Three Things to Know
Children are particularly vulnerable to dog bites, a risk amplified in countries like Turkey where numerous free-roaming dogs often frequent children’s playgrounds, increasing the likelihood of encounters.
Addressing this, researchers evaluated the effectiveness of a dog bite prevention program for preschoolers that incorporated drama techniques. The study found that children who participated showed significantly improved understanding and application of the “be a tree” emergency posture.
The results also revealed that older preschoolers demonstrated a better grasp of complex topics, such as interpreting dog-human interactions and knowing when it’s appropriate to approach a dog. This suggests age may influence a child’s capacity to absorb nuanced safety information, although all children exhibited some level of improvement on these points following the session.
For Dog Welfare Practitioners
These findings corroborate a UK study where preschoolers demonstrated improvement in reading dog emotions after viewing video clips. This alignment suggests that multiple interactive formats—including drama, videos, and games—can be valuable tools for enhancing children’s understanding of dogs.
Furthermore, the educational program in this study was delivered jointly by a child psychologist and a veterinarian. This highlights potential partnerships between child development specialists and animal welfare professionals in creating effective dog bite prevention initiatives.
The Full Picture
Dog bites are a significant global health concern, including in Turkey, where the risk is heightened due to the continued presence of rabies and large populations of free-ranging dogs. Turkey is uniquely positioned in Europe as the only country still battling dog-mediated urban rabies, with an estimated 8 million free-ranging dogs nationwide and 100,000 in Ankara alone.
Children are more vulnerable to dog bites because they frequently encounter unowned dogs. Dog bites often occur when children approach dogs in parks or encroach on their territory, sometimes triggering group responses from dogs living in social groups. In response, a non-formal, interactive, drama-based program called “Being a Tree” was developed to teach children safe behavior around dogs.
This study, titled “The first assessment of a dog bite prevention program for pre-school children in Turkey”, evaluates preschool children’s understanding of dog behavior and tests the effectiveness of the “Being a Tree” program. It hypothesizes that such safety programs can enhance children’s knowledge and that their impact may vary by age.
Study Methods
Participants
The study involved 117 children aged 3–6 years (average 5.3 years) from three private preschools in Turkey. Children were grouped by age/classroom type:
- Group 1 (Kindergarten): 38 children (72+ months old)
- Group 2 (Pre-K): 42 children (60–71 months)
- Group 3 (Preschool): 37 children (36–59 months)
Program Components
- Interactive Presentation: Delivered by a veterinarian and a child psychologist, the session aimed to build empathy and awareness of dog emotions and body language. It included a guessing game (“Can you read my emotion?”), a PowerPoint with dog emotion images, and discussion of dog-human differences in expressing emotions.
- “Being a Tree” Activity: This safety exercise taught children how to behave calmly if approached by an unfamiliar dog: Stop, avoid eye contact, fold arms, look at feet, and count silently. A drama was performed in class to reinforce this, followed by optional practice in the garden with a calm, leashed dog (if deemed appropriate by staff). Children afraid of dogs could opt out.
Questionnaires
Three questionnaires assessed children’s learning:
- Dog-Human Interaction Questionnaire: 4 true/false items on appropriate interactions. The questionnaire was conducted before the program, immediately after the program, and again, one week after.
- Contexts for Approaching Dogs: Children were shown 4 situations and they identified when it was unsafe to approach a dog (e.g., eating, sleeping). The questionnaire was conducted before the program, immediately after the program, and again, one week after.
- Being a Tree Questionnaire: 5 true/false items assessing understanding of the safety strategy, conducted only after the program and again one week after.
Study Results
The educational program had a positive impact on children’s understanding of dog behavior, as evidenced by improvements in both the Dog-Human Interaction and Context for Approaching Dogs questionnaires. Children performed significantly better on both assessments immediately after the program and one week later. Notably, scores remained stable between the immediate and follow-up assessments, suggesting that the information was retained over time.
| Questionnaire / Age Group | Average Scores Before Program | Average Scores Immediately After Program | Average Scores One Week After Program |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dog-human Interaction | |||
| Group 1 (Kindergarten) | 2.16 | 3.34 | 3.45 |
| Group 2 (Pre-K) | 1.98 | 2.85 | 3.15 |
| Group 3 (Pre-School) | 2.06 | 2.61 | 2.33 |
| Total | 2.06 | 2.94 | 3.02 |
| Contexts for Approaching Dogs | |||
| Group 1 (Kindergarten) | 3.39 | 3.53 | 3.50 |
| Group 2 (Pre-K) | 2.93 | 3.05 | 3.16 |
| Group 3 (Pre-School) | 2.56 | 2.91 | 3.23 |
| Total | 2.96 | 3.17 | 3.30 |
| Being A Tree | |||
| Group 1 (Kindergarten) | 3.86 | 3.85 | |
| Group 2 (Pre-K) | 3.50 | 3.52 | |
| Group 3 (Pre-School) | 3.48 | 3.65 |
Dog-Human Interaction
Age played an important role in the effectiveness of the program. For the Dog-Human Interaction questionnaire, there were no significant differences among the age groups before the educational intervention. However, kindergarteners outperformed both the pre-kindergarten and preschool groups immediately and one week after the program. On the other hand, the youngest group, preschoolers, did not show a statistically significant change in their scores, suggesting that younger children may require different teaching methods or reinforcement strategies to benefit fully from the program.
Context for Approaching Dogs
A similar age-related pattern was observed in the Context for Approaching Dogs questionnaire. Again, the kindergarten group scored significantly higher than the younger groups, and overall, children’s scores increased one week after the session. However, unlike the Dog-Human Interaction questionnaire, the effect of age did not vary significantly over time, indicating that all groups benefited similarly in this area regardless of age.
Being A Tree
Interestingly, all age groups scored well in the “Being a Tree” activity, which teaches children how to respond calmly when encountering an unfamiliar or potentially threatening dog. This may be because the method was presented as an engaging, active game that involved all participants equally — highlighting the potential value of non-formal, play-based learning methods for younger children.
Conclusion
This research provides initial evidence supporting the value of incorporating dog safety education into early childhood curricula, especially in regions where children frequently interact with free-ranging dogs. Implementing such programs could play a significant role in preventing dog bites and reducing the risk of rabies transmission. Future studies should explore whether the increase in knowledge translated into long-term behavioral changes in order to deepen understanding of the program’s impact.
Miscellaneous
Data From Study:
Owned Dogs > Offering Better Care > Youth Education Programs
Year of Publication:
2021
External Link:
Sevim Isparta, Ufuk Kaya, Ozge Sahin, C. Etkin Safak, Ilknur Yardim Ozer, Sarah Heath, Marietta Papadatou-Pastou, Yasemin Salgirli Demirbas, The first assessment of a dog bite prevention program for pre-school children in Turkey, Journal of Veterinary Behavior, Volume 46, 2021, Pages 79-86, ISSN 1558-7878, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jveb.2021.05.008