Companion dog Facts for Kids

The Pomeranian started out as a larger sled dog and was later bred to be the small companion dog we know today.

A companion dog is a type of dog that is mainly kept as a pet rather than for a specific job like herding sheep or pulling a sled. Their main purpose is to offer friendship and comfort to people. These dogs can also be called emotional support animals, helping people with mental health challenges. Many dogs can be companions, even some breeds known for working, like retrievers, because they are friendly and make great pets. Most toy dog breeds are kept just for the joy of their company. The American Kennel Club even has a special Companion dog title for dogs that do well in obedience competitions.

What Makes a Dog a Companion?
Dog Obedience Competitions
Companion Dogs vs. Toy Dogs
Images for kids
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What Makes a Dog a Companion?

Court ladies playing with a small dog, from a painting called Beauties Wearing Flowers by Tang dynasty artist Zhou Fang.

Some people think that any dog from a "working" breed group is always a working dog. Others believe a dog is only "working" if it has an active job. This could be a job related to its breed, like a retriever fetching things from water, or a herding dog guiding sheep. It could also be a job that needs special training, like being an assistance dog or competing in dog agility sports.

Dogs that are chosen to be good pets are often smaller breeds. The idea of keeping cute dogs just for fun goes back thousands of years, especially with Chinese royalty. For example, the Pekingese and the Pug were both chosen to be pets. Pekingese dogs were liked for their lion-like look. Pugs were loved for their "lucky" wrinkles and faces that looked a bit like monkeys.

Some dogs that seem like they were only for decoration or entertainment actually had other jobs too. For instance, the Lhasa Apso was a good watch dog. The tiny Yorkshire Terrier was excellent at catching rats!

Dog Obedience Competitions

Dogs can earn special titles in obedience competitions. One of these is the "Companion Dog" (CD) title. This title is added to a dog's official name. To earn a CD title in an AKC (American Kennel Club) competition, a dog and its handler start with 200 points. They need to finish with at least 170 points to "qualify." A dog needs to qualify in three different trials (competitions) under three different judges. Any dog can earn a CD title.

There are several levels of obedience titles:

Companion Dog (CD)
Companion Dog Excellent (CDX)
Utility Dog (UD)
Utility Dog Excellent (UDX)
Obedience Trial Champion (OTCH)
National Obedience Champion (NOC)

A pet dog is not officially considered a "Companion Dog" in this sense unless it has competed and earned the title. The first AKC obedience trial was held in 1936, with 200 dogs taking part.

Companion Dogs vs. Toy Dogs

There's a lot of overlap between toy dogs and companion dogs. However, not all companion dogs are small. All toy dogs are small, but companion dogs can be any size. This means a large dog can also be a companion dog if its main role is to be a pet and friend.