Just shy of a year old, Bunny the dog knows much more than the usual “sit” or “paw” commands. This sheepadoodle – a mix between a poodle and an Old English sheepdog – is learning how to talk, and already uses more than 40 words to let herself be heard.
Bunny’s owner, Alexis Devine, is teaching Bunny to speak using alternative communication devices; tools that are usually used to help people with verbal speech deficits communicate. Bunny has learned to use a series of programmed buttons to talk with her family. Each button plays a prerecorded word or phrase once pressed, and Bunny even knows how to press multiple buttons in a row to shape her thoughts.
Since sharing Bunny’s progress she’s become quite the superstar, gaining over 3 million followers on TikTok, 300,000 on Instagram, being featured in People magazine, and more!
Devine has begun working with scientists and experts to start collecting and analyzing data on a larger scale, hoping to identify some patterns and to learn more about Bunny’s comprehension.
“I mean I started it for fun, but now that I’m involved with people who are scientists, that’s what’s really keeping me going,” Devine said. “I’m just sort of thoroughly enjoying the ride regardless of the destination at the moment.”
