Christina Hunger

This is a very, very good book. The story of how Christina Hunger used her SLP skills to teach Stella to communicate using an assistive device is charming and inspiring.

It's unfortunate that Hunger never thought to check in with an animal behavior expert, though. In fact, in the last chapter, she seems to go out of her way to poo-poo people with expertise that differs from hers--in the same way that she throws her own colleagues under the bus in the early chapters because they don't use the same techniques she wants to use. Hunger seems surprised that dogs have skills and intelligence similar to a human toddler, but this is something behaviorists, and even lay people who pay a moderate amount of attention, have known for decades. (It's me! I'm lay people!) Congratulations to Hunger for having the idea to incorporate an assistive device into Stella's communication skills. That is a unique perspective that only an SLP would be likely to incorporate. But the idea that Hunger has "discovered" what dogs are capable of is wrong and is probably pretty insulting to people who've spent their entire careers learning about animal behavior.… (más)

This is a good book for someone interested in dogs, language, how language can be taught/learned, and what those things can tell us about both dogs and language. It isn't perfect- I personally found the entire last chapter entirely unnecessary- but it's written in a very accessible way and is very engaging. I found myself flying through this book with ease, something I've found more hit or miss even with books I love. Stella is a fascinating pup and I enjoyed learning more about alternative methods of communication through her experiences. Definitely a book I'd recommend.… (más)

If only dogs could talk! This book, written by a speech pathologist, explains how the author actually teaches her dog Stella to talk using large button devices that she learns to push with her paw. Christina Hunger builds on the concepts about canine intelligence that John Pilley wrote about in "Chaser: Unlocking the genius of the dog who knows a thousand words." The account of this process, from the time she adopts Stella, to the time she writes this book, is an enjoyable, well written and fascinating read.… (más)

Christina Hunger was working as a speech pathologist for young children, in Omaha, Nebraska, when she and her boyfriend, Jake, got an eight-week-old Catahoula/Blue Heeler mix puppy. They named her Stella, and started doing what neither of them had done as adults: potty training, walks, crate training, and of course puppy proofing their home.

But as she got to know her new puppy, she noticed behaviors in Stella and in the language-delayed toddlers she worked with. The children and the puppy showed similar pre-linguistic behaviors, the behaviors language-delayed children show before they begin to use words. Christina started to wonder if Stella, exposed to the same language therapy and same type of communication device, could learn to use words to communicate her needs to Christina and Jake.

The first step was to make a device that Stella could use--one with large buttons she could easily press. Christina's original plan was to teach just a a few words, words Stella would have frequent and obvious use for. For instance, being able to "say" the word "outside" out loud, so that Jake and Christina could hear it from anywhere inside, not just seeing her go to the door when they were in the same room, would reduce the number of indoor potty accidents.

What follows is a fascinating discovery of the intelligence and adaptability of dogs, and the growth of this dog and her owners as a family, as well as Christina Hunger's own growth as a professional. Along the way, Christina and Jake each complete their professional training, and together decide to relocate from Omaha to San Diego. Stella learns the first set of words, and then the next set, learning to press the right buttons--but not just in the ways intended. She learns more words than Christina thought possible at first, and starts using them not just to request a potty break, or a walk, or playtime, but to comment on what's happening. She starts putting two words together--just as young children learn to do.

Stella will never be a college student, but her progress in learning to use her speaking device, make herself understood, and ask questions has been a major step forward in understanding how much dogs are capable of understanding. And Stella is a wonderful dog, with a great human family that's well worth getting to know. Christina Hunger also includes, at the end of every chapter, basic guidelines for applying what she's learned in teaching your dog to "talk" in the same way, if you want to undertake that.

An excellent book. Recommended.

I received this book as a gift from a friend, and am reviewing it voluntarily.… (más)