Best Dog Shampoos

I hear people claim all the time how they just use their own human shampoo for their dogs. Please don't do this! It is not good for your dog's coat or skin. Dogs and people have very different PH levels when it comes to their hair. Bathing your dog with human shampoo can make the coat brittle and dull. The skin can also become dry, itchy and flake. To top all that off, you really aren't saving money, which is most people's reason for using human shampoo on their dogs in the first place. Check some of the prices of gallon or larger containers of dog shampoos and then add in the fact many of those are concentrated so you mix water with a small amount of dog shampoo. This means a gallon of dog shampoo will last a very long time. A medium sized dog can use up a bottle of human shampoo in about 3-4 baths and leave none for you!

In my experience, I just adore the Top Performance Fresh Pet shampoo. Raising redbone coonhounds, I have the added issue of the overactive sebaceous glands which cause a slight musky odor and oils which seem to attract everyday dirt and grime. Top Performance Fresh Pet shampoo gives them a fresh smell that lasts for a couple weeks vs the fresh smell that lasts a day or two with most shampoos. It also has wonderful oil fighting properties that cut the grime for a wonderfully soft and shiny coat. It is also inexpensive. I get compliments all the time about my dogs soft, shiny coats.

*Shown is 'PR' Ironwood Redneck Rampage and I all smiles after taking yet another Best of Breed win.

Yep, I know it. I said not to use human shampoos on our dogs. Well, to every rule there is an exception (or two). The best flea shampoo I've found to date is actually Johnson & Johnson Baby Shampoo. Yes, this super gentle shampoo is a total killer when it comes to fleas! Just lather it on generously and allow it to sit on your dog for 15-20 minutes before rinsing it out. Use a flea comb to get them all out of your dog's coat. Fleas are stunned before they die. You want to make sure these stunned fleas meet the same fate in the end.

The best part of using this shampoo as a flea shampoo is that it is safe to use on puppies (and cats/kittens!) who aren't yet old enough to be bathed with the chemical flea shampoos.

This section I hesitated to even include. Dry skin and coat is often a symptom of an underlying health problem for your dog. I first recommend your having any dog with a dry coat or dry skin issues evaluated by your veterinarian before experimenting with shampoos. If you 'cover up' the symptom, it could make the puzzle even harder to solve for your veterinarian if you bring them in after the dry shampoo treatment. Some reasons for dry skin and/or coat could be, but not limited to; allergies (often to grains), parasites and worms. These are just the common issues. Other far more serious conditions do exist and, often, the first symptom you will see are the skin and coat issues.

Your dog could just have dry skin and coat issues from using, egads, human shampoo! Just changing to the Fresh Pet shampoo above could show improvement.

Another cause could be diet. You must feed a quality diet to your dog in order to see a healthy coat and skin. Health begins on the inside but it is reflected on the outside. If you are already feeding a quality dog food, a grain-free food may be in order.

If your dog otherwise has a clean bill of health, a great shampoo for dry skin and coat is Plum Silky. My sister has such a dog and this shampoo works wonderful on her.

Another little known secret lies in your dog brush. A boar bristle brush will gloss up your dogs coat instantly. Well, that's no guarantee, of course but it has made an INSTANT gloss effect on all our dogs and all those we know who swear by them. It's like magic! (inexpensive magic!) Even on short coated dogs like my redbone coonhounds. *Shown here is future show dog 'PR' Ironwood Lady Liberty aka 'Libby'.