Posted: December 7, 2009, 5 a.m. EST
Any dog owner can attest to the fact that dogs help us in many ways. Whether they’re a comforting presence at a difficult time, assisting individuals as service dogs, or helping save lives, there is a real reason we consider dogs our best friends. In the new book, “Paws & Effect: The Healing Power of Dogs,” author Sharon Sakson delves into this relationship to explore the human-canine bond.
Since her early childhood, Sakson had always felt a special connection to dogs, from the Wire Fox Terrier who helped her through her mother’s untimely death to the champion Whippets she would grow up to breed.
Fascinated by this intimate relationship, she decided to share her own experience and others’. The book combines the true life stories of people who have been deeply touched by their dogs with scientific research tracing our relationship with canines through history.
The stories are powerful. From the Marine whose life was saved by his German Shepherd Dog to the developmentally disabled boy whose Whippet helped him out of his shell to the Xoloitzcuintli who relieves her owner’s physical pain, each dog helps his owner in real, and sometimes unconventional, ways.
Coupled with fascinating research on the history of our symbiotic relationship and a look toward the future, the book illustrates the ongoing and evolving relationships we have with our dogs. Dog lovers of all kinds will enjoy the touching stories and be inspired by our exciting future together.
“Paws & Effect: The Healing Power of Dogs” is on sale now.