what you are talking about regarding the ability to talk being equated with intelligence and worth. For example, when people thought they might get to talk to gorillas, many went out and learned sign language. Apparently, being able to talk to the millions of humans who are deaf wasn't enough of a motivation, but being able to tall to a single gorilla was enough. It goes into the discrimination that people who are unable to talk experience. People act like those who are unable to communicate their feelings and thoughts don't have them. It's a really great video if you haven't seen it already. Just look up "why koko couldn't talk" and it should be the first one.
@KPassionate 3 місяці тому
I actually plan to do an entire video about Koko as well!
@John_Weiss 3 місяці тому
@@orchdork775 The most damning thing from that video is that Koko's handlers didn't listen to the sign-language professionals beyond the equivalent to, "What's the word for __ in __ ?" And worse, Koko's handlers approached sign-language from a perspective that _ignored the fact that sign-language is _*_non-auditory._* For example, if Koko signed something that didn't make sense, her handlers would use _homophones_ to "interpret" it. Forget the interpretation part, let's just focus on the fact that _homophones DON'T EXIST in a non-auditory language! DUH!" And here, I always thought that the people working with Koko were primatologists who'd learned and become fluent in sign-language. But no, they were more like that restaurant owner in the middle of China armed with a Chinese-English dictionary, who goes translating his menu by going word-for-word and just picking the first translation listed for each entry in that dictionary. And we know the disastrously funny results of that! [Anyone for an order of "fvck the vegetables silk"?]
@rnick3665 3 місяці тому
You're the closest thing I can find to a scientific opinion of this on UKposts. Thanks for the insight. Language, at least the way humans use it, is a foreign concept to most animals. Dog brains just aren't wired for speech or learning speech, they're wired for dog communication. People should understand this because we can't communicate with dogs the in their language any better than they can in ours. Side note, 2:07 did you really basically just say I like dogs some of my best friends are dumb. 😂
@KPassionate 3 місяці тому
Hahaha I mean some humans are not very smart. The point was just to show intelligence is not necessarily linked with the ability to use language. The next video comes out Saturday in which I reveal that I found a video that seems to be clearly doctored/faked. And we talk about mirror self recognition! Stay tuned
@Happytravellerkimmy 3 місяці тому
We couldn't even spell out walk for our dog. We had to resort to using words like "mosy" and "saunter", e.g. "let us now commence to promenade". He was too smart.
@MegF142857 3 місяці тому
I'm very skeptical about Bunny & don't buy it. But... I know for a fact my pets communicate with me in many ways.
@KPassionate 3 місяці тому
Oh for sure. Pets are excellent at communication, they just use different tools like body language and eye contact. Dogs are also capable of smelling human emotions! Which is how they always seem to know how we're feeling.
@fakename4683 3 місяці тому
I wonder if the button could work if implemented differently. Dogs use their sense of smell and sight in weird ways. Kinda wonder if the buttons were paired to smells/lights and a sound effect if things would be more cohesive. Kinda feel most of the content creators are just doing it for the click/attention.
@KPassionate 3 місяці тому
It might be slightly more effective. But the fact that they can’t string together words to make sentences still remains
@fakename4683 3 місяці тому
@@KPassionate Thanks for the response. I agree fully. My thoughts were less about that and more about the self reflective nature of dogs. I feel like the (and this is a place from ignorance as is am an operations and research analyst by trade) the videos by these creators undermine the intelligence of dogs. My dog struggles with mirrors but seems to be able to accept it quickly as the mirror has a certain scent and feel on her nose. Those creators, to me, feel like snake oil salesman over blowing claims. But I also feel there is a middle ground when understanding how dogs navigate/understand the world and the scent “logic” they employ. Edit: I guess my main area of confusion is based on the fact that human interaction with all animals is an act of translation. As humans, we understand both verbal/nonverbal communication. Other animals make scent, IR, sound, to understand their world. I tend to think of Thomas Nagel when I see videos surrounding animals.
@hailsagan8886 3 місяці тому
Bunny is super cute,but there is so much confirmation bias on the videos
@NasirLawson-si5pu 2 дні тому
I think dogs can communicate with the buttons, but isn’t thinking in words. It would’ve been thinking in barks. They push the button that’s makes a sound that the human can understand. They can recognize that we know what this means, but in their head it may just be pushing it for our sake not theirs.
@ComplacentOtter 3 місяці тому
Don't take the critics too seriously. A lot of those comments say more about the commenters than even their lack of knowledge on the subject matter.
