Tik Tok's MOST DEPRESSED dog is having an existential crisis

[@cluba12]

i read a comment on instagram that said “dogs understand everything they just don’t talk so they don’t have to pay taxes” and that’s so real

[@Starcicle]

i think they can understand what dif words mean after a while like a child learning to understand language to a degree but they cant talk back or understand to the same degree as us but they deffo arnt stupid they no when they shouldnt do somthing and have XD

[@milkz101]

@@Starcicle that's so true, it really matters what words you use, i think many dogs understand "food, play, treats, toy, outside, good boy/girl" basically because that's what they hear and are able to get excited over also just hear it all their life if you talk to them.

[@Rae_Rae_420]

They can DEFINITELY understand some words... This kinda irritated me to watch... Like I can tell aty dog to go, or politely ask her to in a soft tone and without any figher pointing she knows what I'm saying, ive used many of the same words in different tones, they know.... It's not that they "don't understand a word and we sound like sims to them😭🤣💀) just some dogs have a larger vocabulary, and some dog owners don't teach words they jus use tone that why most dogs just respond to tone...

[@caitlinclosz4350]

I love how Angelika seems like she's also having an existential crisis during the video

[@AngelikaOles]

I really am! Me and Bunny are not too different after all

[@marbryant551]

This lady is overly concerned.

[@devkottu822]

FR

[@sindirodriguez1030]

For sure! Lol

[@Spidywomack]

You seem bothered that a dog could be smart and could be intelligent. For so long scientist thought dogs didn't have feelings... now they have proven they have all the same complex emotions we do. We are animals and able to have thought is it really so far fetched to think they could too?? So often we think they cant understand because we want them to understand us instead of us understand them? They absolutely could be wondering why we can talk in their language. Really not far fetched. I try to approach everything in my life is it worth risking me be wrong? Is it worth risking thinking the dog cant possibly be intelligent when it is. Which is worse? All problems should be tackled that way.

[@JewelApril13]

If I remember Bunny is part of a study with like Harvard or Yale. Dogs have the intelligence of a 2-4 year old. If that's the case, she may not be able to pull Bunny out. And her breed of dog (Standard Poodle) are incredibly smart. They're heard dogs, show dogs, service dogs. It is very possible Bunny is truly understanding. You're not giving dogs enough credit.

[@mozzarelladelfirefox]

I agree 100%

[@abbyjohanson7936]

Yes! And her mom is a professor at Vanderbilt.

[@CallMeJellybaby]

is there a paper on this i can read? I'm so intrigued!

[@sixwilldo6865]

They're great work dogs and they need mental as well as physical exertion. We play catch multiple times a day, hide and go seek, she has puzzles toys like 3 tiny squeaky chipmunks in a stuffy tree stump. God help the people who bring a dog home and treat them as furniture. Standards have a way of letting you know.

[@CallMeJellybaby]

@@sixwilldo6865 that is so mind boggling!! I wonder if cats experience similar!

[@shittystorms6863]

Bunny is one of many dogs taking place in a research study. You keep mentioning “bought her too many buttons” but they’re introduced little by little, that’s how she remembers what each button says

[@terretsforever]

Can you cite a source on this?

[@TheImportLounge]

@@terretsforever ya.. by following Bunny the Dog from day one.

[@terretsforever]

@@TheImportLounge that's not really a source

[@josephthio3513]

@@terretsforever "That's not really a source" 🤓. It's literally the only source dumbass.

[@josephthio3513]

@@terretsforever That's literally the only source dumbass

[@leynabennett6530]

but to answer your question… researchers are currently doing more extensive research but from what they’ve found so far certain breeds (including poodles which bunny appears to be at least mixed with) are actually extremely conventionally intelligent and have a really good understanding of human language very similar to children

[@rs-mt6kl]

They don't though. Like they did this with primates, complex language is innately human from everything they've studied so far.

[@bigmayoinyoface666]

@@rs-mt6klbut dogs live with us not chimps

[@LuckyPineapple]

To be fair, Bunny was extremely anxious before she even started the buttons. And her mom is a speech pathologist, so this is her profession. This isn’t just some random lady online with a dog

[@Mel-ff8qk]

Genuine question, what does speech pathology have to do with this dog? It doesn't speak

[@LuckyPineapple]

@@Mel-ff8qkAlternative ways of communication and cognitive behaviors with language are all parts of it

[@-MaryPoppins-]

@@Mel-ff8qkjust because someone cannot verbally communicate, does not mean they cannot communicate 🤡

[@odaijinicharlie]

stop the cover ups, they know whats goin on and bunny got 2 aware then "she had 2" get put on anti depressants which is fucked up !

[@LuckyPineapple]

@@odaijinicharlie she was on anti anxiety meds before the buttons though. She was very skittish around other dogs.

[@CC-CR]

The thought of a dog being on the same anxiety medication I am on is _sending_ me

[@sam-yd6jf]

Same! 😂😂

[@caramelcoconut2524]

Me too I’m dead 💀💀💀

[@HyperactiveSloth79]

The dog was never on those kind of medication. This video is straight up fabricated. Go to the original channel and find out the truth. It's just a bunch of scummy KZbinrs like this one making up fake stories to get views. 1) Bunny got tons of views. 2) Some people posted stuff online that had no basis in reality. 3) Other KZbinrs who wanted ton of views pretend the story is real to get views.

[@1is7ener65]

My father in laws cat is on antidepressants due to litter box issues. It seems to work?! 😂

[@SpaceArrow222]

omg my mom and i take fluoxetine too 💀

[@Bobsbobbob]

Its been proven that dogs can have the intelligence of around a 3 year old child, and can understand around 150 words in any Language they're taught, dogs learning buttons and communicating this way is incredibly interesting, i do think that bunnys owner is interpreting her incorrectly at times though, "when bunny gone" could just mean what do you do when i leave the room etc what this in relation to the mirror might just mean what is a mirror, not her reflection in the mirror etc you have to remember her intelligence is equivalent to a toddler, so use that knowledge to interpret her instead!

[@taylordawn4202]

That's a really good point about her asking what is the mirror itself rather than her own reflection and that's why she says help after. Maybe she's like what is this sorcery that I see myself in?! Such a good thought

[@theboringkaren]

That's how I feel, the owner is applying meaning because we don't really know what the dog is asking or saying. It's assumption.

