California - Copper the red fox Labrador has gone viral on TikTok for her unusual ability to vocalize her thoughts and feelings using a system of electronic buttons.

Copper is owned by Tia Herrell (52) who is a speech pathologist by trade. Their TikTok channel, thechattylab, has accumulated millions of views and 1.1 million followers and counting.

Herrell uses a complex system of word buttons to communicate with her pooch, not unlike the "talk boards" used by humans with language challenges, a la Stephen Hawking.

She actually got the idea for the unique way to chat with Cooper from another speech pathologist who had tried the same thing with her own pet.

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Each individual button in "the chatty lab's" matrix represents a single word or phrase. By pressing a series of buttons, Copper can communicate her thoughts, needs, and feelings. She's gabbed to her family about everything from bathroom breaks to anxiety.

"Copper started with buttons when she was 4 months old and it really helped her with potty training," Herrell told Jam Press. "She took to it very quickly and started using the buttons the first week."

"Since then, Copper has learned to use the buttons to request different toys, inquire where family members are, ask for a treat, tell how she’s feeling, tell someone if she’s worried, ask to go for a ride, ask where her human sister Savannah is and more!"

Herrell said that the buttons help her to see Copper's personality change and evolve as she's gotten older. "When she was younger, she talked about her toys and playing a lot of the time," she said.

"Now she talks way more about her family and how she feels... She’s able to identify her own emotions and sometimes others’ emotions," Herrell added.