On extreme occasions like rescues, fires, and searching for people, it would be very helpful if dogs could communicate in a more concise way with humans. Specifically, if they were talking dogs. Therefore, in Georgia, Jackson, an adjunct professor at the Institute of Technology has created this invention.
What does it consist of? These are vests worn by dogs and that can transmit audible sounds that are derived to a smartphone thanks to installed sensors.
This invention is part of the FIDO program ((Facilitating the Interaction of Dogs with Occupations). Also, it’s sponsored by DARPA, of the United States, as well as by the National Science Foundation.
Sky is Professor Jackson’s dog. He played a crucial role in the smooth running of this invention. He had the ability to “tell” what was wrong and what worked perfectly.
How this invention works that will make your dog talk
As we have said before, the vest has sensors that the dog will activate with a bite, with a lick or with its nose. These could make your dog talk and can answer questions. Jackson’s goal is to use them on bomb-sniffing police dogs. So that, through the sensors, they can transmit to their master. Whether or not it is an explosive and what type of explosive it is.
According to Jackson, “bomb detection dogs have the ability, since they are prepared for it, to find bombs and explosives, and also, they know what type of explosive they find. The problem is that they have no way of explaining it to their owner ”. For this reason, Jackson is totally convinced that his invention could save many lives and make the work of those who risk their skin every day to save others easier.
So at the moment this invention is for commercial purposes for professional use.
How to teach your dog to talk at home
As this invention may take several years to reach our lives, it is likely that now you have the bug of wanting your dog to talk. Well, you can do it at home in a simple way. Of course, you should not expect to see your talking dog reading a book while reciting poetry or singing for Ariana Grande.
What you can get is that your dog barks when you want and even answers your questions with barking.
Bark at your command
The challenge will be to get the dog to bark when you want and to be quiet when you order it. To achieve the former there are several things you can do:
- Choose your prize. Positive reinforcement is the best way to teach them. Use awards to reward their achievements.
- Use a clicker. This teaches talking dogs when they’ve done something right.
- Use a name for the order. This should be short and have the vowel “a”, as it is easier for them to learn this way. So use speak or speak for when you want it to bark.
- Remove the bounty. Little by little you should stop giving prizes because you will have already achieved what you wanted. The awards were only a means to achieve our goal.
By Yuri Kravchenko
Shut up talking dogs at your command
Once your dog can speak, now you must teach them to be quiet:
- Make your talking dog bark and then tell them to shut up.
- Put a short name for the command, this could be silence or quiet in English.
- Once you’ve done it at home, practice with them in a park where there are more distractions. Don’t forget their prizes.