[@Starcicle]

this! this is how i feel theres also cats with buttons to its all so interesting and so many ways to interpret multiple button presses

[@Bobsbobbob]

@@Starcicle yes I've seen a cat or two aswell, one seems very smart and deliberate with his buttons and will lead the parents to the "problem" they're having, very cute

[@sankara5ever]

To be fair, a 3 year old toddler could point to the mirror and ask who that is, kids that age usually point at themselves and say their names🤷🏽‍♀️

[@FlowerChild65]

I respectfully disagree about this. There is some evidence that suggests dogs understand sound, pitch/intonation, and gestures more than language. But there is also a growing body of evidence that suggests they do have a capacity for language. Also, Bunny is part of one of these long term studies, as I understand it, to determine just that. There are several other dogs I follow that also are using these buttons. I have seen them use them to communicate different needs/wants to their owners, so I don't think it can be easily dismissed as them just doing the behaviour to get attention. Also, I think if it were that, couldn't they just hit random buttons? These utterances are coherent and communicate meaning so I don't think it's as simple as the dog just wanting attention. Also, this sampling is negative like meaning shows what could be negative experiences/feelings for Bunny. I have seen others that are more positive so I don't think we should throw the whole concept away based on some clips.

[@craftingemily]

Very good comment. I have had conversations with bunnies owner because for a while I wanted to train my service dog to use buttons to speak. I decided against it in the end because I still had more SD training to do. Maybe my next service dog I will start them off right away with the buttons. She does use a doorbell button to go outside and one to come back in. As well as the handicap button to open the door.

[@sankara5ever]

Dogs can understand up to hundreds of words I believe? I also think it's so interesting because we don't really know if they understand us. I'm not saying my dog can understand some philosophical debate 😅 but he knows when I'm upset based on my tone *and* the words I'm using, same when I'm happy, scared, etc. He seems to understand me when I just rant to him like sometimes the way he responds has me like 😳 But I know it's probably just in my head but then I'm like...what if 👀👀

[@ariistra195]

There was a study about a monkey who used buttons too. But as soon as the owner left and the monkey was with unknown people, it was unable to communicate, just pressing random buttons

[@garrettbrown775]

It's confirmation bias. We are incredibly good at stringing together these words and creating our own meaning for them. "Why Dog" for example, what is that supposed to mean? Why am I a dog? We had to add in words and context to get that meaning. Dogs are great at nonverbal communication but there is no evidence they can truly understand language to that degree. I'm sure they could be self aware and have complex thoughts but that doesn't mean they can communicate those through language. Edit: Keep in mind as well, these are all edited videos when the owner gets a reaction they like and perceive as intelligent conversation.

[@TonyBro505]

Your not paying close enough attention. It's all there dude. If it wasn't then they wouldn't be doing this right now.

[@5515allie]

Her dog was already on medication for being reactive and anxious and barking before she did the mirror thing. She’s in a real study who watches the video feed and talks to the owner about how to teach bunny and interpret the button pressing. Bunny also has chronic illness and is always going to the vet. She is not depressed

[@nicolevalente3085]

why doesn't she just remove the tiny mirror that is causing the dog such confusion/anxiety?

[@alexshaw8167]

Right???? Seems obvious for that issue

[@PamelaH_HappyVibes]

Exactly! AND, get her a friend to play with. The owner isn’t too bright.

[@taylordawn4202]

​@@PamelaH_HappyVibesshe does have another dog Ollie. He has buttons too but he's more normal with his buttons

[@taymaabuhakmeh3846]

OMG YES PLEASE WTF

[@suffering2697]

The owner said Bunny has been having problem since before the buttons were introduced. the buttons were used to try and help them understand their dog better but it ended up not working like they hoped. The owner said Bunny has confidence issues

[@kattiecantsleep123]

Depending on the dog they can learn English just as much as a baby can. And not just English any other language. A dog that was born deaf was taught sign language and that’s how him and his owner communicate. Dogs can be as smart as a human, same with birds. However I think we should limit how much we teach our dogs. The simpler the mindset the happier they are. Sometimes ignorance is bliss.

[@caro12347]

yell at you dog you love him is an angry way. and tell him he is a pos in an energetic euphoric way. see how much they rlly understand english. give treats pressing depressing sounding buttons and film everytime.

[@kattiecantsleep123]

@@caro12347 obviously they aren’t going to understand because I haven’t bothered to teach them much except lay down, sit, up and wait. If you read my earlier comment I said 'they can learn English' (or any other language). You just gotta keep teaching them. How does anyone learn a new language? It’s all about training and consistency.

[@m_n_m7]

but dogs can't actually learn language, they memorize sounds and gestures. which can seem very similar but is wholly different. language is much more complex than "this word = this thing", there is no way to teach a dog abstract words like "why" for example. it's very similar to the case of koko the gorilla, who, turns out, never learned language. there are some great videos and articles on it, it's fascinating

[@kattiecantsleep123]

@@m_n_m7 as I’ve said it depends on the dog. Some dogs use body language and tone to understand their owners, others can understand sentences (although limited) and distinguish languages. I understand some dogs aren’t built for learning much except commands however some dogs are. It’s scientifically proven. I’m not saying I’m right or you’re wrong I’m just saying it honestly depends on the dog and their training.

[@kattiecantsleep123]

@@oatraa my family cat can say no. She usually does it when we try to kiss or hug her 😅

[@megwd4130]

There was a dog on "how to train your dog" show a few years ago who had issues with looking in the mirror and depressed behaviour. They found that the dog was getting attention from whenever they looked in the mirror because the owners were worried about it. The dog would repeat the behaviour over and over to get more attention. When they stopped giving it attention after looking in the mirror and only attention when doing positive behaviour the dogs temperament changed. It's likely that bunny's owner gives here more attention when she presses more problematic buttons

[@pavlovs-wug]

I'm confident a lot of these dogs do this - they press random buttons and figure out that certain ones get more attention/praise when put in certain combinations. Like any time Bunny uses her own name or a question word she gets positive reinforcement so she keeps doing it! Sometimes they show some discomfort after that interaction, when they start wandering aimlessly and stare at something else, and I wonder if that's because the owner is just staring at them expectantly which can be intimidating and makes them need to disengage. Then go back to the buttons to get the positive reinforcement again...

