The Super Bowl for shed hunting dogs is going to be held in my backyard this year. The North American Shed Hunting Dog Association’s (NASHDA) World Championships is coming to Northfield, Minn. — a mere 90-minute drive from my home — on the weekend of April 21-22. Assuming I’m not chasing a gobbler that weekend, this is going to be a fun event to watch.

NASHDA is the brainchild of Tom Dokken, a veteran dog trainer and owner of Oak Ridge Kennels. Dokken also happens to be a passionate deer hunter and shed fiend. So when he recognized the growing popularity of training dogs to find sheds, he jumped on the opportunity. I’ve watched Dokken conduct retriever training seminars; he’s not only excellent with dogs, he’s even better at something much more difficult: teaching people how to train their dogs. If you’re interested in learning more about training your dog to hunt sheds, visit his website and get some great information.

Meanwhile, shed dog trainers are gearing up for the championship, which was won last year by Wisconsin native Josh Miller and his chocolate lab, Easton (pictured above). Josh and Easton not only triumphed over trainers from across the country, they beat television personalities Lee and Tiffany Lakosky. Not bad for a 25-year-old and his 8-year-old labrador.