While many dogs love children, or are at least comfortably tolerant of them, kids and dogs don’t always do well together. Without proper education and supervision, children (and adults, too) can—in all innocence and with the best of intentions—put a dog in a position where the dog feels like her only recourse is to bite. On a mission to prevent children from experiencing such pain and trauma and to save dogs from being rehomed, surrendered, or euthanized after a bite, the Center for Canine Behavior Studies (CCBS) recently launched an initiative called Be BiteSmart.
Be BiteSmart is a free program dedicated to reducing dog bites by educating children and their caregivers. Using multimedia designed for children, the initiative seeks to help kids as young as 3 years old identify dog body language and respond appropriately to signals given by their canine family members.
“A little over a year ago, I ran across an article with a horrific photo of a 4-year-old child that had been horrifically bitten in the face by the family dog. The child needed plastic and reconstructive surgery, and very likely psychological counseling. The dog was also a victim as it was euthanized,” said CCBS co-founder Chris Janelli. “As the co-founder and chairman of the 501(c)(3) Center for Canine Behavior Studies that for over 12 years has studied the relationship dynamics of the human-canine bond, I asked myself what, if anything, we could do to address this biting issue.”
While looking into pediatric facial dog bites, Janelli found “dozens of peer-reviewed scientific and medical papers specifically addressing this issue” most of which suggested better education for children, parents, and guardians as the best means of prevention. Janelli noted that, according to information gathered by the Center for Canine Behavior Studies, over 31,000 children ages 5 to 9 years go to emergency rooms in the U.S. each year as a result of dog bites, a number that does not include bites sustained by children younger than 5.
“What I learned was so horrific that I decided the Center would try to find a way to prevent this from happening to any child or family dog,” Janelli said. “Thus, the seeds for the CCBS Be BiteSmart initiative were planted.”
Developing Be BiteSmart
Developed by a team of experts in child psychology, child development, education, canine behavior, and children’s multimedia, Be BiteSmart gets its inspiration from successful children’s programing such as “Sesame Street” and “Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood.” The initiative’s animated videos, which feature a boy named Alex and his dog, Charlie, use short songs that incorporate mnemonics to present information in ways young children will be able to understand and retain.
Titled “Paws to Prevent,” the first episode of Be BiteSmart launched April 2024 and is intended to be part of a series for 3- to 5-year-olds. Currently, nine more episodes are planned, each featuring a common bite scenario. From there, the team intends to work on similar programing designed for 5- to 9-year-olds, 10- to 13-year-olds, and teenagers 13 and older. There is also an app in the works that will feature interactive games designed to develop empathy for dogs and increase understanding of dogs, the world they live in, and how to communicate with them.
Be BiteSmart is funded through donations, grants, and sponsorships. According to the team, release dates for future episodes are dependent on funding.
About the Center for Canine Behavior Studies
Co-founded by Janelli and veterinary behaviorist and Tufts University professor emeritus Dr. Nicholas Dodman, CCBS is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that seeks to “reduce the number of dogs surrendered into shelters, or euthanized, due to behavioral issues.” The Center has been conducting and publishing research on canine behavior for 12 years, looking at “the human-canine bond, relationship, interaction, and particularly canine aggression.”
To learn more about Be BiteSmart and the Center for Canine Behavior Studies, visit www.centerforcaninebehaviorstudies.org.
