Show Details

Biography

Paws & Effect with Sharon Sakson

Sharon Sakson is a journalist and internationally well-known dog show judge. She has worked at ABC News, CBS News, NBC News, Dow Jones Newswires, and television news stations in Baltimore, Chicago, New York and San Francisco. She is breeder of champion Whippets and Brussels Griffons. She is the author of four books about dogs, including Paws & Effect: The Healing Power of Dogs, from Random House. She is a Contributing Editor to the weekly Dog News magazine. Her household includes two horses and ten dogs. She raises dogs and trains dogs for an assistance dog organization.

Archived Shows

• Paws & Effect – The Fascinating Kuvasz and Quirky Ibizan Hound

  This week, we learn about the fascinating Kuvasz from Hungary and the quirky Ibizan Hound from the Spanish island in the Mediterranean, with stories from people who love them. Snoopy Goes Shopping for the vitamin-mineral supplement Pet Tabs. Paws for t...

• Paws & Effect – Canine Reproduction, a Difficult Dog Finds a Trainer, and What To Do with Elk Antlers

  This is a mixed breed show -- an update on the tiny puppy Fig’s fight for survival; a reproduction expert, Dr. Michael Petranto, on common breeding problems; a hard-to-place Pit Bull and Michael Badial, the trainer who saved his life, and Snoopy Goes...

• Paws & Effect – Secrets of Miniature Schnauzers & the Unusual Dog Treat from South America

  There are secrets that only Miniature Schnauzer owners know; hear from the president of the American Miniature Schnauzer Club, John Constantine, about what makes the breed #12 in the AKC’s most popular dogs in the nation and how to adopt one of your ...

• Paws & Effect – New Ideas in Dog Training - It’s Not The Dog, It’s The Relationship

  Two fascinating young trainers who are working at the cutting edge of the canine mind -- Michael Badial and Amy McCaa of Lead the Way. In Paws For The News -- Labs keep football fans safe; Dr. Phil’s rare Korean Jindo; parents of a slain solider adop...

• Paws & Effect – Westminster Dog Show and Understanding Dachshunds

  Westminster Dog Show is a big deal in the lives of dog show exhibitors. We’ll here about what’s coming up from David Frei, Westminster Director of Communications. Then, hear about the differences between three coat types of Dachshunds, from Michael...

• Paws & Effect – Special Dogs in Our Lives and How B.F. Skinner Invented Clicker Training

  This week, two pet owners talk about adopting the special dogs in their lives, and a researcher takes us back to the days when the famous psychologist B.F. Skinner invented positive reinforcement training, and trained a Dalmatian in 20 minutes to prove...

• Paws & Effect – Seizure Alert Dog Helps a Boy with Seizures and the Greatest American Boxer

  How a German Shepherd service dog helps her 12 year old partner, a boy who suffers from seizures. Champion Bang Away of Sirrah Crest, the dog who holds the title of Greatest American Boxer. In Paws for the News, President Obama’s dog trainer dies; Ma...

• Paws & Effect – Training Collars, Therapy Dogs, Potbellied Pigs and Organic Lawn Care

  This week, the art and science some trainers employ in using electronic training collars, how one woman’s small pack of dogs became her therapy dog lifesavers after a debilitating stroke, why some very ill patients smile when they see a potbellied pi...

• Paws & Effect – Inside of a Dog

  Scientist Alexandra Horowitz talks about the research in her book, Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell and Know. It is absolutely fascinating. Should you buy pet insurance? Chris Middleton of Pets Best Insurance answers some of our questions. Snoopy ...

• Paws & Effect – Cairn Terriers, Raw Diets, Stuff for Big Dogs and Art

  This week, find out about one of the most adorable terrier breeds, the Cairn. Learn why Victoria of Victory Dog Food thinks a raw diet is the best one and hear about a special website that’s only for big tall dogs. One of my favorite canine artists, ...

• Paws & Effect – Spotlight on Big Breed Rescue & Charlie the Chihuahua

  This week, interviews about two beautiful big breeds from rescue coordinators, Delaware Valley Doberman Pinscher Assistance and Cane Corso Rescue. The Cane Corso is also known as the Italian Mastiff. The story of Charlie, the jilted Chihuahua. Snoopy G...

• Paws & Effect – How to Rescue a Brussels Griffon & a Trip to a Rare Breeds Dog Show

  This week, you’ll hear the story of Firefly, the Brussels Griffon I rescued from a backyard breeder. And a trip to the North American Kennel Club Dog Show in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. We meet the Karelian Bear Dog and four kinds of Water Dogs, Spanish...

