Smoothcoated

Smoothcoated is a descriptive term used in canine terminology to indicate a dog with a short, close-lying coat that lies flat against the body and lacks a pronounced undercoat. It is often used to distinguish short, glossy coats from longer, wiry, or double-coated varieties.

Coat characteristics and care: The smooth coat is typically short, dense, and smooth to the touch. Colors vary by breed, and the coat requires regular brushing to remove loose hair and maintain skin health. Maintenance is generally lower than for long-haired breeds, but seasonal shedding occurs and periodic bathing or trimming of areas such as paws or around the ears may be used for cleanliness. Adequate grooming supports temperature regulation and skin condition, especially in extreme climates.

Usage and examples: The term appears in historical and some contemporary breed descriptions, particularly for terriers and retrievers in Britain. One well-known modern breed associated with the smooth-coat descriptor is the Smooth Fox Terrier, which explicitly denotes a short, smooth coat in its standard. In today’s registries, coat descriptors tend to be stylistic notes within breed standards rather than separate breeds themselves, but smooth-coated remains a common way to characterize certain dogs.

Orthography: The descriptor is found in multiple spellings, including smooth-coated, smooth coated, and smoothcoated, with hyphenation varying by region and source. All forms refer to the same coat type.