Labrador
A short coat that is secretly a double coat, which is why the shedding surprises everyone. A Labrador sheds twice a year, for roughly six months each time. The system is simple and it works.
- Rubber curry mitt, 10 minutes, twice a week. During the heavy shed, make it most days; the mitt outside beats the vacuum inside.
- Bath every 4 to 8 weeks. Labs make their own schedule by finding water and things to roll in; rinse the adventures, save the shampoo for actual dirt.
- Tick sweep after outdoor time, especially between the toes. Labs investigate everything at ankle height.
Coat care: Labrador
Short double coat. Sheds more than the length suggests.
Weekly: rubber mitt, 10 min x 2 days. Most days during the big shed.
Bath: every 4 to 8 weeks. Plain-water rinse after swims and mud.
Every walk (tick season): 10-second sweep, ears, toes, collar line.
Skip: conditioner and daily baths. Truly.
Smell that returns in days: vet or diet question, not more shampoo.
- Tara (yes, the dog)
The full routine lives in the short & smooth guide.
Also on this shelf: Beagle
What we use at home
floof it Gentle Cleanser. Salon grade, made for us by our manufacturing partner, used on both of us every second Saturday. Two pumps for Alfie. Four for Tara.
Short smooth coat? You need less of everything on this page. Including this bottle. Half doses go a long way.
Honest answer: if your dog has fleas today, you need a vet, not a shampoo. Ours included. Go. Come back after.
This is grooming guidance from people who live with dogs, not veterinary advice. Itching that keeps returning, flakes, bald patches, redness, or a smell that comes back within days is a vet conversation, not a bath. Your vet and groomer outrank this page.
