I’m Mariya. I’m a grad student at UC Davis, currently pursuing my MFA in writing, and when I’m not writing, I’d love to be walking your dogs! I’ve loved dogs my whole life. I grew up with them and now I have two dogs: Bean, a tiny Italian Greyhound mix and Hera, a big German Shepherd. I walk them both by myself and love every second with them. Bean is a rescue with an anxiety disorder for which he needs a lot of special care so I have first hand experience with meeting a nervous dog’s needs. I worked with a certified trainer to help him with his introduction to Hera and his anxiety in general. I learned how to read my dogs, and all dogs, and how to communicate with dogs through positive reinforcement. Bean has made great progress, every day he grows more comfortable and blossoms into his silly self. Caring for him and working through his anxiety together has been one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had. I have so much love and patience for dogs of all breeds, sizes, and ages. I love them hyper, crazy, lazy, playful, or however they are. Getting to spend time with dogs every day is a an absolute dream.