People of Stanford: Meet Roberto Smith, certainly one of campus’s viral canine walkers

Whether or not on the best way to class in Wallenberg Corridor, whereas working outdoors CoHo or scrolling via Fizz, college students have most likely seen Roberto Smith along with his crew of virtually a dozen canine strolling round Stanford campus.

For a lot of college students, Smith and his canine companions have develop into a campus staple, frequenting paths between the Graduate Faculty of Enterprise, Principal Quad, Tresidder, Hoover Tower and different campus landmarks. For many who miss his appearances on campus, he shares his journeys on his Instagram: @robs_dogs_.

Initially hailing from Florida, Smith moved to California 4 years in the past for causes fairly completely different from the various pupil onlookers he passes by on campus.

“I used to be in Florida, and certainly one of my mates noticed me taking part in with some canine on the street, and he provided me a job in California working with canine,” Smith stated. He’s been dog-walking at Stanford ever since. 

Smith stated that he has all the time beloved working with animals, particularly canine. 

“The canine assist me lots with my power … They train you numerous. They train you methods to be affected person, methods to calm your self,” Smith stated. 

Smith works with purchasers from the Bay Space and stated that he loves driving to Stanford a number of occasions per week to stroll the canine, or as Smith affectionately calls them, “doggies.” 

“I like working at Stanford as a result of it’s a pleasant place to stroll,” Smith stated. “[Stanford] is an efficient place for [the dogs]. There’s a number of shade, and there’s a number of good locations to stroll that make folks joyful.”

To Smith, canine strolling is a rewarding occupation. Generally, he stated, college students or passersby cease him to confide that they “have been having a nasty day and seeing the doggies modified the day for them.”

“That makes me joyful, too; it’s good while you change anyone’s day,” Smith stated.

Nevertheless, canine strolling isn’t all the time clean crusing. Generally, the canine may give him “a tough time,” particularly when they’re new canine or after they react to distractions on campus, Smith stated.

“They’ve completely different personalities, so I’m engaged on them little by little in order that they know methods to get together with the opposite canine,” Smith stated. “Among the doggies … they react to folks, they react to squirrels, to scooters.”

Smith may be seen strolling canine of all shapes, colours and sizes, starting from golden retrievers to poodles to German shepherds. 

Many college students say that they get pleasure from seeing Smith and his canine round campus. Posts about Smith and different canine walkers on campus on Fizz, an nameless social networking app for Stanford college students, have gone viral, with some garnering over two thousand upvotes. Within the feedback, college students joke, “How do I develop into a canine walker?” or share feedback of affection like “SOO CUTEE!!” 

“I really feel prefer it’s a guardian military patrolling the campus. It’s a welcoming sight and a pleasant image to see the fluffy canine strolling round,” stated Jack Hsieh ’27.

Hsieh acknowledged that “it additionally looks as if a very huge duty to be strolling these canine round. What if one runs away and chaos ensues? But it surely does appear to be they’re all collectively in concord, which is admittedly endearing to see.”

Smith’s frequenting of campus has been particularly significant to frosh. Mikey Taylor ’27 stated, “I miss my canine lots, so after I see the canine walker, it makes me actually joyful and fewer homesick.”

Smith isn’t the one canine walker on campus; one other by the identify of Ry the Pet Man may be seen frequenting Stanford campus with a number of canine in tow. 

Over time, Smith has developed a detailed relationship with every of his purchasers’ canine. “They’re all my favourite. I do know them, and I’ve love for all of them.”

At any time when college students see him and his canine entourage strolling by, Smith encourages them to cease and say “hello.” By strolling his canine, he stated that he has “a lot enjoyable assembly lots of people.”