“Some Care Required:” A Basic Guide for Grooming Smooth-Coated Dogs

Groomers Guide

Boxer with a pink towel wrapped around its head, suggesting it might be after a bath or a grooming session

A Basic Guide for Grooming Smooth-Coated Dogs typography

by Jennifer Bishop Jenkins

og groomers don’t see breeds like Boxers, Doberman Pinschers, Bull Dogs or other mixed-breed smooth coats as often as we see doodles and other dogs with more hair. Some owners of these smooth-coated breeds mistakenly feel that their dogs don’t need grooming or even bathing. They may think of them as a “no care required” coat type instead of as the relatively easy but still “some care required” coat type they actually are. They require the same monthly bathing/toenails/skin care regimen that is recommended for all dogs; however, there are some key differences in the products and tools we must use for these smooth-coated breeds.

Smooth Coat vs Short Coat

In the conversation about coat types that many of us are having as we work towards better standardization of terminology and best practices, “smooth coat” is the term we are using to describe a short single coat. That is, smooth coats have only a single kind of hair, which are primary or topcoat hairs. They are not short double coats like Labrador Retrievers or Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs, which have two kinds of hairs—topcoat and undercoat, or secondary hairs.

Both short coats and smooth coats do not need any trimming or cutting of hair when being groomed. They are bath/brush/nails-only dogs. Short coats do shed significantly more and generally need more work from the groomers in the removal of the shedding undercoat hairs. Smooth coats, lacking these undercoat hairs, need more skin care.

Their skin is much more exposed and at risk without that protective undercoat that short-coated breeds have, leaving them more susceptible to skin cancer and negative effects from the sun and other weather, and also much more vulnerable to parasites, skin infections and problems like yeast. And I rarely see a smooth coat like a Doberman or Boxer in my clientele that does not have dandruff that screams out how dry their coat and skin are.

The Importance of Skin Care

With skin that is only about one-third as thick as ours, dogs compensate for their thinner skin by having far more hair than we do. If they are smooth-coated breeds, however, they can really suffer from the lack of hair. Thankfully, more groomers are becoming aware of the importance of our role in the care of dogs’ skin.

Iv San Bernard

Pet Skin Academy

The skin of these short- and smooth-coated breeds can also get particularly smelly compared to longer-haired dogs, which is why their skin needs more oils.

The protective barrier that all mammals have on our skin is made by an oil generated by the sebaceous gland called sebum. This protective skin barrier can get dirty on the outer layers, and that is why monthly bathing is required at minimum. The skin of these short- and smooth-coated breeds can also get particularly smelly compared to longer-haired dogs, which is why their skin needs more oils.

Veterinary dermatologists have defined three categories of hair in dogs: short, normal/natural and long. All three dermatological categories of dogs need all the things mammals need in skin: they all need oils; they all need minerals such as calcium, phosphorous, and magnesium—the building blocks of hair; and they all need moisturizers, collagen, humectants and emollients.¹

Some companies cater to these different dermatological needs defined by veterinary dermatologists and manufacture shampoos that contain more oils for shorter smooth coats, more minerals for the medium normal/natural coats (like most double-coated dogs) and more moisturizers for long-coated dogs (dogs that need haircuts). Shampoo always removes oils and the protective barrier, so applying conditioner on every coat type every time is essential.

Tools for Smooth Coats

The first major rule for tools and products for smooth-coated dog breeds is no metal tools. Nothing metal should touch their skin or be used to de-shed them because their skin is just too vulnerable to injury. Especially dangerous are closed-tooth, single-blade de-shedding tools.

Instead, there are wonderful de-shedding “brushes” made of rubber or acrylic that will do a great job removing dead, shedding hairs from a smooth-coated dog. The soft nubs on these brushes will grab and remove any of the hairs that are ready to come out and leave behind the hairs not ready to fall out. They do no damage to their thin, fragile skin; in fact, their massaging action helps stimulate the skin.

After the Bath

Another important rule in smooth-coat grooming is the application of oils to the skin after the bath, especially on the “jacket” or upper area of a dog’s torso, neck, hips and base of tail. I personally do not rinse the conditioner off. It is most essential, however, to also replace what the soap has stripped away, and what smooth coats generally lack anyway—the oils needed for their protective barrier. Their coats are so thin that mere conditioners are not enough.

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The oils we apply to the smooth-coated dogs must be light oils that penetrate the skin, such as argan, jojoba, emu or linseed; not the heavier oils like coconut, and certainly nothing that has petroleum in it, such as petroleum jelly. The light oils must be spread and worked into the coat by applying a small amount (depending on the breed and size of the dog) into the palms of your hands, rubbing them together, and then patting lightly all over the dog. I then take two boar’s hair bristle brushes, one in each hand, and work in the oils all over, hand over hand, working in the direction of the lay of the coat and massaging them into the skin all over the dog’s body.

It is best not to blow-dry these smooth-coated dog breeds—high-velocity dryers can be painful and even damaging. Their smooth coats have a tight grain, lay or direction to the hairs, and any HV dryer could hurt and tear delicate arrector pili muscles in their thin skin. But most importantly, the moisture from the bath/condition should be left on the coat while applying the oils. If they need more drying before going home, try a gentle fan in a warm room, or a very gentle warm-air crate dryer.

Market Your Expertise

All groomers should take skin and coat classes and learn about the anatomy of canine skin and coat and the differences between the needs and techniques of the various categories in the very diverse dog species. But you can start with the simple care basics of smooth-coated breeds, like the Bulldog and the Pittie mixes that so many people rescue. Put photos of these easy-to-groom, smooth-coat breeds on your social media to promote their need for grooming.

In addition, you can reach out to your area breeders through local kennel clubs and dog shows. Tell breeders that you have learned the differences in how to care for each coat type, and they will likely send their friends and puppy buyers to you because they know that you have the expertise to care for the different coat and skin types.

References:

Muller and Kirk’s Small Animal Dermatology, 7e by Miller Jr. VMD DACVD, William H., Griffin DVM, Craig E., Ca 7th (seventh) Edition (2012)

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