Annamari Kardon felt a huge burden lift of her chest: her guide dog Szikra passed
the traffic safety test.

Annamari is no stranger to feeling the stress of an exam situation as she is a musician.

Sitting at the piano during an exam  is completely different from holding the harness of my guide dog.

-Annamari said.

We are together in this. I was trying to stay calm to make sure the dog doesn’t pick up on my being anxious. The dog
already feels a great responsibility to make sure I am safe. So we tried to make this walk feel like just another walk to one of our favourite spots, the Suhanj Gym. Szikra is very sensitive and tuned into how I feel so I couldn’t fool him with my pretend calmness. Despite both of us being a bit nervous, we managed to get to the gym without any major incident. It felt great and we were both relieved. Probably going to spend the rest of the day snoozing!

I would like to express my gratitude to Judit Susan, who raised such an amazing companion for me. And also to Emese Barkoczi Kiralyne for training Szikra and helping us find the harmony with each other. Also, I would like to thank all those people who support the work of the Barathegyi guide dog school and encourage us with their positive energy and contribution. Thank you all!

We also asked Judit Susan, what was it like to be Szikra’s puppy host family for a year:

Szikra was a very sensitive and needy puppy. Very clever but crying a lot. He was very whiny at first and had a lot to say, it felt like he was going to start talking to me some days. Now that they have passed the test, I can see him again. I can’t wait!

Emese, Szikra’s trainer emphasised that Annamari and Szikra make a great team and can solve any situation.

You could tell how much they love each other, she said. It felt like there was this mist of love around them in the air.

We wish Annamari and Szikra many happy years together!