The City of Calgary’s Animal Care and Pet Licensing team is hoping a new youth program will press paws on potential pet bites.

The program goal is to reduce animal-related injuries through education using the Scientific Method and interactive and observable technologies as part of the Wise Whiskers program, spearheaded by the Animal Services Centre.

In response to data on reported dog bites from 2020 to 2022, Wise Whiskers hopes to address the lack of knowledge on animal care and interaction by educating children on the behaviour and body language of cats and dogs.

“We are excited to launch the Wise Whiskers program and provide students with valuable knowledge about animal behaviour,” said Amanda Schultz, program coordinator for the City of Calgary, in a news release from last week.

The program is offered to Calgary Grade 5 and 6 students. Interested schools can book the lessons at no charge. Eighteen sessions (of 32 students each) are scheduled for over 400 students at six participating schools.

The program is aimed at these grades because the Scientific Method of their curriculums match with the program’s learning targets, according to the City.

“We wanted our program to be meaningfully linked to the Alberta Program of Studies and support teachers in delivering the curriculum,” read an email response from the City of Calgary.

The workshops will be taught by Schultz as she has worked with animals at shelters, clinics, and the University of Calgary for more than 10 years.

“By educating children at a young age, we hope to instill a culture of responsible pet ownership and reduce the incidence of dog bites in our community,” said Schultz.

The learning objectives for animal communication

During the workshop, students will be given learning targets on the use of technology by scientists to provide evidence that cannot be directly observed with human senses. They will develop the observation skills to understand outcomes in how situations and human behaviours affect the behaviours of dogs and cats.

“It’s not just about facts; it’s about paws-on experience,” stated on the program website.

Students will learn to recognize body language from various breeds and respond appropriately by knowing the difference between appropriate and inappropriate behaviours during animal interactions.

Wise Whiskers uses interactive technologies to give students the tools to decode the complexities of their furry friends. They will discuss technologies that help scientists make observations and measurements such as microscopes, telescopes, and thermometers.  Pictures and videos will be used to practice determining what animals could be communicating.

Students will learn about animal language, improve tech savviness, and gain experiential learning by applying what they learn to real life scenarios where they can decipher animal communication, navigate tricky situations, and provide evidence to support their chosen actions.

The city said their overarching goal is that “students gain the skills needed to safely interact with cats and dogs and reduce the risk of injury.”

Wise Whiskers began its advertising at the Calgary City Teachers’ Convention and the Palliser District Teachers’ Convention last year. They were met with a lot of interest from teachers according to an email response.

The program works as an in-school workshop that can by booked by Calgary teachers at www.calgary.ca/pets/wise-whiskers.  The city hopes that teachers will begin to book for fall sessions as they prepare for the next school year as there are only a few sessions left for the current school year.