It’s an exciting day in the world of animal communication!

LOL, I’m so thrilled to share that Pharaby and I MAY have contributed to a groundbreaking study that just got published in Scientific Reports 🤣🤗. While none of the dogs are named in the paper, we’ve been actively involved in the study since the beginning, so I’m fairly confident that at least some of her data played a part in this amazing research.

The study focuses on how animals use buttons to communicate with humans and dives deep into patterns, usage, and the fascinating ways our furry friends make their thoughts known. It’s incredible to see something we’ve been so passionate about—and have shared so much of on the internet—become part of a larger body of scientific work.

For those who don’t know, AIC involves teaching animals to use programmable buttons with words or phrases to “talk” to their humans.

Pharaby’s button journey has been one of my favorite parts of our life together. Watching her learn to express herself in human words, ask for things, and even share her observations through her buttons is nothing short of magical.

This study is one of the first large-scale analyses of this type of communication. It highlights how dogs, cats, and even some other animals learn and use button-based systems to communicate. The researchers explored:
* The types of words animals use most frequently.
* How animals combine words to form short “sentences” or phrases.
* The impact of environmental factors, training methods, and the number of buttons available.

One takeaway I found especially interesting is how much variation there is between individuals. Just like people, every animal is different in how they approach communication. Pharaby, for example, loves using her buttons to comment on what’s happening around her & to ask questions, she loves to know "why" or to make specific requests—sometimes in a funny way like asking for fridge bone or fridge frisbee 🤣.

Being part of this journey and knowing that our daily interactions might have contributed to such important work is so fulfilling. It’s a reminder that sharing what we do online can ripple out into something much bigger. It’s proof that the little moments we document can lead to major advancements in understanding our relationships with animals.

If you’re as fascinated by animal communication as I am, you’ll definitely want to check out the study. It’s an incredible read, full of insights that will make you appreciate just how much our pets are capable of.