The Best Brushes for Short-Haired Dogs

When the weather starts to warm up, dogs begin to shed their fur even more than they normally do. It’s important to keep your dog’s fur brushed regularly to prevent excess shed fur everywhere and matting. In this article, we’ve gone over some of the best brushes for short hair dogs that you can use to keep your dog’s fur looking healthy and mat-free. Let’s take a look at a few of our favorites below.

A-Z Animals Top Picks for Brushes for Short-Haired Dogs

#1 Best Overall: MIU COLOR Pet Grooming Brush

We found that the MIU COLOR Pet Grooming Brush was the best overall choice when it comes to quality, affordability, and convenience for brushes for short-haired dogs.

This brush is not only great for keeping your dog’s fur neat and shiny, but it also works as a great de-shedding tool as well. The brush is able to remove up to 95% of shed fur that can be sitting in your dog’s coat. This extra shed fur can add to the amount of heat your dog feels when the weather warms up and can put your dog at an increased risk of overheating. This is one of the main reasons why it is important to make sure your dog’s fur is brushed regularly.

This brush is a good choice for dogs that do not typically enjoy brushing, as it’s able to remove the loose fur gently without snagging or ripping out the fur. The brush reaches down to the undercoat of your pet’s fur and gently removes any loose, shed hairs without doing damage to the top layer of your dog’s fur.

It may also be beneficial to dogs that have issues that cause skin sensitivities. Since it’s able to remove the loose fur from the undercuts so gently, it reduces the risk of your dog’s skin becoming irritated or inflamed from the harsh removal of the fur that some other dog brushes may use. It features a four-inch stainless steel comb with evenly spaced teeth.

The only drawback to this product is that customers have reported that it does not work well with long hair.

Pros and Cons of the MIU COLOR Pet Grooming Brush

Best Overall

MIU COLOR Pet Grooming Brush

• Works equally well as a grooming brush and a de-shedding tool
• Removes up to 95% of shed fur from your dog's coat
• This brush removes fur gently without ripping or snagging
• Particularly good for dogs that have skin sensitivities

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2. Best for Thick Hair: Maxpower Planet Pet Grooming Brush

For dogs with short, thick hair we recommend the Maxpower Planet Pet Grooming Brush.

This is a dual-action brush that is able to cover all your bases when it comes to grooming your dog. One side of the brush has nine teeth that are designed to help remove matting and tangles in your dog’s fur. The opposite side has 17 teeth that are meant to help with de-shedding and thinning your dog’s coat. This, again, is perfect for preparing your dog for the heat of summer, as it helps remove all of the loose, shed fur in your dog’s coat. The dual action works more like the brushes you would find at a professional grooming facility, giving you the same high-quality results you would expect after taking your dog to the groomer.

If your dog has any skin issues, this brush is safe to use on them. Even though the teeth on this brush are sharpened to help remove the fur, they are at the same time, fine and rounded. This ensures that your dog won’t be scratched by the teeth which could cause pain or irritate sensitive skin. This is important to consider because, with short-fur dogs, there are not a lot of layers of fur to get through before you reach their skin. Therefore a good dog brush for short fur, won’t be too sharp so that it doesn’t scratch the skin in the process.

As for the comfort of the one doing the grooming, this brush is lightweight and has a non-slip rubber handle which makes it comfortable to hold and easy to use. This is beneficial for those that may have arthritic hands or simply want a brush that is comfortable and easy to use even if your dog’s fur is wet.

Unfortunately, some customers have reported that the de-tangling side of the brush can sometimes pull the hair.

Pros and Cons of the Maxpower Planet Pet Grooming Brush

Best for Thick Hair

Maxpower Planet Pet Grooming Brush

• Extra wide
• Dual-sided design -- one for removing mats and tangles, the other for thinning and deshedding
• Skin-friendly teeth won't scratch your cat
• Lightweight
• Available in six colors

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3. Best for Short Hair: Poodle Pet Slicker Brush

If you have a breed of dog that has curly fur, you may want to consider using the Poodle Pet Slicker Brush.

This one is designed for dogs that have curly or wavy fur and will help gently detangle any matting or tangles they may have. This brush has fine wire bristles unlike the previous ones we’ve mentioned that have more comb-based teeth. The bristles are packed tightly together and are slightly angled to help prevent scratches on your dog’s delicate skin.

It is stated by the company that even dogs that have sensitive skin are able to tolerate brushing with the Poodle Pet brush. Each of the fine wire bristles is made out of stainless steel and is topped with a tiny plastic tip that helps protect your dog’s skin from being scratched by them. This is good for short fur dogs since there’s not much fur to comb through.

