List of Short-Hair Dog Breeds

Are you tired of clogging the vacuum with your dog's long fur or spending endless hours combing out mats? You might consider short-haired dog breeds for your next pet for a tangle-free experience, such as the petite Chihuahua, the medium-size Australian cattle dog, or the robust Rottweiler. Dozens of dogs, from the well-known to the obscure, fit the description.

The sleek, speedy American foxhound was bred for hunting. But its easy-going personality makes it a good pet, as long as you have the stamina to give it lots of exercise. Its coat can be a mixture of white, tan, brown, and black. American foxhounds weigh 60 to 70 pounds and are 21 to 25 inches high.

A medium dog breed related to the wild dingo in the outback, the muscular Australian cattle dog not only excels at herding cows but at chasing balls and running with you on the jogging path. While they are born with white coats, they turn a speckled blue-gray or red as they grow. They stand 17 to 20 inches high at the shoulder and weigh 35 to 50 pounds.

There are two varieties of the popular beagle: The smaller ones are about 13 inches high, while the other variety is 13 to 15 inches. The smaller dogs are under 20 pounds, while the larger ones weigh 20 to 30 pounds. Both these sturdy dogs have big brown or hazel eyes and sweet expressions on their faces. Their short coats are variations of white, red, and brown.

Introduced in the United States in the 1990s, the Bracco Italiano is one of the oldest breeds of pointers. In fact, translated his name means "Italian pointing dog." Their mottled white coats are strewn with small fawn-colored spots, as well as large splotches of the same color. They are 21 to 27 inches tall and weigh 55 to 90 pounds.

Another of the medium-sized short hair dog breeds is the fun-loving, energetic Brittany. Its white fur is offset by large splotches of orange and reddish-brown. This dog learns quickly and can channel its hunting pedigree into other outdoor pursuits, from swimming to catching balls on the fly. Standing 17.5 to 20.5 inches at the shoulder, it weighs 30 to 40 pounds.

This low-slung, short-snouted favorite is often referred to as "so ugly, it's cute." The bulldog's short, smooth coat can be varied, from off-white to black, in numerous patterns. At 14 to 15 inches high, they weigh more than many dogs of that height, averaging 40 to 50 pounds.

Single-coat dogs like the Chihuahua don't have a dense undercoat layer of fur like some breeds. The advantage? Less fur to clean up. At the same time, Chihuahuas can get cold easily.

These diminutive dogs weigh no more than six pounds and reach a height of just five to eight inches. Their coats can be many colors, and while many chihuahuas are short-haired, some have long fur.

With its wrinkled face and shoulders, small sunken eyes and blue-black tongue, there's no mistaking the Chinese Shar-Pei for another dog. Its red-brown coat is sandpaper rough, and Shar-Pei means "sand skin" in Chinese. This medium dog breed is 18 to 20 inches high and weighs 45 to 60 pounds.

This breed's name denotes its fur length but doesn't mention its unusual markings. With a solid reddish brown head, the German shorthaired pointer's body and leg coat is a flurry of spots on a white background. The friendly, agile dog is 21 to 25 inches high at the shoulder and weighs about 45 to 70 pounds.

These strong and agile herding dogs have dense tri-color coats with black, white, and red markings, and as their name attests, they are bred for the rigors of clamoring up mountains to keep sheep in check. Greater Swiss mountain dogs have a white blaze across their muscles. These large dogs range from 23 to 28 inches tall and weigh between 85 and 140 pounds.

America's most popular breed is friendly and outgoing with a dense coat that can be black, yellow, or chocolate brown. The affable Labrador retriever socializes with family and easily makes new friends with a happy wag of his tail. Labs are 21.5 to 24.5 inches at the shoulder and weigh from 55 to 80 pounds.

These small but sturdy herding dogs can almost look like they are smiling when they are content. Their glossy, weather-resistant coats are black with tan legs and muzzles. They are 10 to 12 inches tall and weigh nine to 17 pounds.

The colossal mastiff is a giant dog breed, with males weighing in between 160 and 230 pounds. Female mastiffs are somewhat smaller at 120 to 170 pounds. Male mastiffs stand 30 inches and taller, while females are 27.5 inches and up. These powerful but lovable guardians have a short double coat in colors such as apricot and fawn.

The watchful Portuguese podengo pequeno always seems to be on the alert, but she has a playful side, too. The breed has two coat types: One is wire hair, while the other is smooth. This tan and white hound also comes in two sizes: The medium-sized short-haired dogs, Portuguese podengo pequeno, stands between 15 and 22 inches and weighs 35 to 44 pounds, while the large type is 22 to 28 inches tall and weighs 44 to 66 pounds.

The mischievous pug seems to wear a range of expressions, from delight to surprise to curiosity. These small, muscular dogs have off-white coats and black muzzles. They love to eat so care must be taken to keep them between an ideal 10 to 14 pounds. Pugs stand 10 to 13 inches high.

This short-hair dog breed is named for the distinctive ridge, or stripe, of fur down its spine. Their color is termed "wheaten," for the color grain their fur resembles, from golden to burnished red. Rhodesian ridgebacks trace their ancestry to Africa. These large dogs are 24 to 27 inches tall and weigh from 70 to 85 pounds.

The loyal Rottweiler's short, glossy black coat is set off by rust markings. This large dog with a heavily muscled back end is a loyal, loving guardian to families but can appear aloof to strangers. It stands 22 to 27 inches tall and weighs 80 to 135 pounds.

The smooth fox terrier is named in part for its flat, dense white coat with black and tan markings. The small dog has a distinctive long, v-shaped head. Most grow to about 15.5 inches at the shoulder and weigh between 15 and 18 pounds.

As its name notes, the sturdy and intelligent treeing Tennessee brindle has distinctive brown and tan brindle stripes on its coat. This hunting dog not only chases its prey up trees, it bays at them to show their owners where they are. They are 16 to 24 inches tall and weigh 30 to 50 pounds.