• Paws & Effect – K9 Emergency Medical Technicians to the Rescue!

  This week we talk to Karen Staudt Cartabona about the adorable mutt who guards her famous purebred Russian Wolfhounds. Next, there are Airedales and Golden Retrievers working every day to help the sick and injured as part of Jim and Joy Wheeler's EMT t...

• Paws & Effect – Big Dreams Come True for an Irish Setter -- Clooney Wins Best in Show!

  This is the story of the new kid on the block who nobody thought had a chance at a big win -- yet he came from behind to suddenly triumph over 2,000 dogs at the National Dog Show! Clooney the Irish Setter lets his handler, Peter Kubacz, tell the story ...

• Paws & Effect – Stories of Lost Dogs with Happy Endings & the English Toy King Charles Spaniel

  It’s heartbreaking when dogs go missing. Some are rescued, some are never found, and some are adopted to new homes. Microchips are a big help in reuniting owners and dogs. On this show, you’ll hear stories of dogs lost and found, learn about the En...

• Paws & Effect – Happy, Ecstatic, Jealous, Resentful -- Is Your Dog Emotional Just Like You?

  Scientist and author Dr. Patricia McConnell wrote The Other End of the Leash, a classic book for dog trainers. She talks about the emotional and cognitive abilities of dogs -- do they think and feel just like us? There’s a lesson on How to Pet A Dog....

• Paws & Effect – Jennifer Arnold & Canine Assistants Open New Horizons in Dog Training

  Canine Assistants is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing service dogs for people with disabilities. The founder, Jennifer Arnold, is also dedicated to exploring and expanding the canine mind. She shares her discoveries and techniques in a n...

• Paws & Effect – Meet the Breeds -- Beagles, Foxhounds, Bull Terriers and Entlebucher Mountain Dogs

  If you could design the perfect paradise for a dog lover, it would be AKC's Meet the Breeds. During a day in New York, we hear about the Beagle puppy who was born blind but grew up to live a productive life. We meet Foxhounds, Bull Terriers and Entlebu...

• Paws & Effect – The Wonderful World of Terriers at the Montgomery County Dog Show

  Explore the happy, high energy world of terriers at the Montgomery County Dog Show -- with 3,000 terriers including Westies, Norwich, Skye, Welsh, Jack Russell and Cesky Terriers. And learn how to walk two dogs at the same time with a newly invented pr...

• Paws & Effect – Filling the Holes in Your Dog’s Immune System & Why Pit Bulls Need PinUps

  Are there holes in your dog’s immune system? The show visits the Natural Pet Expo in Philadelphia to learn the healthiest way to care for your dog, about a program for shelter dogs to meet people on the street, and why a gorgeous group of fashion mod...

• Paws & Effect – Rescue and Adoption: Dogs Are Important to the Elderly

  The perfect adoption -- how an elderly man who needed a new friend met a dog who desperately needed a new home. Also, news from Long Island about a rescue operation that saved 115 tiny dogs. And fans of the Norwegian Elkhound talk about their favorite ...

• Paws & Effect – The Cocker Spaniel Who Created a Family from Strangers

  A Cocker Spaniel touched the lives of people in three apartments in New York City and made sure their doors were never closed to each other again -- that’s the story of Katie Up and Down the Hall by Glenn Paskin. Next, Todd Clyde explains the art of ...

• Paws & Effect – Coonhounds are a Uniquely American Breed; & Can Dogs Prevent Avian Flu?

  Most of us know little about coonhounds, but they are one of the few all-American breeds of dog. We get the inside story from a coonhound expert, learn about an environmentally sound way to recycle dog waste, and find out how dogs could help prevent an...

• Paws & Effect – Teach Your Dog to be as Polite As the Dogs Who Lead the Blind

  Dogs who lead the blind are trained to a very high level. Wouldn't you love your dog to obey the way those dogs do? This week, we learn from their trainers how to teach better manners to our own dogs. We also catch up on Pet News, hear another story fr...

• Paws & Effect – For Animal Lovers, It’s All Happening At the Fair

  There are few places more thrilling to an animal lover than a state fair. Meet a young woman winning the Draft Horse Carriage Driving Competition, learn how to judge which cow is best, and find out how passionate young dairy farmers are about the bovin...

• Paws & Effect - Your Dog's Private Fitness Trainer & The 5 Ways Your Pet is Healing to You

  Doing the best for our pets means keeping them healthy -- Canine Fitness Trainer Gail Miller Bisher invented a way for humans and dogs to get healthy together, while at the same time tuning up your dog’s good manners and strengthening the bond betwee...