SerpApi.Org
A dog has mastered the art of calling its owner when feeling lonely at home - utilizing 'talking buttons' and Alexa.
Bichon frisé Aly was already able to 'communicate' with owner Shelly Smith, 46, using 80 paw-activated buttons which she taps to indicate she wants to go outside or use the bathroom.
Shelley then programmed one button with the voice command "Alexa, call Mama," which, when activated, dials her cell phone, enabling her to communicate with her pet through the speaker.
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Whenever Aly feels lonely, she can now reach regional manager Shelley - and has even disrupted her during critical business meetings.
Mom-of-one Shelley from Tacoma, Washington State, said, "It took about an hour to teach her. I showed her that pressing the button made my phone ring and we just practised it over and over.
"Now when my phone rings, it literally says Aly is calling.
"She doesn't talk back, obviously, but when she hears my voice, she does these little whimpers.
"Because I have an Echo Show, I can answer on video too.
"I'll tell her, 'lay down. I'll be home soon', and she'll calm down almost straight away."
Shelly had previously owned another bichon frise who utilized talking buttons, so when Aly joined the household as a puppy at just three months old, Shelly began introducing her to recordable buttons gradually.
She said, "We started with a treat button, and she understood it within a day. Then we added a 'go potty' button, and she picked that up really quickly, too."
"I just kept adding words that I use with her every day because they're easy to model."
Shelly explained she developed the Alexa concept after feeling remorseful about leaving Aly home alone during work hours.
She said, "I was sitting on the couch one night thinking about how much I hated leaving her - she gets so upset when I leave, even if somebody else is with her.
"I can already talk to her through my Ring camera, but I wanted her to have a way to reach me whenever she wanted to hear my voice."
Shelly learned that Alexa could initiate phone calls through voice commands and questioned whether Aly might be trained to activate one independently. The duo has been utilizing the setup for slightly over a month, and Shelly reports the calls have evolved into a comforting ritual.
One of Aly's calls even disrupted a crucial meeting with Shelly's supervisor.
"My boss had flown in to go over the properties I manage, and we were talking about financials when my phone rang," she said.
"I looked at him and said, 'Um... my dog's calling me....' he looked completely confused."
"He thought it was the coolest thing - and the trick is surprisingly simple - any dog owner can give it a try.
"It really wasn't difficult to teach her either. Dogs find people's voices comforting, so I think it's a lovely way to reassure them when you're away."
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