Police dog named a 'hero' at NSW awards

A police dog has been awarded for his heroic missions that have included finding a missing man and catching thieves in NSW's Hunter region.

Ulrich, a two-year-old German Shepherd, has been presented with an award at the Sydney Royal Easter Show after he tracked down an elderly man who had been missing in Maitland for three days last year.

Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove presented Ulrich and his handler, Senior Constable David Wynne, with the inaugural Service Dog Award at the Royal Agricultural Society Canine Hero Awards on Monday.

Grave concerns were held for 86-year-old Herbert "Nobby" Barlett who was recovering from a stroke when he went missing from Maitland Hospital on March 23, 2015.

Ulrich dragged his handler down a ravine for about 50 metres and located him lying at the bottom of the hill, police say.

"We are very proud of Ulrich and its a great testament to the training all of our dogs undertake," Police Dog Unit Commander Chief Superintendent Donna Adney said.

Since his graduation in December, Ulrich has protected his handler and helped police on many missions, including a swim through creeks and swamps near Cessnock to track down two thieves.

In another instance, the top dog found a suspect hiding in the roof cavity of a house.