[@sankara5ever]

Yes that's a good point.

[@CS-zb7hx]

I definitely think dogs can understand more English (or other given household language) more than people give them credit for, esp smarter breeds like poodles. So I don't necessarily think its that wild to imagine the dog understands a couple hundred words, but I'm also not sure I buy that she's asking when she'll die lol

[@robyn_hammerton]

That’s what I think. Most pets have spent their whole lives with humans and listened to them talk be be talked to. So I think they understand allot of what we say

[@annebeach6630]

Dogs have a decent amount of understanding when exposed to it all the time. But dogs kinda don't get language beyond the context of their interpretation of meaning. For example we all know that outside means "the place that isn't inside" and many dogs know outside means they'll be going to the place that is not inside the house. That is normal context and normal understanding. My parents had an aussie shepherd lab mix, named Samantha Carter, we just called her Carter. When the dogs bothered my mom she'd yell to my brother to "call the dogs" and my brother would call them down and let them out. Over time our dogs learned "call the dogs" meant "the place that is not inside". So they understand via context but it's not like they know the meaning of words, but rather the contextual meaning of the word. And I think that is what makes people confused about how dogs aquire language... A lot like kids aquire language... Only dogs cannot develop a deeper understanding beyond context. So when dogs don't use words the way we might use them we feel doubtful of their true understanding. They expect close to perfect understanding of the language rather than specific contextual understanding. My own beautifully stupid dog, rip, would only know it was food time because I'd stand up and say "welp it's five o'clock" before making her dinner and not "dinnertime" to her "welp it's five o'clock" meant the same thing as "dinnertime"

[@Lily-bn4dc]

Bunny and her buttons were cute in the beginning when she had just those few, but then it felt like it turned into family vlogger vibes 😥

[@Tidesofmo]

I agree! I used to enjoy her content until it became more about what Alexis thought Bunny was saying. Like bunny will hit a random mix of buttons and Alexis is like oh my god I can’t believe you just told me where the buried treasure is 😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫

[@meganthedoggirl]

this is quite literally science and dogs evolving before our very eyes. This dog is better treated and understood than any of those children. it's so ridiculous to compare the two

[@sankara5ever]

I mean...no because the dog can't understand and will never understand being on social media and the owner is a speech pathologist I'm p sure. It's literally her job so it makes sense that she'd want to work on this with her dog. It's fascinating and the dog is involved in studies so idk Very different vibes imo 🤷🏽‍♀️

[@RnRnR]

​​@@meganthedoggirlpeople misinterpret animals all the time and hear what they wanna hear, just look at Koko the gorilla. Sure Bunny is smart but she probably doesn't know what most of the words ACTUALLY mean, she's expecting a certain outcome.

[@vlbarbara]

honestly i was skeptical of bunny before and am even more now. i'm sure she's a very smart dog, but i feel like people don't understand how abstract a lot of these concepts are. not to mention how many things come down to interpretation. it reminds me of Koko, a "talking" gorilla, whose story is slowly getting debunked as well. there are also examples of animals reacting to the smallest subconscious cues from their owners and getting to the right answer that way without truly understanding what they are doing i love dogs and i don't doubt their intelligence but i think we need to stop imposing our standarts of intelligence and comprehension onto them, they already can communicate quite effectively

[@Amila-ym7ny]

Completely agree especially with grammar lol i tried learning german and the grammar was so intense and difficult to grasp… imagine being a dog and learning grammar lmao?? Like sure her grammar isnt perfect but come on building a whole sentence “who dog is” is still EXTREME for a dog. Moreover poodles are extremely smart but 🥱 ur telling me all the research on dogs that has existed for like ever never managed to come across this but a tiktoker has??!! Smells fishy

[@dogperson.]

Couldn't agree more!! I wish your comment was pinned. :D

[@PeachysMom]

Yea! A lot of this is operant conditioning, perhaps unintentional but nevertheless conditioning. And the owner infers so much from the dog’s button presses. They play off each other’s cues.

[@Vampress09]

Agreed. I don't think I even WANT dogs to be our level cuz part of their charm is their simplicity.

[@conspicuous1010]

Yes. I took a philosophy of animals course for my bachelor's. All about how humans anthropomorphisize dogs. We interpret wrong sometimes because we are not a dog.

[@heidiquast4667]

You've not been around many dogs? Even the lower end of the intelligence scale do know certain words: walk vs. outside, leash, etc. On the upper end of the intelligence scale, border collies easily learn 200+ words, with the top of their breed nearing 400 words. They can easily learn words and even simple phrases. What blew me away was a dog having existential thought patterns. Not sure about it but sure as hell not ruling it out either.

[@TenshiUsagi_]

Omg i remember this dog! I didnt know bro was struggling 😭😭😭

[@AngelikaOles]

its so sad 😭

[@ogichidaaotchipwe230]

I believe dogs can understand humans and can understand their parents language. This lady has just found a way to show dogs can understand us

[@aylasimon3611]

I think there's a huge difference between exploiting a dog for money and slowly teaching your dog to communicate basically the same way we teach babies to. Eventually were gonna want answers as to how smart these dogs really are, of course I'm not sure how ethical the process is but there has to be a first for every experiment and that just happens to be bunny. Her owners really love her and i think in the long run she's gonna be okay. Something this cool (if its real) deserves to be shared with others.

[@서진우-j4r]

💯💯💯💯

[@sixwilldo6865]

My poodle understands two languages and ASL. She's learned that "oh shit" means "I have dropped food in the kitchen." My puddle is clever but when she gets a thorough groom I still have to spend a day or two pointing out reflections of the two of us. It must be very tempting to show the world Bunny's ability to grasp complex emotions and questions. Something feels suss when the owner repeats the dog's questions.

[@madisonm2167]

I have no idea about the button thing but dogs can and do understand humans words (depending on the language the owner’s speak). The reason why dogs can’t be considered to understand language is because they don’t understand syntax. Words they absolutely do understand though. If you say in the same tone to your dog “no” and “go” if you’re dog is paying attention they can tell what you mean even though the words sound very similar.

