Child safety is a top priority for parents and caregivers worldwide as they strive to protect their children from potential dangers. One concern is the interaction between children and dogs, which can sometimes lead to unfortunate accidents or incidents. However, an exciting solution has emerged in the form of the Toffee Toy, an invention by Nahid Shirzadkhan1. This revolutionary educational toy aims to transform the way child protection is approached when it comes to dogs. By addressing the delicate relationship between children and dogs, Toffee Toy offers a unique and innovative approach to ensuring the safety of children while still allowing them to enjoy the company of their furry friends. With its potential to change the child protection landscape around dogs, the Toffee Toy has garnered much attention and excitement in the parenting and caregiving community.
The Toffee Toy: A Revolutionary Safety Device
Toffee is an innovative and educational system designed to promote safe interactions between children and dogs while fostering curiosity, empathy, and critical thinking. Its unique design, instantly recognizable as a dog, mirrors the size and proportions of popular dog breeds in the U.S., making it an appealing and relatable companion for children. Toffee’s semi-breakable joints realistically mimic a dog’s physical limitations, encouraging children to handle it gently and fostering empathy by discouraging rough play. Through Toffee, children learn to connect with animals, express their emotions appropriately, and understand the responsibility that comes with their actions2.
Toffee is not just a toy—it’s a valuable educational tool designed to teach children that dogs are living beings deserving of respect and care. Its innovative design features a clever juxtaposition of color and material. The contrasting textures and colors help children easily identify appropriate touch zones. The neck and body, covered in soft, fluffy red fabric, capture children’s attention and encourage gentle interaction while enhancing sensory development. In contrast, the rest of Toffee’s body is made from child-safe silicone covered with tiny, soft spikes. While the spikes are gentle due to the inherent softness of silicone, they visually create a tactile boundary that discourages children from touching areas representing a dog’s sensitive spots. This thoughtful design provides a hands-on learning experience that teaches children to respect a dog’s personal space. Unlike other animal plush toys, Toffee’s dense core promotes motor skill development and encourages gentle hugging, reinforcing the importance of respectful and proper behavior around dogs.
Toffee is a unique dog model that transcends the typical analog toy. This high-end, child-friendly companion seamlessly integrates with an Augmented Reality (AR) app, utilizing cutting-edge RFID technology embedded within the toy. Designed by Nahid using the latest advancements in interactive technology, the AR app brings Toffee to life by monitoring and tracking interactions, rewarding positive behaviors with virtual incentives, and fostering a sense of responsibility and commitment. It also provides safety alerts for parents and offers interactive pet care guidance. Beyond just fun, the app delves into dog body language, teaching children to interpret cues and enhancing their communication skills with real dogs. This innovative combination of interactive learning and advanced technology ensures a comprehensive, enjoyable educational experience.
Nahid Shirzadkhan: The Visionary Behind the Toffee Toy
Nahid Shirzadkhan, the creator of the Toffee Toy, brings nearly two decades of study and professional experience to the field of design. Her journey in this realm began at a young age, shaped by her father’s influence as a professional mechanical engineer and industrial designer. From the age of five, Nahid accompanied her father to their family factory, gaining invaluable insights as she observed him design intricate machinery. This early exposure ignited her passion for design and set the course for her future career.
Currently, Nahid serves as a Senior Industrial Designer at TEAMS Design USA Inc., a global strategic design consultancy3. Her role involves creating innovative solutions for both physical and digital worlds, with a focus on sustainable designs that improve lives. Alongside her professional work, Nahid volunteers as a lead Design Expert at the Center for Canine Behavior Studies4, contributing to the Be Bite Smart initiative5.
The Toffee Toy, Global Pioneer in Educating Safe Child-Dog Interactions
Nahid’s passion in design lies in advancing solutions for animal health and welfare, particularly for pets such as cats and dogs6. She is committed to viewing the world from the perspective of non-human creatures and exploring how design can promote equitable moral consideration for all living beings7. Nahid named this toy after her beloved pet, who has been a cherished companion for over a decade. Her inspiration for designing Toffee comes from her belief in design’s crucial role in maintaining cohesion and addressing diverse needs in an increasingly complex world. The immediate goal of this product ecosystem is to facilitate humans’ learning of respectful engagement with dogs. The broader, silent, aim is to challenge and transform the prevailing cultural norm of viewing animals as mere objects or accessories, and to promote a more inclusive and empathetic perspective on interspecies relations. By enhancing understanding and appreciation of a dog’s point of view, this project aligns people with the broader cultural shift in recognizing the inherent value and rights of all living beings, regardless of species.
The design process for the Toffee Toy likely involved a blend of Nahid’s design research expertise with over 100 hours of consultations with leading professionals, including world-renowned veterinary behaviorist Dr. Nicholas Dodman, canine behavior and training specialist Vivian Zottola, and child psychologist W. George Scarlett. This integration of extensive scientific research and expert insight into a tangible design highlights Nahid’s exceptional design skills and her commitment to making a meaningful and positive impact in the world of animals. Her meticulous attention to detail and dedication to her craft enable her to develop designs that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also deliver exceptional user experiences8.
