Jake Pearson  00:00

Are you trying to figure out the secret to happiness? We're here at what makes you happy with Jake Are you trying to figure out the secret to happiness? We're here at What Makes You Happy with Jake Pearson. We want to make that happiness more accessible for you in your life. So stick around as we interview everyday people, inspirational leaders and your favorite celebrities on what makes them happy.

Disclaimer! This podcast discusses mental health. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. If you're struggling with your mental health, please remember it's okay to ask for help and seek the appropriate help through a qualified health care professional. 

Welcome back to the podcast where we ask the question, what makes you happy?

My name is Jake Pearson. And today we have with us a publisher and coach who helps people get their life stories and knowledge out of their heads and into professionally presented easy to read books to grow their brand and business. We have Susan Dean from Mount Masson in Victoria, Australia. Susan, how are you?

Larry Grogan  00:58

I'm doing great, Jack, thank you for having me.

Jake Pearson  01:00

Thank you for coming on to the podcast, and very much looking forward to all things that make you happy. Could you just introduce us to what a pet therapy dog advocate actually is?

Larry Grogan  01:13

Yes, certainly. So let me start with pet therapy first. So pet therapy is the interaction of a person and a dog and that dogs handler. And so when that happens, there are some tremendous medical benefits that occur. And that's where the happiness comes in. And so pet therapy is really the act of relieving someone from mental stress, physical pain, emotional stress, whatever that case might be. As an advocate, I want to try to encourage more people to get involved in pet therapy with their dog, because they happiness attributes with animals is so tremendous. And we're really just beginning to learn many of the scientific details with regards to human and animal bonds. But particularly when it comes to dogs, all you have to say is, dog, and smiles can be put on your face. And so what I'm trying to do is get more people involved in pet therapy, because we have a real need for that in this country, particularly with schoolchildren.

Jake Pearson  02:23

Lovely. And when you said dog, I immediately wanted to glance over to our golden Labrador major over here. Just straight away. I'm like, Ah, I just want to hug him, you know, just makes me feel happy.

Larry Grogan  02:36

That's exactly right.

Jake Pearson  02:38

 So, Larry, what makes you happy then, just off the back of that?

Larry Grogan  02:43

What makes me happy is to see other people happy. I love to see people with their dogs. I love to see them out playing, I love to see that engagement between that person and their animal. To me, that's just a very special bond. It was a very special bond that I had with my dog scrappy. And I just love to see other people have that same experience.

Jake Pearson  03:06

Lovely. You know, it's funny that you say that when I think I see someone with their dog and the dog is just smiling, tongue out, wagging his town [phonetic 03:14] just like that is priceless. It's precious. And it just brings me a lot of joy too and I'm sure it brings everyone who gets to spend that quality time with their dog a lot of joy as well.

Larry Grogan  03:26

I agree. And I think, that's what the human bond is all about is- what life is all about for me and to see other people have that same joy, it's just real pleasure for me.

Jake Pearson  03:37

What would you say to our audience, then, who may be struggling to find happiness in their lives?

Larry Grogan  03:42

What I would do is, I would encourage people to find that animal, find that relationship that is always going to make them happy. You know, the beautiful thing about dogs to me is that dogs don't discriminate. They don't care what you look like, they don't care if you're male or female, their goal is to make you happy. They do that every single day. And so I would encourage people to find that relationship. It doesn't have to be a dog, it could be a cat, it could be anything. I know people that have miniature donkeys. And they love to spend time with their miniature donkeys. But it's just that relationship where there's no judgment. And whether you're having a good day or a bad day, they're always going to make that time with you special, they're always going to make you happy. And I think that's just something unique that only an animal can do for a human

Jake Pearson  04:38

Wonderfully set. And there are so many different kinds of animals that you can create that connection with. So I love that. It doesn't just have to be a dog, but just anything that you find that connection with I know my partner has that connection with horses, you know, so, and whatever works for you, right?

Larry Grogan  04:55

That's exactly right. It's just whatever is gonna get you over that hump. And I think animals just have that in innate ability to make your day that moment that you need to feel happy, to feel good about yourself. They have that innate ability to get you to that point.

Jake Pearson  05:14

Absolutely agree. Larry, it's been an absolute pleasure listening to all things that are your happiness and the beautiful pieces of advice that you've shared. 

Thanks for listening to the podcast. We hope it gives you something to think about on your quest to discover what makes you happy. Make sure to check out whatmakesyouhavethepodcast.com to connect with today's guest and follow us on all our social media platforms. And to stay up to date on what's happening next and what makes you happy. Don't forget to share this episode with a friend and we'll see you next time!