[@pavlovs-wug]

They can differentiate stimuli, but that doesn't mean they understand words. You could replace no/go with hand signals or random noises that are similar and they'd learn the association in the same way

[@mxflint1715]

Yeah but that's just how language works. If you teach a child that no means yes and yes means so they're gonna react to that the same way as if you teach a god to sit to the command 'stand'

[@ellenshort7742]

Lol I’m currently in hospital seeing this and I feel this dogs energy on a deep level

[@CaseyAvalon]

Hey get better. Was just in the Emergency Room earlier. ❤

[@ellenshort7742]

@@CaseyAvalon aww thankyou so much! I’m in overnight again but here’s to going home tomorrow 🤞🏼

[@theMoporter]

Fun fact: parrots can recognise each other over facetime and can tell the difference between that and a mirror. Also, they really enjoy it! That doesn't have anything to do with dogs. It's just a nice fact that my researcher flatmate's colleague studies 😅

[@annaseabrook7077]

I think bunny made associations. Just like when you say “sit” “outside” “treats” etc and that’s the buttons. And she’s slowly building words with association. And is now given a way to use the associations she learned but I don’t know anything really

[@pavlovs-wug]

That's exactly it! People jump too quickly to conclusions about how 'intelligent' dogs 'really are' while ignoring the actual intelligence they're showing in making these associations. Like learning that adding 'why' sound at the end gets a positive response, and then looking at the mirror gets the owner to come over and give attention. People have always said cats train us and now dogs are doing it too 😂

[@alteredstate8513]

The dog is sentient now like a person, if it can understand that they exist.

[@TenshiUsagi_]

It’s so crazy that now even dogs are getting exploited online like kids are it’s truly wild…

[@AngelikaOles]

It’s insane 💀😭

[@christianmorales1311]

Y’all do know bunny is part of a study. Angelika has even liked comments stating this

[@microwavedmetal]

Bunny I assume is a very smart breed of dog. Dogs on average have the intellect of a small child. Dogs learn many words during their lives, they just can’t speak because of the structure of their vocal cords. It’s not surprising that they can be trained in this way.

[@Gyouseii]

Like you said, we already have a way to communicate with pets. And it feels really weird to force human communication as a trick on a dog. I generally don't believe she understand complex concepts such as time and death. I think she understand some words (food / walk, the basics) and understands that if she puts the random other words (when / why) in there, she gets more attention or treats. And perhaps certain combos even more. To the which button is what thing; I think it's just memory, which they trained her well in.

[@sshitshow]

I disagree with the time comment. I honestly believe dogs have a better sense of time than humans do. My dogs will for my partner to come home around 3:10 everyday, the both will sit at the door and he’s usually home within five minutes of them waiting. They both do the same for me around 5:15 & greet me at the door when I get home. we feed them at certain points through the day and they’re figured it out so they’ll sook and whine before it’s time to feed them. Animals don’t rely on clocks and phones like we do. They rely on light, other environmental factors & their own circadian rhythm to determine time. Dogs are extremely intelligent animals and we don’t give them enough credit for how adaptable they really are. if given the opportunity (not that I think dogs need to worry about it) & enough research is put towards it, I absolutely do believe dogs and other animals could comprehend death too.

[@donkon1718]

Bunny is quite deliberate in which button she presses and doesnt press. What she walks over and what she decides to use.

[@shimio1780]

It’s sad cause i started following bunny when she started but how’d it get this far

[@b0lno]

Angelika this is probably the only video I’ve entirely disagreed with you on. If bunny has the capability to learn this much then another dog has before. This wouldn’t and shouldn’t actually be considered a new phenomenon. The only reason why this makes you uncomfortable is because you see bunny as just a pet… And being able to communicate better with your dog is always a good thing. Bunny will always be able to express discomfort rather than suffering in silence like some poor pets

[@daisyko.3620]

Dogs do understand some speech, I think studies suggest that a dog can learn around 200 words. I can’t say things like “stick” and “walk” around my dog, and now when I say “W-A-L-K” to my partner he started understanding that as well. If i say stick he immediately goes over to the snack drawer and waits for his dental stick and if I say wee-wees he knows we are just going for a quick pee in the garden and leads me there instead of the gate. When I ask him “where is (husband’s name)” he will lead me to my husband. Edit: regarding the meds, loads of dogs with e.g. depravation syndrome get prescribed different medications from CBD oil to SSRIs. Depravation syndrome is super debilitating and can’t always be fixed by just moving to the country side.

[@AngelikaOles]

Yepp I did say that but they don’t understand English, they remember sounds and associate them with an action which is slightly different to understanding English (grammar, sentences, context etc)

[@daisyko.3620]

@@AngelikaOles Ah I see that now, I think it got a bit lost on me. Either way, I totally agree with the fact that the buttons are getting out of hand and I often don’t think that Bunny’s choices are as conscious as the owner might thinks it…

[@CPlayzCraft]

I love how we are still washing this when it came out 5 months ago

[@christy972]

that poor dog, maybe bunny needs a break ☹️

[@AngelikaOles]

Bunny definitely needs a break!

[@jstarryeyes]

@@AngelikaOlesbut like… imagine the anxiety of taking all of her words away? Idk there’s not a good solution here

[@smo6836]

@@jstarryeyes stopping the videos and talking to her just for other people’s reactions might

[@ridiculousties1]

@@AngelikaOles a break from reality

[@wesleysmith268]

This happens to all mega celebs ,can't handle the pressure of everyday life get into philosophy,start dressing in black and abusing drugs ,this is completely normal for a TikTok star they all question their own existence mayey it's spiritual if you ask me ... Don't introduce doggo to philosophy they kill themselves to heavy little brain to famous

[@kam1umi]

I remember seeing the video of her repeatedly pressing the human button and staring at herself and feeling absolutely terrified. Dogs are intelligent I will give people that but seeing an animal that we dismiss as a pet that’s just a bit smarter then average actually having an existential crisis over if it’s a person deeply disturbed me

[@amikireicraftstore]

I know of service dogs that learn many things, use buttons to ask for help and all that. But I've seen them using 3 buttons at most in order to help their owners or even soothe a child but I would be overwhelmed with all that information, like, come on, poor baby.

