249. Alexis Devine with Sarah Stremming: How a Talking Dog Could Teach You How to Be Human

Town Hall Seattle Arts & Culture Series

Many of us talk to our pets daily, but what would you do if your pet could talk back? What do you think they would say?

When Bunny, a fluffy, black-and-white sheepadoodle, was eight weeks old, her guardian Alexis presented her with an odd gift: a button programmed to say “outside” when pressed. Within a few weeks, Bunny was using it all the time, and Alexis, encouraged by Bunny’s progress, continued to introduce more buttons and more words.

Three years later, Bunny can now communicate using over one hundred buttons, stringing together important, relatable, philosophical phrases such as “Love you Mom,” “Dad went poop,” and “Ugh why?” In I Am Bunny, Alexis chronicles not only how Bunny learned to “talk,” but also the profound impact their journey has had on her life.

Caring for Bunny revealed to Alexis a path to self-acceptance if not complete self-love, and as their relationship developed their ability to communicate deepened. Through charming anecdotes about day-to-day life with Bunny, explorations into prior animal language studies, and plenty of irreverent humor, daring, and heart, Alexis tells the story of how she and Bunny have become so inspiringly close and explores the ancient and unique bond between dog and guardian that so many of us know leads to a deeper, more meaningful life.

Alexis Devine is an artist and entrepreneur hailing from Seattle, Washington. She was a longtime creator of wearable art before her sheepadoodle, Bunny, known as “What About Bunny” on social media, became an internet sensation in the fall of 2020. Bunny is part of an ongoing canine cognition research study at the Comparative Cognition Lab at UCSD. Alexis is a Licensed Family Dog Mediator, Fear Free Certified Professional, and Certified Canine Enrichment Tech­nician. Her goal is to further our understanding of the power of connection and the importance of empathy, meeting her dogs where they are and understanding them on their terms first to facilitate trust and promote an environment that supports them as the incredible creatures they are.

Sarah Stremming (she/her) is a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant with the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants who hosts the popular podcast Cog Dog Radio. She consults on challenging dog behavior cases, lectures other professionals worldwide, and runs a dynamic membership out of her home office in Redmond, Washington. Known for popularizing “decompression walks” she believes what is best for dogs is usually best for their human companions, too. Sarah competes in the dog sports of Agility and Obedience and can often be found deep in the woods beside her Icelandic sheepdog and three border collies.

I Am Bunny The Elliott Bay Book Company