I had an interesting conversation backstage about the Komondor, who's a member of the Working Group. I got to chatting with a woman, whose dog is in the Sporting Group, about the Komondor's distinctive dreadlockish coat, and how it must be a lot of work. Her dog's beauty regimen is a lot simpler, the woman said -- "trim the ears, trim between the toes, done" -- and she went on to claim that judges grade on a difficulty curve when it comes to grooming. The bigger the job of caring for the dog's coat, the better the breed tends to do in Group judging, in other words.
I have no idea whether that's true, although National Dog Show Presented by Purina co-host David Frei did note in our interview that a groomer can bring a great dog out of a "pile of hair." I can tell you that, while the Komondor's coat might be a pain to maintain, it gets that Rastafarian corded look all on its own. The cords protect the Komondor -- who was himself developed in Hungary centuries ago to protect, rather than actively herd, sheep and cattle -- from the elements as well as from aggressors, and in the case of a herd of sheep, the coat helps him blend in with his flock.
The 2011 video of the Komondor Best in Breed winner makes it seem like she can't see at all, but she has no trouble running around the ring.
The AKC explains the corded coat's growth and function.
Mary Carillo visits with a 2010 Komondor contestant who takes 3 hours to wash -- and 24 hours to dry!
Shine Pets sneak-previews the Great Dane and the "Min Pin"