[@LizzyGiggles]

To me it seems like she’s just asking how a mirror works, like why is there a dog sometimes when I look here? But then it disappears? Where has it gone? hence they went to look out the window like dude where did that dog go?

[@haleighmelaine]

The dog does know. It’s like a baby learning a language. Like you tell them to go & point they will finally understand your saying go & they go. That’s what my dog does

[@foxbiscuit]

Dogs CAN understand, just like we can eventually learn words in another language. If someone kept pointing at a house and saying, "casa!" I could eventually figure out that casa meant home, even if I knew nothing else in Spanish. They don't, to our knowledge, have the capability to learn LOADS of words like us- but they can learn words. There was a guiness record holding dog who knew over a hundred toys by name- if that dog can understand the word associated with a specific toy on over a hundred unique applications- why can't a dog learn that the sounds that create the word "dad" or their name, or any other concept? They can even learn what time of day someone comes home, they can learn people by name, they can learn what time food comes. I DO think the owner is looking too far into the words the dog is using in this case. I don't think she's having an existential crisis, but I don't doubt that the dog can understand a lot of words or the pictures on the top of each button.

[@M.V.R.S.]

My dog understands high-fives fist bumps hugs and other things sometimes i feel like my dog does understand what im saying

[@kellydesilva6733]

Bunny and buttons is a research study. Not advocating buttons for every dog but as a way of learning about dogs and communication. It is just like any other research on understanding more about the intelligence and learning capabilities of animals. Koko the gorilla was taught sign language to communicate and she proved that communication with animals can give us incredible insight to their inner life

[@Mills115]

When she said dogs already show their emotions I said no because my dog barks at literally everybody doesn’t matter if he doesn’t like you or love you he will bark at you

[@SeizeTheDayWithLucian]

Just came here to say dogs do in fact understand what we're saying lol. I think its been proven dogs understand like 150 +( I believe not sure on exact number) words. I have a service dog (for seizures) and I promise he isn't just reacting to my tone of voice when I tell him to go get help. We dumb dogs down 🤷🏻‍♀ He has also opened two door nobs to go get my parents during a bad seizure. when I was working I lived in a campground and my neighbor called me thinking one of the neighborhood kids had got in my camper cause she heard "momma I love you" my dog was the only one in the camper lol.

[@datalemon]

Yes they do already have ways of communicating with us. But have you not ever been in the situation where you're trying to figure out why your animal is feeling lethargic or seemed sick and you just wanted to know how to communicate better? Okay so a dog is asking some big human brained questions. That's really no reason to be like "well we can already communicate with them so this is dumb" If anything this has provided us with a surprising amount of insight as to the inner machinations of the minds of animals other than ourselves. It's also not surprising that so many years at our side being nourished and babied now they have started developing higher thought and an ability to understand our language and utilize it through buttons. This very much seems like the natural progression of their evolution. They are companions. How effective is a companion that can't talk? This will enable those interested into having deeper bonds with their animals even if they have to suffer through some of the harder questions for a little bit. I truly see nothing wrong with this short of the dogs getting access to advanced tech and trying to take over the world like that rick and morty episode *shrug*

[@svvampthangofficial6680]

I've actually heard(not sure how true) that they might have more basic understanding of language based on experience with owners

[@pups_ie]

KPassionate did an exceptional video on this topic. Bunny only pressed one button and not both. it looks as though they edit most of their videos to make it seem like Bunny said things but she never did!

[@Ottomra]

I don’t really like how much the person reviewing this is being so negative and putting this off when you are not a person trained in this field or a “dog behaviorist” yourself to say why bunny acts this way.. down playing something that is very fascinating like this is like discouraging new knowledge. This is incredibly new and is teaching us a lot about dogs. Dogs are much more intelligent than we know. Like growing humans, if you never teach them anything during their early years they will act less intelligent… most animals aren’t given these tools to grow mentally in this way… be more open minded bc the vibe in this doesn’t feel very open minded…

[@BrianGucci]

thank you!!!

[@g-racer6683]

She’s also been learning these buttons for a very very long time. It’s really interesting how this has come to be and it’s unfortunate that what we’re learning is that maybe learning this much communication is harming the dogs mental health? I like the button things. I think it’s insanely interesting how Bunny was able to come this far.

[@icekraze07]

The dog isn’t learning the language but can definitely learn words. You can see this in your own dog I am sure (words like walk, ride, potty, etc). Think of little kids learning another language. It is teaching another language word by word. The most famous example would be Coco the ape. They taught coco how to communicate through sign language but the idea that Coco learned a human language is a flawed interpretation of what actually happened. Often Coco would spout nonsense through signs. Coco knew certain words triggered certain things to happen or certain reactions (ie. Sign banana and receive a banana) but didn’t know the language. As for the antidepressants… doodles tend to be a bit neurotic and are prone to mental health issues. I’m considering them for my poodle mix because his separation anxiety is extreme (he will bark for hours and refuses to eat or drink anything until I am home). I have legit worried if he will end up having physical health issues because he is so anxious. Before anyone judges me he is very new to the family and is a rescue. He has had a lot of upheaval in his life. We are doing our best to work through it without meds, but if he needs meds then I will give them to him. I don’t think Bunny’s anxiety was caused by the buttons but rather the other things going on in her life. There is another dog in the house now and they have moved. Both of those things can trigger anxiety and depression in dogs. I doubt a vet prescribed anxiety meds because Bunny is “asking” about life and death. They were most likely prescribed for things we don’t see behind the scenes.

[@Tempest_84]

As a Vet Tech and trainer, I think the owner is going too far, and I feel for the pup. Yes, dogs can understand English when trained, but only to an extent, and they understand tone more, in my opinion. That poor dog has anxiety from the owner pushing too many words on her. I'm sure it's confusing, and lord only knows how many videos a day Bunny has to make. Bunny pulls more sheepdog than poodle, too she just keeps her groomed short.

[@FlimsyRock]

I think its human nature to try and personify other living things. It's scary that it could lead to a whole bunch of pets being unnecessarily stressed and medicated because we project human thoughts onto their actions.

[@Astrryxoxo]

I have a question: my grandmas dog (a German shepherd, 8 years old) won’t eat as soon as meal time comes but eats it a few hours later. My grandma DID have a her one of her other dogs die. I’d my grandmas dog okay or not? The German shepherd is still energetic and loves to run and play a lot and she still had another dog fiend (yorki, 4 years old *i think*) I just wanna know because I’ve been worried for my grandmas dog.

