What is the exemplary companion award in dog shows for?

Answer 1

The Exemplary Companion award is one in a small series of awards the AKC gives to dogs who have done some kind of outstanding achievement or action. The five different awards are as follows:

Uniformed Service K-9 -- this award is for dogs who are in military service or work with firefighters or law enforcement.

Search and Rescue Dog -- this award is for dogs who assist with search and rescue efforts during disasters, or who help with tracking missing persons in the wilderness.

Therapy Dog -- this award is for dogs who assist with emotional therapy; usually they visit old age homes or hospitals and provide comfort for ill patients.

Service Dog -- this award is for dogs who perform some sort of service for their disabled handler. The most commonly seen service dogs assist people who are vision impaired, or people with mobility or pain issues, who can't use their body's full range of motion and need their dog to help with picking up items off the floor or opening doors, etc.

Exemplary Companion -- this award is for dogs who are not in any of the above categories and are just normal household pets, but have done some kind of exemplary feat.

Some examples of Exemplary Companion honorees include an Australian Shepherd in 2014 who protected her owner from a black bear in the woods outside their home, or a Vizsla in 2013 who had to have his front leg amputated due to a medical issue, but still continued competing in Hunting Trials and ended up earning his Master Hunter title despite only having three legs.