Sit, Stay, Speak...with Buttons! with Leo Trottier | The Long Leash #61

Do dogs have abstract thoughts? What do they dream about? Do they understand us? Do they know each other’s names? We have so many questions!

And lately, it seems, we may be getting answers … from dogs themselves.

Cognitive scientist Leo Trottier is confirming what dog lovers already suspect: our pets have complex inner lives and can directly communicate with humans. He is gathering evidence for his hypothesis using recordable communication buttons.

Leo is the CEO of Clever Path. His company has developed a tool dog parents use to record commands like “outside” or “playtime” into an easy-to-press button. There is no limit to the number of buttons that can be added, nor the “conversations” you can have with your dog.

In this interview, Leo shares the science behind these talking buttons and the psychology of communication. He also shares what he hopes will come next in his research. 

With new technology on the horizon, getting a text message from your dog while at work isn’t so far-fetched.

About Leo Trottier

Leo Trottier is a unique blend of cognitive scientist, software engineer, product designer, and entrepreneur. He is founder and CEO of CleverPet, a startup that uses smart hardware to teach pets automatically through advanced cognitive and behavioral science techniques. Leo is an alumnus of San Diego’s EvoNexus and the Qualcomm Robotics Accelerator (powered by Techstars). He has a degree from the cognitive science and A.I. program at the University of Toronto, and started CleverPet while a PhD candidate at UC San Diego. Before CleverPet, Leo ran Scholarpedia, Wikipedia’s academic equivalent, where he worked with Nobel Laureates to “wikify scholarly canons.”

FluentPet’s website: https://fluent.pet/

The original talking buttons on CleverPet: https://clever.pet/

Question forum for CleverPet buttons: https://how.theycantalk.org/c/home

Episode Links

See the video of the grieving cat here.

FluentPet on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fluentpet/

FluentPet on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/FluentPet

FluentPet on Twitter: https://twitter.com/fluentpet

About Dog Podcast Network (DPN)

DPN is the first of its kind. A podcasting network as devoted to dogs, as they are to us. Our mission is simple: entertain, inspire and inform. We will improve the quality of life for dogs and the people who love them.

Check out Dog Podcast Network for other dog-adjacent shows:

Dog Edition: our flagship show where a global team of dog-obsessed journalists and storytellers feature news, in-depth reporting, analysis, features, and interview segments

Dog Cancer Answers which offers vetted advice from real veterinarians who answer your questions about dog cancer

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