@hiiambarney4489 Місяць тому
These are funny. That's about it though. As much as I'd love to have an existential talk (or any talk) with an Animal, it's simply not possible.
@meganboyer5782 2 місяці тому
To be fair, my dog has thrown things, but I always interpret that as a "happy accident" which I think is fair given how rarely it happens. I don't really get the obsession with teaching dogs to "talk". I understand it would be big from a scientific perspective, but dogs already communicate plenty. In my experience most owners refuse to pay attention to what their dogs' are already trying to tell them.
@steggopotamus 3 місяці тому
It shouldn't be rocket science. We already know animals can learn nouns and verbs and can respond to them (sit, food etc, some animals have names for each other). We already know animals have body language and communicate with it (tail wags, posturing, where they look etc). We already know all of this so of course animals have language. They just don't have complex language (duh) and it's so interesting to learn where the language differences begin and end.
@KPassionate 3 місяці тому
As I mentioned in the video, understanding words that we hear and the ability to speak are two very different skills that involve separate areas of the brain. And studies have shown that dogs aren't capable of distinguishing similar sounding words.
@muayadk7 3 місяці тому
Thanks for clarity, Did we try this with dolphins in someway? To see if they are capable of using buttons in someway?
@KPassionate 3 місяці тому
Dolphins almost certainly have language. I previously worked at a facility where it was discovered that beluga whales uses something known as a "contact call" that moms use to identify their calves. It's almost like a name. There are current and ongoing attempts to communicate with whales and dolphins, not by teaching them English, but by trying to decipher what their clicks, whistles, and songs mean. I don't know if it will ultimately be successful but it's intriguing for sure.
@jsthecat 2 місяці тому
I love your myth buster on Bunny. I love watching Bunny for entertainment purposes. I don't give much credibility to the buttons. I do feel for Bunny as she is highly anxious dog, she never looks supper happy. Could it be the buttons are stressing her out?
@KPassionate 2 місяці тому
It is possible. The dog is on anti-anxiety meds. It is possible that by trying to make her communicate via buttons they're giving the dog lots of unclear signals about what is expected to receive certain rewards
@jsthecat 2 місяці тому
@@KPassionate yes I think she is on Pozac.
@ruthie8785 3 місяці тому
Oh god I can hear them, THEY’RE COMING
@KPassionate 3 місяці тому
RUN!
@shipwreck5124 2 місяці тому
Interesting that, as a trainer--surely cognizant of operant conditioning--you seem to keep missing an obvious trick here. As you pointed out in the original video in question: teaching a dog a cue/signal for going outside is a real/feasible thing. And, as you've pointed out, dogs likely don't have complex language skills--like the kind necessary to distinguish "going outside to pee" from "going outside to poo" from just "going outside." That the dog is more and more urgently using a particular button for going outside for whatever reason seems perfectly feasible: it's conditioning: dog presses X, you take it outside. So, whether it "needs" or just "really wants," or even just "likes" to go outside is hardly relevant--it presses the button and you respond (hmmm, who's conditioning whom?). Similarly, in the prior video, the "Hungry" button is likely linked with food like Pavlov's bell. It doesn't matter if it's before dinner or after--dogs always wanna eat. And it is perfectly reasonable that the dog really does want some food when it presses that button repeatedly. Sure, it probably doesn't actually understand (let alone "mean") "hungry" per se, but it is perfectly reasonable that it links that particular action--even that particular button--with food. And dogs always wanna eat. All to say, I don't get why you need or attempt to argue/discount these statements with the claim that "any button, we can make that story work for, so that's not anything." Seems a lot easier (let alone more reasonable) to simply point out that while some of these stories (particularly those involving single concrete concept signals) are perfectly acceptable as examples of operant conditioning, they're far from evidence of complex communication... (I could teach a dog to press a specific button to be let outside, and a different button to be given food [and I can certainly see the latter going haywire with the dog pressing the button until it was stuffed!]. Nothing too crazy there--just conditioning.. Not complex communication. Not syntax. But, still, completely reasonably doable.) On another note: I do love how, in your first video, you point out that DOGS ALREADY COMMUNICATE WITH US JUST FINE IF WE'RE JUST WILLING TO PAY ATTENTION!!! Funny that these people think that, in order to have a relationship with their dog, their dog has to learn THEIR LANGUAGE... (Reminds me of of how, when Columbus first found the "New World," he kidnapped 10-20 natives to take back to Europe so they could learn HIS LANGUAGE... ...Rather than him and his crew having to bother to learn theirs...)
@itsnotme07 3 місяці тому
There you go again KP...using logic and knowledge to show your professional opinion. How rude!! LOL All great questions on the videos and without answers....you get to speculate.. Well some of us can.
