A speech pathologist in San Diego named Christina Hunger created a soundboard that helps her communicate with her dog. The board is on the floor and it has over 20 "sound buttons" that the dog can step on to let her know what it wants.
The dog tells her when she wants to eat, go outside, take a nap . . . things like that. Christina says the dog knows at least 29 words, and even combines up to five words at a time to make a phrase or sentence.