One of Nahid’s key challenges in this project was designing a product that fosters empathy in children towards their furry companions while promoting respectful engagement and preventing any fear of dogs. She recognized that toys are more than mere consumer products for children; they are deeply intertwined with young children’s psyche and serve as objects of subconscious identification. Children’s play is primarily mental, rooted in thoughts and feelings rather than objective reality, allowing them to use toys as tools to transcend reality through imaginative play9. Inspired by Karl Staudinger’s insight from 1922, “Kids take toys incredibly seriously,” Inspired by the quote from Csikszentmihalyi and Rochberg-Halton that “play can be defined as an arrangement in which one can practice behaviour without dreading its consequences,” Nahid understood that designing character dog toys as companions during early developmental stages can encourage curiosity, develop empathy, and foster critical thinking in children in the safe environment10. Her approach ensured that Toffee addresses the needs of both children and animals holistically, promoting positive interactions and a deeper understanding of pets11.
Another key challenge was achieving a successful balance between conventional imagery and reality in the Toffee Toy. Nahid, leveraging her experience in designing interactive learning tools for children, met this challenge by pairing an innovative Augmented Reality app with a child- friendly tactile analog toy through embedded RFID readers. Nahid’s expertise in “inventive thinking,” rather than traditional design methods, played a crucial role in overcoming this challenge12. Toffee combines realistic dog imagery to guide play actions and storyline, while Augmented Reality technology expands the interactive possibilities within the narrative. This ensures the toy remains both familiar and engaging for children, allowing for meaningful interactions and exploration of new play dimensions through Augmented Reality. Nahid’s creative process emphasized emerging solutions rather than predefined problems, resulting in a harmonious blend of traditional and cutting-edge elements.
Through her work on the Toffee Toy, Nahid Shirzadkhan has demonstrated her ability to leverage design for a more inclusive and compassionate world. Her vision of promoting equal moral consideration for all living beings has resulted in an engaging educational system for safe child- dog interactions, addressing a significant need in society13.
Toffee Educational Toy with AR app, featuring parent alerts and interactive pet care guidance
Impact on Child Safety
Each year, hundreds of dogs are separated from their families, returned to shelters, or even euthanized due to dog bites. This serious issue underscores a long-standing need for improved education on dog bite prevention. For over two decades, studies have stressed the importance of preventive measures, advocating for mandatory educational programs for both dog owners and children. These programs should focus on recognizing signs of pet annoyance and promoting safe behavior around dogs. The Toffee Toy emerges as a crucial innovation in an era where child safety remains a pressing concern.
Dog bites represent a significant health concern in the United States, occurring every 75 seconds and ranking second in annual emergency room visits. With an estimated 4.5 million dog bites each year, this alarming statistic highlights the urgent need for increased awareness and education about dog safety. According to the Humane Society, children are especially vulnerable, accounting for 51% of dog bite victims. Children between the ages of 2 and 5 are particularly at risk for facial bites due to their size and proximity to a dog’s mouth. A primary cause of dog bites in young children is their tendency to exhibit behaviors that distress pets. These behaviors include sudden movements, loud noises, and physical actions such as grabbing a dog’s ears or tail. Often, these actions disregard the dog’s signals of discomfort or distress, leaving the animal feeling overwhelmed and resorting to biting as a last-ditch effort to stop the unwelcome behavior14.
Approximately 26% of children bitten by dogs require emergency medical treatment. In 2018, nearly 27,000 individuals underwent reconstructive surgeries due to dog bites, many of whom face significant emotional challenges as they adapt to changes in their appearance. Dr. Elliott Rose, a board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon, notes, “Dog bite injuries and the re- animation of paralyzed facial features attract patients from all over the world,” emphasizing the severity of these injuries and the critical need for immediate medical attention15. Furthermore, 61% of dog bites occur at home or in familiar settings, involving owned pets rather than strays. Most bites happen during everyday interactions with familiar dogs, with 52% involving the family dog. Many incidents result from parents’ unawareness of risks and children’s difficulty in interpreting canine cues, especially during moments of agitation. The COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbated the situation, with an increase in dog bite injuries among children in 2020, likely due to increased time spent at home and reduced social interactions. This highlights the need for targeted education to teach children how to interact with dogs safely and respectfully16.
Toffee, the innovative toy developed by designer Nahid, is a groundbreaking tool in this realm.
Unlike any other toys currently available, Toffee serves as a pioneer educator, teaching children and even adults how to effectively relate to their canine companions so as to prevent dog bites. However, it requires a comprehensive approach that includes improved parental supervision to create a safe environment for both children and pets and one of the key advantages of Toffee is its ability to create this environment. By equipping children with the knowledge and skills necessary to interact with dogs in a safe and responsible manner, Toffee helps prevent accidents and potential harm. It empowers children to understand the boundaries and appropriate behaviors when engaging with their furry friends, fostering a sense of responsibility and empathy towards animals. Toffee not only educates children but also fills a gap in the market by providing adults with valuable insights and guidance on how to better interact with their dogs. With a keen intuition, Nahid designed Toffee to fulfill this educational purpose, recognizing the unmet need for such a product in the market.
