The Reuters caption:
Sakura, a Welsh Corgi, demonstrates the "Bowlingual," Japanese toymaker Takara's new gadget to translate emotions of dogs, at Tokyo Toy Show May 9, 2002. The gadget analyzes a dog's voice with a wireless microphone attached to a collar, interpreting and displaying patterns of expressions such as happiness and sadness. Bowlingual goes on sale in Japan in August for 148,000 yen ($115.00)
Takara claims the device can let your dog talk, giving him or her a vocabulary of about 200 words. However, I don't need this device. I can tell you exactly what it would say if it was attached to my dog:
"Let's play ball. Is it time to play ball? Did you just look at the door where my ball is kept? Let's play ball! Did you just say the word ball? Or a word that sounds like ball? If I stand in front of the door where my ball is kept, will you remember it and get it for me? It's right in there. It used to be over there, now it's in there. It's been a long time since we played ball. Let's play ball. Oh we're going to play ball! Oboy! Oboyoboyoboyoboy! Run run run run run run run run run thank you! I'm tired, I'm going to nap now so I can dream about playing ball and wake up soon so that we can play ball again."