@marymorgan285 3 місяці тому
Thanks!
@KPassionate 3 місяці тому
Thank you for your support!!
@marymorgan285 3 місяці тому
@@KPassionate you bet!!!
@cibelebarbosa8244 3 місяці тому
Forgive my ignorance... But I think the main question is: does Bunny's owner claim that her own experience is proof of dogs cognitive abilities, or is it just a fun thing she has going with her dog? The former would be frustrating, but the latter is just... a fun story at the end of the day. It's normal for humans to attribute special meanings to whatever means something to each of us. If the lady has faith in her dog, let her. Thanks for making this video!!
@KPassionate 3 місяці тому
I agree, if it was just a fun story then that would be fine. Unfortunately, it is not. I would love to explain in detail but it is a lot... so I highly recommend the article I cited from Neuroscience News as it provides a lot of context, backstory, and criticism that I share. neurosciencenews.com/animal-communication-18280/ One thing the article doesn't mention is that many people are now using these buttons to make medical decisions for their animals. There is a video on UKposts of a person who euthanizes their cat after pressing the buttons "all done" and "goodbye."
@cibelebarbosa8244 3 місяці тому
@@KPassionate Wow, that is actually extremely concerning, and people should be made aware of it. Thank you for shedding a light and bringing SCIENCE into this conversation. Really loved your videos on it, and can't wait for part 2.
@tetsi0815 3 місяці тому
0:30 I don't know if that person thought their comment is a burn, but I'll take educated opinion with ego over uneducated opinions any time. So please keep spreading educated opinion. Thank you. 🙂
@Neocaridina 2 місяці тому
I watch this dog on Insta named Saffie who uses a button that says, "Bitch." There's obvious cuts, but it's hilarious.
@alderoth01 3 місяці тому
Yeah, the changing definitions made me question it. People just want miracles I guess.
@user-ob6hn2ue6o 11 днів тому
I agree with you.
@Stalaxian Місяць тому
What you think about the talking cat Todd?
@takke9830 3 місяці тому
I think the reason that we want this to be true so bad is because we have yet to bridge the gap between humanity and animals in terms of clear communication like we do with our own species wich feels for many like a dream to be able to talk to their pets. I also do think that these pets do have some extent of understanding of what the buttons make the human do and seem to also enjoy playing that game with their human regardless of how they understand it. I do think that they know the buttons make the human react and I guess it wouldn't be far fetched to think of that as some kind of communication especially because the buttons themselves aren't entirely verbal so your point about that also doesn't fully apply here I feel since the dogs still press them. It's still a form of comminication but communication especially across species doesn't start and end with human language.
@KPassionate 3 місяці тому
There are ways to communicate clearly with your pets though! Learning their form of communication is far more effective than trying to force them to adapt to us. I recommend Karen Pryor’s "Don’t Shoot the Dog" as a starting point.
@takke9830 3 місяці тому
@@KPassionate yeah I‘m aware of that I do this with my cats in fact. However, trying to establish clear communication with animals isn‘t inherently bad. Like trying to decode dolphin language via algorythms to communicate back and fourth. There‘s a difference between abuse and ways we try and progress ourselves on this planet further. And in fact I as a disabled person get generally a lot more angry at torture inbred animals made for aesthetics than these button people cause the button crowd isn‘t breeding animals into a torture filled life wich I feel nobody seems to care about let alone try and make that obvious form of animal abuse illegal. Just to be clear also I don‘t disagree with your video. I was just trying to see why ppl react so negatively towards these debunking vids. But in general I just wish that we‘d do more for animals in general that are brutalized as we speak because humanity doesn‘t seem to value animals as more than toys and food sources rn.
@KPassionate 3 місяці тому
@@takke9830 they know the product doesn’t work and are manipulating videos for views and profit. So I would argue it is definitely harmful. More in tomorrow’s video!
@takke9830 3 місяці тому
Sure I'll check it out. deception's not cool ofc.@@KPassionate
@vereddar6420 3 місяці тому
Joe Scott (who has a great science channel) just put out a video in which he also refers to Bunny. He pretty much says what you say about editing and how much the dog does or does not understand what the words they press mean, but he also adds that the owner is part of a research about dogs communicating via buttons financed by the manufacturer of the button boards. How about that! Check it out: ukposts.info/have/v-deo/hnV3d4ONfoGGwJc.html
@RetsamX 3 місяці тому
It's really sad people will go as far as insulting other people just because their opinion is scientifically debunked. People love their animals more than other people and it really shows. Dogs can't talk like that.