[@marianna-sophiabegaysacaid494]

Alexis was part of a study at the beginning of this. I think they local university gave her the buttons and wanted her to see how much she could teach her dog. I’m still not convinced it’s not just training the dog to use the buttons even though the dog can put together words, I really believe that the dog just watches her push the buttons in certain orders, and then repeats it because that’s what a dog does when you’re training it but I don’t know.

[@anitahaviland3036]

With organic brains, with chemicals in them lime people have, they can have imbalances as well as people. Fluoxitine works well in people and it can work very well in dogs! We've seen it work. My dog loves buttins!

[@hollyrichardson144]

You don't need to understand dogs to understand connection. When you build a close connection, both parties grow by building the connection.look at the gorilla Coco. This dog has been given the tools to communicate more deeply; it is seen and heard [although I believe her owner misinterprets a lot of what she says]. Bunny seems to be going through a version of the dark night of the soul and trying to figure out more about life and the soul connection. She will grow through this...she doesn't need medication...that will put her into spiral of emotions and thoughts and make it worse. People need to innerstand the spiritual realm as much as the physical...especially prior to delving into a deep communication with nature and our connection with all.

[@tinaranson6172]

She works with the dogs in play to start. I’d suggest buying her book😃👍

[@sevenirises]

Dogs understand us. Dogs know our thoughts and what we're communicating.

[@justingraves8649]

On behalf of Americans, I apologize.

[@dotcom3015]

In this case, the American is a licensed dog mediator and Angelika is making a mountain of a molehill

[@justingraves8649]

@@dotcom3015 look everybody... I found a toxic patriot defending MERICA.🤣🤣 Chill out, pal. It's not that deep.

[@maleahmounivong3473]

I don’t understand why you’re so mad… as if she knew this was gonna happen. It’s astonishing to watch a dogs intelligence develop in a way that we can understand too. What’s happened has happened and honestly I think she’s probably the best owner to handle her dog having an existential crisis lmao.

[@ericalynn4126]

I believe bunny is actually part of a research study, there have been several dogs doing this on Instagram but it was starting to be more studied by a speech pathologist under the username “hungry for words”. It’s actually kind of interesting! I’ve followed bunny for a long time. I think her mom has always joked about her “thoughts”. I really don’t think she’s exploiting her… I’m a pretty frequent watcher and I’m a little disappointed by the lack of research Into bunny’s story….

[@MisaoMRyuzaki]

Exactly!

[@melodyspalace]

Not Bunny and I being on the same medication.

[@vihtas]

Ngl i feel like i just listened to you say the same thing over and over again for 20 minutes.

[@MG-OG]

Dogs do have a vocabulary of words they understand and what they are associated with. If you keep watching Bunny does actually build sentences on her own to express her thoughts and questions. Dogs have the intelligence of small children, and she asks a lot of the same questions a small child would.

[@eily_b]

I am not a dog person and never had dogs but my relatives had and so I have some experience with them but are not biased. Some dogs are really dumb and some are really bright. My aunts German sheperd did understand a few words, she had the habit of taking her bowl with her after eating and leave it somewhere around the house. If we asked her "where is your bowl?" she went looking for it and brought it back so we could put it back in its place. We are no native English speaker so she did pick up words in another language

[@tf9241]

I’m gonna have to disagree with you on the fact that dogs and animals in general can’t understand such things. my brother and SIL have a cat. Whenever they go out without really letting her know they are going, she spends the rest of the time lying around, constantly checking windows and will sometimes be aggressive when interacted with. She knows they aren’t around and is not sure why. She’s angry she wasn’t told they were going out. Like legitimately if she is given attention by my brother or SIL before they go, she is a lot calmer and tends to be more playful compared to when they just leave without any notice to her. She also gets a bit angry if people forget to give her food. She could see us eating dinner and is like hold on where is mine. Idk that’s just what I have seen. And when I dogsat for a friend, the dog was checking the window for his owner to come back, not realising that I was watching him for the night. Luckily cause he knew me quite well, he was pretty calm but it was again a lot of checking the window, lying around and just unsure of what has happened. And this is with me checking on him, calling his name, going to the room he’s in.

[@pamepgros]

Personification has made us "see" a face on Mars that turned out to just be poor camera quality and mountains in a cluster. The uncanny valley is where it's almost human but not quite. This is just a dog pressings buttons. We, I think the owner and kids on tik tok "feel" like it's expressing a human emotion. It's a dog, not a human baby. And why out of all the languages in the world, only an English speaking dog owner have a dog not only understand human speak, but English. I think just statistically speaking if any animal would talk, it would speak Chinese. A lot of birds actually can mimic human sounds, and speak, but that does not mean it upstands it.

[@c.dm.8115]

I think Bunny is asking when will, she become human. Therein lies the existential crisis.

[@RelaxingUnderYourSkin]

The fact that you have dogs and think they don’t understand us is wild😂… they literally follow multiple commands spoken in the same tone, but won’t understand the same commands in a different language. Ex: A man received a rescue and for weeks thought the dog was deaf because it wouldn’t respond to him… Somehow he figured out the previous owners were Hispanic/Latino so he started speaking to the dog in Spanish and it was perfectly trained.

[@cyoutellme]

Hey Angelika I don’t know about the story you’re talking about in your video but I wanted to share something with you. As I understand some dogs have the ability to learn and remember upwards of 250 words. Not all dogs can do this and not every breed of dog can do this. But yes up to 250 teachable words is possible for super dogs. More commonly 165-200 teachable words can be achieved. Dogs like a human babies can NOT speak but that doesn’t mean they don’t understand things. The interesting thing is that human babies can learn to communicate before they can actually pronounce words. If a baby is shown a way to communicate without having to use words they will. Parents have long been teaching their babies how to communicate using sign language starting as early as 6 months old. It’s long been known that dogs can easily be as smart and aware as a 1.5 year old child and some dogs can be as intelligent as 2-2.5 year old children. There’s some evidence that super dogs have the ability to understand some specific aspects of life even better than a 5 year old. The ability to use some form of communication that we as adults can understand is the key for babies and dogs to share with us what they already understand. Without sign language for babies before they can pronounce words we would never know they already understand and could say so much if only they could speak. The same goes for Dogs. Without the buttons there’s no other way for bunny to communicate such a large vocabulary of understanding. Dogs can’t perform sign language like a child but they can learn to communicate using the buttons the same way a child learns sign language. It’s sound association. Mom says milk, gives milk and in time the baby knows that’s the sound/word for milk. And will for the rest of his or her life. And with sign language we know babies as young as 6 months old have already understood this language /sound association. The vast amount of buttons is key to unlocking that dogs understanding and vocabulary/ her voice…

[@emmi4950]

dogs also really only know words based off sound. basically if we tell my dog “crate” he goes to his crate, but he will also go if we say great, rate, mate, fate, berate, etc. if that makes sense.

