(BPT) - Imagine a world where your dog could tell you exactly what they want - not through barks, tail wags, or pawing at the door, but by using words. With grant funding from Purina, the University of California San Diego is conducting groundbreaking research to explore whether dogs can use soundboards with buttons that "speak" words to express themselves, revolutionizing how pets and humans communicate.
You may have already come across viral videos of dogs pressing buttons to say words like "play," "outside," or even "I love you." This phenomenon has captured the public's imagination. Now, with a $200,000 grant from Purina, UC San Diego's Comparative Cognition Lab is taking this concept to the next level. The research aims to uncover whether dogs can learn to use these buttons to communicate more complex thoughts, and how far their cognitive abilities can stretch.
"This research partnership is so exciting because it may provide us with a new way to ask questions about pet behavior," said Dr. Annie Valuska, Ph.D., principal scientist on Purina's pet behavior team. "We're hoping to generate some really interesting new insights and ultimately understand our pet dogs even better."
The soundboards used in the study are equipped with buttons programmed with words like "walk," "potty," or "food." As dogs press these buttons in different situations, scientists hope to understand whether they are merely associating the button with a specific action or if they are forming more complex thoughts, like combining words to express needs and desires. Could a dog eventually say something like "outside now" or "more play"? That's what the research aims to find out.
Dr. Federico Rossano, Ph.D., director of UC San Diego's Comparative Cognition Lab, sees even broader potential in the research. "We explore how soundboards may allow pets to communicate about their wants, needs, and the world around them in new and unique ways, and we are interested in learning more about how Augmentative Interspecies Communication (AIC) tools could strengthen the bond between pets and their humans." By exploring these communication pathways, researchers hope to gain a deeper understanding of animal cognition and improve the overall well-being of pets.
Purina's investment in this field isn't new. In 2022, Purina awarded FluentPet, a San Diego-based startup that develops sound-button technology, the grand prize in their Pet Care Innovation Prize competition. FluentPet's work combines cognitive science with practical tools that enable pets and humans to "talk" to each other. This aligns with Purina's larger mission of using science and innovation to improve pet care.
This partnership with the UC San Diego Comparative Cognition Lab could have far-reaching implications. Beyond giving pets a "voice," it could pave the way for more citizen science studies, where pet owners worldwide contribute to data collection by training their dogs to use soundboards at home. The hope is that this research will lead to insights that improve pet care, health, and happiness on a global scale.
For dog lovers, the idea that pets could soon be having conversations with their owners is as thrilling as it is groundbreaking.