Just as he's starting to get mainstream recognition, one of the stars from "The Artist" is ready to step away from his career.

Uggie, the spotlight-stealing Jack Russell who has been the rave of this year's awards season, is said to be retiring from film after he gets through this round of ceremonies. (Cue the howls of heartbreak!)

"He's at the stage where he just says, 'I think I want to go and lay in the sun by the pool,'" one of Uggie's trainers, Sarah Clifford, explained to the Hollywood Reporter.

Clifford picked Uggie for "The Artist" gig and worked with the 10-year-old dog on set, coaching him through 15-hour days.

"We don't force our dogs to do this," Clifford continued. "And it always has to be fun for them. Uggie's still enjoying it, but he's getting up there and he's slowing down a little." She adds that his younger brother, Dash, is primed and ready to begin his own ascent in Hollywood.

All of his hard work hasn't been for naught: Uggie, while snubbed at the Oscars, did pick up two Golden Collar Awards nominations for his work in "The Artist" and "Water for Elephants."