Many groomers will recommend slicker brushes with longer bristles for dogs like poodles that have curly fur. This brush is a slicker brush that’s meant for poodles, however, it will work on any other dog breed that has curly or wavy fur as well, even if you have a dog that has longer fur. Maybe you need a brush for your curly-fur dog that’s had its fur cut short but will eventually grow back—this brush is perfect for those situations since it can be used on long curly fur as well.

However, this brush is quite small so it is not suitable for larger dogs.

Pros and Cons of the Poodle Pet Slicker Brush

Best for Curly Hair

Poodle Pet Slicker Brush

• Designed for dogs with curly or wavy fur
• Gently detangles mats and tangles
• Features fine wire bristles that are packed tightly together
• The bristles are angled slightly to prevent scratching your dog's skin
• Can be used on long, curly hair as well

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4. Best for Enhancing Shine: Groomer’s Best Small Combo Brush

As the best brush to enhance the shine on your pet we recommend the Groomer’s Best Small Combo Brush.

This brush may be the best brush when it comes to keeping your dog’s short fur looking shiny and smooth. This is a combo brush similar to the Maxpower Planet brush except the two sides are different. On this brush one side consists of stainless steel tips that have a protective coating that allows the brush to gently, painlessly remove loose shed fur from your dog’s coat.

The other side has densely packed, nylon bristles that when brushed over your dog’s fur, help distribute their natural oils all throughout the coat. This is how your dog’s fur will become shiny with use. This brush would work great for dogs that have very short fur since there are no sharp teeth at all on this brush that could scratch against your dog’s skin. The bristle side of the brush would help smooth out the short fur and give it a nice shine since it will easily distribute the oils throughout your dog’s entire coat. Plus, this brush has an ergonomic handle to ensure that it is comfortable for you to use.

Once again, customers reported that this brush is quite small and so not suitable for larger dogs.

Pros and Cons of the Groomer’s Best Small Combo Brush

Best for Enhancing Shine

Groomer's Best Small Combo Brush

• One side of this brush consists of stainless steel tips with a protective coating to remove loose shed fur
• The other side has densely packed nylon bristles that distribute your dog's natural oils to make their coat shiny
• There are no sharp teeth that could scratch your dog's sensitive skin

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Choosing the Best: What to Look For

When choosing the best grooming brush for dogs with short fur, there are a few things you’ll want to keep in mind; quality, ease of use, and durability. Making sure that you choose a grooming brush based on these factors will ensure that you end up with a good quality product that will work best for your dog. Let’s take a closer look at some of the things you’ll want to keep in mind:

Quality

First, you’ll want to be sure that you’re getting a good quality brush for your dog. Choosing a brush that is made with high-quality materials will ensure that it is safe to use on your dog. The higher the quality of the brush, the less likely it is that the company cut corners on the materials which could put your dog at risk of being injured. Go for one that uses stainless steel teeth when applicable to also ensure that it will be easy to keep clean and sanitary.

Ease of Use

Next, the brush that you choose should be easy to use. This is an obvious one, but there are some brushes out there that are not very practical to use or are just plain uncomfortable to hold in the hand. Opt for brushes that are designed with a comfortable grip. This not only makes it easier for you to use comfortably, but it also prevents your hand from slipping while brushing your dog and potentially scratching your dog’s skin in the process.

Durability

Finally, the brush you choose should be durable. This goes without saying, but it’s important that your dog’s grooming brush be durable. This will ensure that it lasts for a long time without the need to buy a new replacement brush shortly after. It should also be able to stand up to the repeated raking through your dog’s fur without breaking or causing damage.

The Different Types of Dog Brushes: Pros and Cons Compared

There are a couple of different types of dog brushes that you can use on a dog with short fur. The type that you choose will depend on a few different things like the density of your dog’s fur and the texture. Let’s go over the different types of dog brushes you can buy:

• Bristle brush — These brushes work best at smoothing your dog’s fur and helping distribute the natural oils in your dog’s fur all throughout its coat. Great for smoothing fur and maintaining shine.
• De-shedding brush — This brush type helps to remove any loose fur that is trapped in your dog’s coat and reduce the amount of shed fur you find on your clothes and furniture.
• Combo brush — This type of brush is two-sided and is usually a combination of either a bristle side and combing side or two sides of varying teeth densities.

Let’s take a look at some of the pros and cons of each type of dog grooming brush:

Bristle Brush

De-Shedding Brush

Combo Brush