How Dogs Changed my Life (with The Dogist)
Life sometimes throws curveballs— heartbreaks, job losses, illnesses… global pandemics. When times get hard, we all look for ways to cope—but some of the most powerful strategies are the ones we least expect.
In the next season of The Happiness Lab, we’re diving into the science of surprising coping tools: the quirky hobbies, offbeat rituals, and unexpected habits that actually help us manage stress, sadness, and struggle.
From birdwatching to music therapy to lawn games, we’ll explore the weird and wonderful ways people find relief as well as the science on why they work. It’s a new season that will help you build your own unconventional toolkit for weathering life’s storms.
And first up is the story of Elias Weiss Friedman:
How Dogs Changed my Life (with The Dogist)
Have you ever felt overwhelmed, uncertain, or just... stuck? Elias Weiss Friedman did. He was 25, freshly laid off, and unsure what to do next. So he grabbed his camera and started photographing dogs on the streets of New York.
You probably know Elias better as “The Dogist” — the social media sensation who has amassed over 11 million followers across social platforms. But what you might not know is that dogs didn’t just become part of Elias’s career. They became his way of coping. In this episode, we explore what dogs can teach us about getting active, being present, and feeling connected—especially when life feels hard.
What Dogs Teach Us About Happiness
1. They get us outside and moving. Even brief bursts of movement can improve our mood. A quick walk or a few rounds of fetch in the park helps us get active—sometimes without even realizing it.
2. They help us connect with strangers. Elias calls dogs “furry icebreakers.” Whether you’re walking your own pup or just pausing to admire someone else’s, dogs spark spontaneous conversations that build a subtle but powerful sense of community.
3. They teach us to embrace play. When Elias adds silly captions or does his goofy dog voice, he’s channeling the playful spirit that dogs embody so naturally. Dogs can remind us that it’s okay to be a little silly sometimes and be a little less self-conscious.
4. They ground us in the present. Dogs don’t ruminate about the past or stress about the future. They’re here. Now. And they help us be here, too.
What Dogs Know About Living in the Now
Dogs have this incredible ability to pull us into the present. When a pup nudges our hand or flops onto our lap, they’re not worried about tomorrow’s deadlines or last week’s mistakes — they’re just in the moment. That kind of presence is exactly what the meditation teacher Tara Brach helps us cultivate through RAIN, a mindfulness practice that allows us to Recognize, Allow, Investigate and Nurture our emotions. When we’re stressed, overwhelmed, or caught in spirals of self-criticism, RAIN helps us pause, turn inward, and treat ourselves with the same warmth we’d offer a friend — or even a pet.
In a past episode, “Reconnect With the Moment,” Tara and I talked about how RAIN is a practice of mindful compassion. It helps us step out of autopilot and notice what we’re really feeling, so we can respond with care instead of reactivity.
Here’s a breakdown of Tara’s RAIN technique:
Recognize what is happening — Ask yourself, “What emotion am I experiencing?”
Allow the feeling to be just as it is — Commit to spending some time with what you are feeling.
Investigate that feeling with interest and care — Just notice and ask, “What does this emotion feel like in my body?”
Nurture with self-compassion — Self-compassion is about treating yourself like a friend. Ask yourself questions like, “What can I do to take care of myself?” or “Do I need a break or to call a friend?”
Let Slip the Dogs of More Happiness
If you’re a fellow dog-lover like Elias, you might also enjoy one of our popular episodes: “Let Slip the Dogs of More Happiness.” We explore the surprising science of how dogs support our well-being — from boosting our physical health to improving our social lives and sense of purpose.
You’ll meet Georgia the motorcycling dog— who helped her human Laurette through illness and healing. And you'll hear how you can apply the lessons we get from dogs about happiness even if you don’t own a pet.
Take action today: Spend some extra time with a dog (or any animal) this week. Don’t have one of your own? Try visiting a friend’s pup, saying hi to one in the park, or even offering to pet-sit for a friend. It’s a simple way to boost social connection, and research suggests even small moments of interaction can give our mood a meaningful boost.
A Little Moment of Delight
Noticing small moments of joy can improve our well-being more than we realize, so I’m taking a page from Ross Gay and adding one delight to each week’s newsletter.
My hope is that these reflections inspire you to slow down, notice the good around you, and maybe even share a delight of your own with someone else.
This week’s delight: I was out on a walk and saw a new golden-doodle puppy in my neighborhood. The smiles she brought to everyone around her were definitely a pup-filled delight!
Looking for more?
You can find all our companion guides from this season of The Happiness Lab on DrLaurieSantos.com/Newsletter.
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