Szabó-Hazafi Dorottya - My Story

It is a tremendous honor for me to be able to judge at the European Championship following the World Championship.

As the owner of two rescued dogs, I stumbled into the world of dogs and dog dancing. When they were adopted into our family, I only wanted a four-legged companion, a mate for forest walks, and I never thought how many doors would open for me through them.
 

The never-ending learning about dogs began with the adoption of Scully and Podgara. Since then, I have been involved in instructional activities in several dog schools. I teach Dog Dancing and give dog trick classes. In addition to traditional adult dog-owner training, I also lead a dog dancing course for children.

It is always a joy for me to participate as a jury member in a competition, whether it’s a
domestic or international event. Judging is something very close to my heart—so much so that I often prioritize it over competing myself. It’s in my blood, because my grandfather also worked as a judge—specifically, a football referee.

I consider dog dancing to be a wonderful sport, where our teammate is our best four-legged friend, and we exist in the ring for each other. I love the atmosphere of competitions, especially the unique vibe of traveling to international events, where everything revolves around dog dancing.

I consider it most important to see that the dogs work with joy and enthusiasm with their
handlers. It’s important to me that the handler’s belief in their dog, their support, respect, appreciation, and recognition of the dog is reflected in the ring. I particularly love it when uniqueness and creativity shine through the routine, along with a good dog-owner relationship and mutual understanding.

I sincerely congratulate every qualified competitor!
I’m really looking forward to working again with my fellow judges and wish all pairs the best
in showcasing what they have planned!

I wish all competing pairs and the organizing team much success!