As beauty pageants go, the ‘Big Four’ — Miss Universe, Miss World, Miss International, and Miss Earth—represent the highest level of international beauty competition. Of them, Miss Universe is the most watched with broadcasts in around 190 countries. Pageant-focused sources explicitly describe Miss Universe as one of the most prestigious pageants in the world and treat a Miss Universe crown as the pinnacle of pageant achievement.

For those uncomfortable with the beauty pageant analogy, an equally compelling pinnacle of human achievement is becoming a Rhodes Scholar. This honor demands elite academic performance—typically placing in the top 1–2% of students—along with demonstrated leadership, sustained service, and exceptional character, all assessed through an intensely competitive national selection and interview process. Only about 100–106 Rhodes Scholars are chosen worldwide each year making it one of the most selective and prestigious academic distinctions in the world.

So imagine the winner of the Miss Universe pageant—or a Rhodes Scholar—going on to win Olympic gold in the decathlon, an event whose champion is traditionally hailed as the “world’s greatest athlete,” reflecting the extraordinary respect the title commands within track and field.

We’ve described these two “human” events to give you an inkling of why earning an AKC Dual Championship is considered one of the hardest accomplishments in purebred dogs. It requires a single dog to excel at the highest level in both conformation and performance, each venue demanding very different traits, training, and judging standards. From our point of view, a Dual Champion title supports the concept that function follows form, or vice versa. It’s a nod to the breeder who bred a dog able to perform, and to the trainer and/or handler who commits to the years it can take to earn such a title.