Meet Sanka and Toni, the dreadlocked dog and his dreadlocked owner who never have a bad hair day.
Toni Isden was one of the most talked about stars of this year’s Crufts with her lookalike five-year old Hungarian Puli.
And while most people might take offence in being told they were a dead ringer for their prized pooch - she insists it’s a compliment.
“He’s gorgeous, who wouldn’t want to look like him?” said Toni, 36, a dog trainer from Leicester.
“I’m proud to have my hair like this, I absolutely love it. I always say ‘can’t you tell that I’m his mum’ because we look so alike.
“When me and Sanka did our first routine everyone was making remarks about the way we looked. I was so proud that when I went in there, we danced to ‘I whip my hair back and forth’ just to make the point.
“He built my confidence up and it made me want to go back in the ring again, because everyone knows who we are when we walk in the room now.
“I get called crazy dog lady, rasta mum, mop mum. We get loads of nicknames but I like being called a pair of mop stars best.”
Toni got Sanka as a ten week old puppy and the pair quickly forged a close relationship, performing in agility, obedience and trick competitions around the country, even earning a cameo role in the Disney movie Show Dogs.
Indeed working together has even improved the 36-year old’s confidence and self-esteem in the highly-competitive world of dog showing.
“He’s brilliant and has built my confidence up incredibly, made me a different person really,” she added.
“When I got Sanka, because we looked alike, he made me want to go into the ring and do more with him. And because we look the same I’ve had so many more opportunities.
“I love the fact that we have very similar hair but he’s also really clever, more clever than me! He’s a brilliant dog, a brilliant breed.
“In 2015 I did his first show and he won and I was so proud of him, and so proud of myself. I wasn’t going to turn up but Sanka’s just so happy and he lifts me up, so I went in and we won./
“Having Sanka has changed my life, made me a different person and I love him to bits. I just love who we are together - and what we look like too!”
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