[@Miraenda]

Dogs do understand a set number of words and commands. Thinking dogs don’t understand set vocabulary when they do and there are numerous studies on that is indicative of lack of research for making this video. You don’t have to believe this dog understands the buttons to understand and read studies on dogs having vocabulary comprehension. Please at least do some research going forward

[@meganthedoggirl]

yeah, i couldn't even finish this one if you're not working with dogs every day and commit a good deal of time trying to communicate with them you have no idea what you're talking about. Most people who have pet dogs do exactly what you do and treat them as house ornament's that only exist to play fetch and comfort you. They are not that, they are the single species of animal that have created the most involved symbiotic relationship with another species. I've worked professionally with lots of animals and dogs are the single species that actually cares about a completely different species emotional and mental wellbeing. They may not be 'intelligent' in the way monkeys are but, their emotional intelligence is so far advanced it makes sense they may start to turn this inwards and think of themselves as emotional beings. Self-awareness is what Bunny is exhibiting and we are doing dogs a disservice by taking this groundbreaking info and summing it up to the dogs was just trained/conditioned to do this and it has too many buttons.

[@DannyJane.]

You keep saying "Dogs don't understand English" Except they DO! Even dogs that aren't trained in the button system DO understand words that are repeated every day. They know "good dog", they know "out", and much more besides. There are a lot of dogs being trained on this system, and like humans, some are more talkative than others. Bunny is a communicator. I don't know if she's talking about death--or if she's wondering if she may be taken away from her home. Either way, she needs reassurance. How good is it that she can tell her human what is bothering her.

[@Lesleydiane]

I wonder if the dog may of seen something outside first when it asked who this then went to look outside and said help

[@Ohnothetableits]

If they don’t put that stupid phone down and spend quality time of that pup… ong

[@AngelikaOles]

Exactly!!

[@purpleandnsn]

Side note, love the lip combo

[@Erika-vr3ec]

I've followed bunny for awhile and as many people have said, the buttons were introduced to her in small batches. Dog can definitely learn language and i think they deserve a bit more credit than given. That said, i do not like/agree with giving any dog this much intelligence. If these arent staged videos of bunny those are really concerning things for her to be thinking about. Shes probably stressed to the max and she shouldnt have to worry about those things. At this point it also wouldnt be fair to take the buttons away from her because she already understands so much and taking them away isnt going to do anything but leave her with her thoughts with no way to get comfort from her parents when having them. I hope for the best for her and her parents but its just a sad situation for them to be in ☹️

[@Amy_Munro]

Why do you dislike/disagree with dogs being given the tools to communicate? Why, if they are capable and intelligent enough should they be dumbed down because it doesn’t suit someone to actually a good dog owner and respond to their needs or questions? If you’re not 100% invested in your dog, don't own one. It's clear from the amount of dogs that use buttons to communicate that they are sentient beings with lots of question, thoughts, feelings, wishes and wants, and should be treated as such.

[@IvanIsAlive1]

In my opinion, i think the dag actually does understand, considering humans are able to learn new things like languages, theres a possiblity that animals can as well. It makes sense if you think about it.

[@gigglingchicken8444]

I have 2 dogs a german shepherd lab mix and a catahoula. They can understand quite a bit of english. My dogs know probably a couple 100 words and I can most definitely add to that. They know locations, tasks, each individual toy, all people that are pretty close to us, each others names, and some different animal types. For example a duck vs a rabbit. I can say the words they know in any tone and they will first react to the tone but will focus and disregard my tone if its words they know and they can act on them. They know many commands and even will jump in the tub when i say under my breath you need a bath. I have also expressed I should go for a run to my roommate and my shep brought me my running shoes as they associate my shoes on what type of exercise or the liklihood of them even going with me. They even figure out what phrases mean without me really training them if they find consistency in the phrase or words with the actions associated with them. I love to say wait 5 minutes and they will leave me alone and be back in 5 minutes. I dont know if it is a coincidence but they almost always come back at the 5 min mark. They are most likely waiting for my subtle cue of me subconsiously measuring 5 min and realizing i should get up now but they know to wait and they know when to get in my face when I am being lazy after the 5 min is up. What amazes me is putting simple sentences together or them being able to associate feelings with the word. But she is a speech pathologist so there maybe a type of training to get the dog to pick up on it. All I know is that dogs are extremely smart and they work really hard to try to understand and figure out what is being asked from them. To me this could be an amazing breakthough into a dogs mind a capability of understanding or it can be a mix of using most of the words to communicate like walk outside, beach etc and then also being trained to push certain buttons and look at the mirror to make it appear she is thinking of her existence and trting to make sense of it all. I think it is the latter but this experiment needs to be repeated many more times with different researchers and dogs for a more diffinitative answer.

[@angelicaconsunji7227]

Okokok I know this is irrelevant to the actual topic of your video... but GIRL what are you wearing on your lips?? They look so good

[@danacrow-qt5dz]

The owner has been working with Bunny for years. None of this happened quickly. Bunny is extremely smart and she and her mom are part of a study being done at a university. I think it is very positive.