@plantlifeforever6994 4 дні тому
Bunny pressing 'potty' when she should press 'outside' only really shows that she's learnt if she presses 'potty' it means she gets to go outside and the owner won't say no. She's manipulating her owner lol and being praised for it as if she understands more than just 'this button gets this result'. Her ability to work that out shows she's a smart dog, but that's all.
@joelpww 3 місяці тому
This dog has also been able to use the other pets names as well as talk about [animal] stranger and [animal] friend and reaction
@KPassionate 3 місяці тому
There is no way to prove Bunny understands the concept of "stranger" when the definition changes from video to video.
@blackmarketbeagle7876 3 місяці тому
I enjoy Pharaby, but for the most part these videos seem extremely sus. “This next part is really amazing!” They’ve already moved on while I’m still waiting for the amazing thing. I’m convinced my Malamute understands most of what I say to him through some combination of verbal and nonverbal cues, and he’s extremely communicative in return. I’m not sure what he could express with buttons that he doesn’t already manage. He came to me as an extremely anxious rescue. I had tried a thundershirt but didn’t really know how to use it,so it was lying off in a corner somewhere, forgotten. One night was really bad and I finally said, kind of frantically, What can I do to help you?! He left the room and walked straight to the shirt. Sometimes he clearly wants *something*, so I’ll make guesses. When I get it right he acts like I got his word in charades. As far as he’s concerned, I’m the one who doesn’t communicate very well.
@KPassionate 3 місяці тому
All of your observations are valid and align with what we know about canine communication. I strongly recommend the studies I cited in the descriptions because they provide hard data and insights into human-dog interactions.
@blackmarketbeagle7876 3 місяці тому
@@KPassionate I was on mobile last night and didn't see the links. I'll definitely look at those and I appreciate you being so thorough. After I said "charades" I realized that really must be what it's like for him, that frustration of having something so clear in your mind and trying to get it across to someone who's groping around to understand. I think dogs are amazing for their dogginess, or perhaps canininity. It's hard not to anthropomorphize, but I really want to understand him for him, and not what I put on him. Although that kind of describes most human relationships anyway, we're always projecting lol. In any case, I'm looking forward to part 2. Thank you so much for doing these videos!
@bills48321 3 місяці тому
"Millie the talking guinea pig shows off her skills", an actual video on UKposts. Would you comment on it?
@KPassionate 3 місяці тому
Oh my gosh no hahaha. I will not. That sounds absurd.
@ChiaraVet 3 місяці тому
You know what I also find infuriating about the people criticizing you? That as you said, their phrases imply they think that if someone can´t communicate via speaking, then they aren´t intelligent. This is ableism, IMHO. What about deaf or mute people, who have to use sign language? According to this people, they aren´t intelligent just because they can´t communicate via "standard" spoken language apparently. I despise this narrow and naive but very discriminatory way of thinking. EDIT: I completely agree with the comment from the person working with AAC devices! I hadn´t yet heard you citing her comment while I was first writing this.
@KPassionate 3 місяці тому
Thanks for this. I agree and also find it very ableist and harmful when they liken dogs to non-verbal and neurodivergent children.
@reidflemingworldstoughestm1394 3 місяці тому
Nothing backs up an argument like "Do you really thing dogs are that stupid" like a comment section full of posts that anthropomorphize pets up one side and down the other.
@theladyisabelle 3 місяці тому
So...the thorn in the dog's foot...i call bs... A stick/thorn that size should have caused a guarded gait...a protected gait because there was pain or irritation.
@BrianaMcClain-vr2sz 2 місяці тому
You did say you were a marine biologist in the 1st video... Those are the 1st thing you said😊
@mojrimibnharb4584 3 місяці тому
I can smell the torches coming...
@KPassionate 3 місяці тому
🔥
@hiih3212 4 дні тому
I would like to see you train a dog with the idea to prove yourself wrong. To get an unbiased opinion on wether it’s true or not.
@KPassionate 4 дні тому
Maybe. But you can also see that many of these videos are faked. As I clearly demonstrate at the 3 minute mark of the below video. ukposts.info/have/v-deo/on-Tl46tn5CmwIU.html
@DaegSteorra513 25 днів тому
While I think animals are incredibly smart they are smart the way they are not the way we are. I have seen buttons used successfully to communicate basic things like wanting a treat or needing to go out but thinking they are going to string words etc like we do is presumptuous. Just because an animal does not communicate to us or have a language does not make them “un-smart.”
@KPassionate 25 днів тому
Exactly!!! Well said.
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