When it comes to sharing your life with a dog, grooming needs and difficulty are important considerations for many dog owners. While some dogs require extensive brushing and regular grooming appointments to maintain healthy coats, there are many short-haired dog breeds that are a breeze to groom. If you’re looking for a low-maintenance dog with minimal shedding, keep reading to discover some great options.

Advantages of a Dog with a Single-Layered Short Coat

Look for a dog breed that has a short, single-layered coat — meaning they lack an undercoat. This makes them easier to groom compared to the short-haired dog breeds who have a double-layered coat. An undercoat means more hair, more shedding, more hair around your home, and more grooming to keep their coat and skin healthy.

Do short-haired dogs shed? Yes, but single-layered coats shed much less than their double-layered counterparts. Without an undercoat, they don’t get mats, tangles, or have dead fur trapped against the skin. This means there is typically less brushing needed, and the bathing process is simple and straightforward.

Challenges of Short-Haired Dogs

While low-maintenance grooming is an advantage of owning a short-haired dog, keep in mind that these breeds are at a higher risk of sunburn. Without a double coat, they also cannot keep themselves warm in cold weather because they lack the insulation an undercoat provides.

If you’re considering of bringing a hairless dog into your home, remember that these breeds are especially prone to sun damage and skin issues if not given daily and often intensive skin care — plus, they still shed dander.

Short-Haired Dogs That Are Easy To Groom

Here are ten low-maintenance breeds of various sizes to consider.

Smooth-Coated Dachshund

Known for their adorable long bodies, short legs, and big personalities, Dachshunds have three coat types: smooth, long, and wire. The smooth-coated Dachshund has a dense but easy-to-groom coat. They require brushing about once a week to remove loose hair and distribute natural oils. This applies to both standard and mini Dachshunds with a smooth coat.

Smooth-Coated Chihuahua

These tiny yet mighty dogs come in two coat types, short or long-haired. While the long-haired variety has a thin coat, it can still tangle easily and isn’t considered low-maintenance like the short-hair Chihuahua, which only needs occasional brushing (but regular baths) to remove old fur and distribute their natural oils throughout their coat.

Italian Greyhound

These dogs are elegant and graceful, known for their slender build and gentle nature. The Italian Greyhound is a small breed that has a very short, smooth, and soft coat that only needs occasional and gentle brushing. They shed minimally, and since their fur is very fine, you might not even notice the hairs around your home.

Boston Terrier

A small, muscular dog, the Boston Terrier has smooth, short fur. Their coat should be fine textured and bright, making their colors and markings easy to identify. Despite their coat length, it sheds a little more than some of the other low-maintenance grooming on this list. Weekly brushing can help reduce their shedding and keep their coat healthy.

American Staffordshire Terrier

The AmStaff has a stiff, glossy short coat that’s easy to care for and keep healthy. A quick, weekly brushing with a gentle brush is all it takes to remove any dirt or old fur and keep their coat healthy. American Staffordshire Terriers don’t require regular bathing unless they get especially dirty. They do tend to get skin problems, so when brushing them it’s important to look for redness, swelling or hair loss.

Vizsla

Unlike many hunting dogs, Vizslas don’t have an undercoat. Their sleek, single-layered coat is easy to care for. Even though they shed, occasional brushing with a rubber grooming brush can help remove old hair and distribute natural oils to keep their coat healthy. They shouldn’t need regular baths, but thanks to their short fur, are easy and quick to bathe. What time you save in brushing and bathing will be spent providing this breed with lots of physical and mental exercise.

Weimaraner

Weimaraners have a soft, smooth coat that requires little grooming. They do shed and occasional brushing will help remove any dead hair to prevent build up and reduce the amount of fur you find on your floor. This breed may come in a rare long-haired variety, which has different grooming needs, that generally goes against the breed standard.

Doberman Pinscher

With their distinctively glossy black and tan coat, Dobermans require a little special attention to keep their fur looking its best. This breed's coat is thick and lies close to their body, making regular brushing an important part of removing old hair and distributing oil to keep their fur healthy. Wiping them with a damp cloth can help keep their shine. Doberman Pinschers may have an “invisible” undercoat around their neck that requires a little extra grooming.

A Miniature Pinscher’s coat is similar to their large counterpart and requires similar grooming to keep this small breed looking their best.

Greyhound

Greyhounds have a short, smooth coat that only requires the occasional gentle brushing to maintain. While renowned for their incredible sprinting speed, Greyhounds are otherwise very talented coach potatoes and fortunately have little need for bathing. If they get dusty or you notice dander on their fur, it can be removed with a damp cloth.

Great Dane

Although Great Danes don’t have an undercoat, their fur is thick and needs to be brushed regularly to reduce shedding. Danes tend to shed more during the spring and fall and may need to be brushed as often as every day. A medium-bristle brush or rubber grooming mitt can help remove that hair quickly. Even a Dane that doesn’t shed much may leave more fur around your home than another low-maintenance breed, thanks to their enormous size.

Even dogs with low-maintenance grooming needs still require regular care. Though they may not need to be brushed often, these breeds still need to have their teeth brushed, ears cleaned, and nails trimmed regularly to keep them happy and healthy.