With this much hair to contend with , bathtime was bound to have an extra twist . And when Daz needed to look his best for dog show Crufts , which runs till Sunday , it was never going to be a case of just ‘ wash and go ’ . Instead , an eight-hour clean-up operation ensued for the dread-locked Komondor — involving three hours in the tub , then five more under a vast array of dryers . Thankfully , placid Daz soaks up the attention as well as the suds . Locks like I need a bath : A pre-grooming walk relaxes the sprightly five-year-old Daz . Suds-u-like : Owner Julie does four-shampoos-and-rinse jobs , before a final conditioner is massaged in . It takes a lot of water to lather Daz up , according to his owner . The 10st 7lb five-year-old stands 33in to the shoulder and is one of around only 45 of his breed in the UK . Puppies , which cost upwards of £1,200 , are born with downy coats that develop into dreadlocks ( or , to be correct , ‘ cords ’ ) . Komondors are known as ‘ the ultimate sheep-dog ’ in Hungary , their country of origin , where their thick , shaggy hair protected them from the wolves and bears which threatened farmers ’ flocks . The cleaning process — at his owner Julie Branch ’ s dog grooming parlour — starts with Daz stepping into a hydrobath , which has a door for easy access . The first challenge is to get his dense coat wet enough . Miss Branch , 52 , of Harlow , Essex , said : ‘ It ’ s quite wiry and coarse , so it takes a lot of water before you can lather him up. ’ Then its four shampoos and separate rinses before the conditioner goes on and a final rinse . A rubdown with a towel follows , plus a once-over with a ‘ wet-and-dry ’ vacuum cleaner to suck out as much water as possible . Then it ’ s out with the arsenal of hairdryers . They include a £300 X Power Airmover , which gusts cool air over Daz from its three large black hoses — and which is nicknamed ‘ Octopussy ’ by Miss Branch . ‘ If we left him to dry naturally , it ’ d probably take up to four days , ’ said Julie ’ s partner Barry Davison , 61 , who runs a courier business . High and dry : A hurricane of blowdryers slowly gets the komondor 's coat dried out . Finally , Daz slips into a fetching green onesie that helps keep his locks spotless and means he can carry on as normal until show day . Daz , whose pedigree name is Jabenezer Zolltan , will be at the Birmingham NEC today in the working and pastoral breeds section , where he has previously won Top Dog in the Komondor class . Needless to say , this year he ’ s hoping for a clean sweep of even more prestigious titles . On trend : A green onsie helps to stop a freshly blow-dried Daz picking up dirt like a damp mop . Crufts-ready : A primped and preened Daz is poised for the top spot - even if his podium is a little makeshift .
Clean-up operation for Crufts of dread-locked Komondor takes three hours . Five-year-old Daz spends eight-hours in the tub and five more under dryers . Komondors are known as ‘ the ultimate sheep-dog ’ in their native Hungary . Daz is competing at Crufts and has previously won Top Dog in his class .