[@Toha-l2f]

If you did your research the owner works with a sciencetific study and is observed and supervised!! Go back and do your research there are others involved in that study🤯 your just passing an uninformed opinio

[@ScrimmyScrimmy]

Oh i forgot you had a phd in animal behavior! Thanks for your input! You're truly a genius! 🙄

[@marilynsanchez1048]

Dogs are smarter than humans give them credit for. I know dogs do have human emotion and understanding. My dogs understand most things I say bc I talk alot and repeat with certain things so they do understand. And there us a reason they call call it dog years for every day is a week to them bc they do not understand the concept of time. But they do understand human emotion and are highly intuitive. I don't believe meds should be given to a dog over it asking questions. The dog has looked in the mirror and wondered who it was. Believe what u want but I know certain dogs make better friends then humans and are much more intelligent the more u pay attention and teach ur dog. It's about repetition and they learn by patterns

[@mrachel5124]

We used to believe dogs can’t even feel pain… humans always put themselves above other life forms we have to acknowledge they have a completely different style of communication and language then we do and we do not take the time to teach them our alphabets or enunciations we just yell words and associate it with actions through rewards hoping they get it. In my head It only makes sense that with proper education the dog has some understanding of how to structure a sentence especially since we have studies going over how dogs can both feel emotional and physical pain and recognized other animal emotions as well as humans and they do feel empathy and recognize family ties. Not to mention I think it’s unfair to act like dogs don’t have deeper thoughts just because we can’t understand them lol ☠️ if we have ways to help them communicate better with us I think it’s unfair to act like it’s an issue

[@charliecaptainhowdy9350]

My sweet puppy baby Max (rest in peace my angel) grieved my dad’s passing so severely that he couldn’t sleep and would cry and roam around all night for weeks. It was unbearable watching him suffer. The vet put him on the same medication as Bunny. However I didn’t do that to him,but what happened to Bunny was her owner’s fault. I agree with you that she shouldn’t have been pushed to be on medication, it shouldn’t have gotten this far. However now that I’m thinking about it would it make her more depressed to take the buttons away? I am extremely concerned for her and her health. This whole situation is extremely hard to understand honestly.

[@leynabennett6530]

wow what a time to be alive 💀💀i kinda love this

[@YochevedDesigns]

The average dog in the "working group" have the intelligence of a 3 year old child, and some breeds like Border Collies and Standard Poodles can have the IQ of a 4 to 5 year old. Dogs also have understanding of object permanence. This button makes this sound, and this sound means this concept. It's not grammar as we know it, but it IS language. Now, if you were to scramble all of the buttons, the poor dog would be lost, because of course it can't read! What is really stunning, is that no one expected dogs to construct sentences out of these buttons. That wasn't even in the original thesis. Sure, the grammar can be scrambled at times, but it's not random once you get the idea. "Happy water night all done" really confused Alexis, because it was beautiful and sunny outside. Then later on as she was thinking about it she remembered that it rained last night. Bunny does not like rain.

[@breezyncj]

WOW I last saw Bunny 3 years ago and she has so many more buttons now. That is amazing and super cool that this woman has basically started a very interesting research study. *In my opinion I don't think you're giving the dog or her owner enough credit! Dogs are crazy smart. I'm not sure if you've ever had a dog for over a decade, but they definitely know what you're saying. They can learn their names, the names of different toys, and other simple words such as "food," "water," "walk," and so much more. It's not *solely* tone of voice. Their intelligence is already known to be about that of a toddler or preschooler. And children of that age can definitely put sentences together and understand simple concepts.

[@CreativeC13]

She's a part of a study

[@alishaperry6521]

My dog Andi knew all her toys by name and would pick the right one. I agree with you i think this is really cool

[@BIGPingus]

Feedback from a new viewer- I am only 3 minutes into the video. I clicked on it because the title implied it would be more of a documentary/summary of what Bunny is going through. And now, a few minutes in, I already have this impression that you do not know who Bunny is, you haven't done any research into how Bunny's parents have decided to teach them, etc. You seem more lost than I do. If you want to make more popular videos like this, you should know your subject, lead in with some history/context (and possibly explain what questions you intend to answer), and then begin filling gaps that people may have in information in more detail. Clearly you already have a good following, I'm just throwing in my 2 cents as someone new to your content. If it was enough to make me look for another video, it's enough for others.

[@parryan1800]

My dog knew 200 words [probably more, I didn’t catch on to him until it was pointed out to me by people who watched our interactions] before he died. Then I started a list of words. The kicker was every time we went somewhere, I was never spoken to, it was all oh look Otters here. It was like I was the chauffeur for the movie star. There was a professor in Britain, whose dog was was actually the smartest dog in the world; he knew hundreds of spoken words, it’s late at night, so I can’t think of his name, or I would send it to you. There was an article done by the social media and by news media’s all about his dog. In fact, I think he popped up in KZbin once in my recommended, so I watched the story again. I always felt guilty having this dog because he would’ve been a wonderful service dog for somebody, but I loved him too much and was selfish. I just looked it up on KZbin, under smartest dog in the world. It’s the dog in the old man in the car.

[@gypsella]

I am currently in college for a bachelor degree in animal behavior and health. And what I’ve learned is that animals are capable of complex thoughts and emotions, and that it is very likely that she does understand the buttons. The full extent of what they understand is still debated but they are far more intelligent than I think most people give them credit for.

[@getwellsoonboo]

I mean i feel like people think that dogs are dumb and I don’t actually feel like they’re dumb. We’ve all evolved from the same beginning so in a way we all have the same senses and maybe these buttons are awaking human like traits that dogs probably use have but we’re oppressed when we domesticated them over time.

[@swaddups]

I'm waiting for this to become full meta and get a leaked video of Bunny pushing the n word button, shortly followed my a classic KZbin apology with some clever button presses

[@joslyndove]

it’s scary and sad….but like should we silence them by way of not providing the buttons? or should we do more research into what these animals know and how they communicate….. god this is terrifying what is even happening

[@stephaniejean83]

I do believe dogs understand words. Otherwise, how would they understand commands while being trained??

[@saraphinakellar7009]

You obviously do not understand how intelligent our fellow creatures are on this planet.Be it a dog or horses etc. They only show how smart they are if humans allow. The dog you are speaking of is actually part of a large study at a university. Which you failed to mentioned

[@7548sky]

Intelligence is a characteristic of life

[@problematicprincess6270]

I don't understand what your not grasping about bunny and her talking. The average dog has the understanding of a 3 to 5 year old. A human 3 year old can talk, ask, and answer questions. If a dog can listen and understand you. Why are you surprised she can talk ?