UKC opens nominations for Season 10 Elite Shed Dogs honors
UKC opened Season 10 nominations for Ambassador and, for the first time, Club of the Year, putting shed-dog leadership and event-building in the spotlight.
United Kennel Club opened Season 10 nominations for two Elite Shed Dog honors, and the new Club of the Year category signals that shed-dog work is being recognized as more than a weekend hunt. Ambassador of the Year has long taken public nominations, but this season UKC is also rewarding the clubs and hosts that keep the series running.
Nominations were announced on June 16 and are being accepted by email at huntingops@ukcdogs.com. UKC asked nominators to include the name of the individual or club and a brief explanation, set a Quarter 1 deadline of July 15, 2026, and said submissions will continue to be reviewed through the end of 2026. That gives handlers, club members and supporters a clear window to put names forward while the season unfolds.
The award expansion fits a program that has spent years building its structure. UKC first announced the Elite Shed Dog Series in January 2017, and the current rulebook, effective April 1, 2026, limits an approved host club to six licensed events in a calendar year. UKC also said in March that it shortened Season 10 as it prepared to move the series to a full calendar-year format, a change that makes the Dog of the Year race easier to follow as dogs collect points toward the season title.
That matters because the series now has the footprint of a real competition circuit, not just an informal pastime. UKC’s standings and results page lists 2026 events across the United States and Canada, including Ontario, with stops tied to states such as Illinois, Michigan, Texas, West Virginia, Montana, Washington, Indiana, Oregon, California, Missouri, Idaho, Alabama, Ohio, Minnesota, Kansas, Nebraska and Wisconsin. UKC has also kept a steady awards feed in 2026, with Season 9 Elite Awards, National Championship results and quarterly nominee recognition already part of the program’s public record.
UKC’s own framing makes the direction of the sport plain. The Elite Shed Dog series is built to identify dogs that hunt effectively for shed deer antlers, while staying family-friendly and accessible for handlers who want an active outdoor outlet. By adding Club of the Year to a system that already recognizes standout dogs and ambassadors, UKC is showing where shed-dog competition is headed: toward stronger standards, more organized club culture and a broader definition of what earns respect in the field.
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