Short & smooth
The easiest coat in this catalogue, which is exactly why it gets neglected. Short coats still shed (short hairs weave into fabric and stay there), still collect ticks, and still shine noticeably more when someone spends five minutes a week on them.
The rhythm
- Rubber curry mitt, 5 minutes, once or twice a week. Lifts dead hair, spreads the natural oils, doubles as a massage. Most dogs will invoice you for stopping.
- Bath every 4 to 8 weeks, or 40 minutes after they find something dead to roll in. You know your dog.
- Tick sweep after outdoor time: behind the ears, between the toes, under the collar, armpits. Ten seconds, every walk in tick season.
The mistake everyone makes
Bathing to fix a recurring smell. Over-bathing strips the coat's oils, the skin overcompensates, and the smell comes back faster. A smell that returns within days is a skin, ear or diet question for a vet, not a shampoo question.
Honesty
You do not need conditioner. You do not need daily brushing. Half a pump of cleanser does you. This page is short because your routine should be.
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.