I use either baby shampoo or Best of Breed that I get at Walmart. B of B smells like apples and works great. For heck heck of it I tried it on my hair. And it makes my hair easy to style.

Crazy Dog has a wild cherry shampoo that smells great. And Biogroom has a wild honeysuckle shampoo and cologne that I like. You would probably have to order it from a catalog but showseasons clean shampoo is great and smells really good and coat handler clarifying shampoo is awesome but it doesn't have much scent.

Lisa

Cute doggies!

I use oatmeal shampoo...don't remember the brand though. I love the smell. When I'm out of that I use Johnson baby shampoo (lavender scented).

The one we're using now is Pawluxury "intensive deodorizing melon shampoo." It seems to rinse clean and the scent is nice.

I use Garnier Fructis shampoo on my sheltie. Yeah, it's my shampoo, hope that doesn't seem too terribly wrong. I follow the shampoo rinse with Pantene conditioner (mine too), which helps untangle her fur and makes her smell like HEAVEN. I do rinse it thoroughly, but for a few days afterward, she just smells soooooo good. The closest thing I can find to that Pantene smell is the Dungeness Ranch dog product called Aromatherapy Spa conditioning spray, which I use to freshen up her scent.

You really should not be using human shampoo on a dog, and I think you know that. Using it because it "just smells sooooo good" doesn't sound like you're really considering your dog's health. This is why they make dog shampoos, and there are TONS to pick from. Baby shampoo is fine to use (and smells GREAT!), but not Pantene and Garnier Fructis!

Human shampoo is not as gentle and can strip the natural oils of the dog's coat...it's way too drying. Also, human shampoos have a different pH level and often use harsher detergents than pet shampoos. They consist of chemicals that are very irritating to a dog's skin. The consequences? Your dog can develop many problems, including rashes and itching. Human shampoo should be used as a last resort...like once in a while or when you run out of dog shampoo.

There are GREAT smelling shampoos out there that are specially formulated for dogs, and will not hurt the dog's coat or skin.

I used baby shampoo in the past. I bought a bottle of Buddy Wash as a splurge and I like it.

I don't like perfumey or fruity smells on anything, so I prefer the green tea one over the lavendar.

Here is a link that might be useful: Buddy Wash

I'm not convinced that pet shampoos are formulated so scientifically or that human shampoo won't do. I've heard it and read it, but I question everything, especially marketing ploys - I mean I'm a raw feeder and most vets pooh-pooh that too. I use cheap Suave shampoos and conditioners on my dog. Next time I'm in the pet store I'll read the ingredients on the "dog" shampoos and see if that changes my mind any.

I use Suave too. We have a lot of rentals and people leave behind a variety of shampoos and we use those too. My dogs have healthy coats.

We use Kenic's Sno-Flake on our apricot girl and Bio-Groom's Fluffy Puppy around her face and all over on our black boy. They smell okay but no big fancy smell but they do keep them odor free all week. Bio-Groom is kinda runny. I preferred the Kenic Fluffy Puppy but KV Vet doesn't carry it.

Each bottle would cost about $10 at a pet store but I order them from KV VET and they run about $4 a bottle if you order 3 at a time. Since we bath weekly, it is worth it. Checkout their website as their prices are really good for Kong toys, Air dogs, Nyla bones and greenies.

buddy wash and buddy rinse - makes the dogs smell like lavender bushes and they dont seem to want to rub it off ten seconds after a bath

I recently got this "recipe" from another list, the girl that posted it used to work for a groomer, and this was they used:

4 oz regular dawn dish soap
2 capfuls of glycrein
2 oz of a mild conditioner/cream rinse

mix well

another friend told me to throw a handful of Epsom Salts in the bath tub and fill part way with warm water (how much depends on the size of your do, less for a smaller breed)

I have used this combo 2x now, and it seems to work well on a Scottie's hair.

There is not nearly as big a difference between pet shampoo and people shampoo as we have been led to believe. The only problem I would have with Dawn is if you bathe frequently then it is very likely to strip too much of the oils from the dogs coat. That said we do use it for greasy ears and the like.

Lisa

I, too, doubt the whole human vs dog shampoo thing. After all, I shampoo 3 to 5 timea a week, the dogs get a bath 3 to 5 times a year. Who will have/need the milder shampoo?

Well, if you're bathing a dog 3-5 times a year that's a different story altogether. In that case, I guess it really doesn't matter WHAT you bathe your dog with! I mean, if you bathe your dog once every 3 or 4 months, using human shampoo won't cause any kind of irritation (it lies in the same category of using human shampoo, or any kind of shampoo, "once in a while"). But I sure wouldn't want to touch your dog!

My dogs get washed about once a month sometimes more, just depends. Twice in a day if they need it.

My dogs get a bath about every two weeks but a lot of show dogs are bathed and groomed every day and a lot of the handlers use human products.

Lisa

Wow - I had no idea so many people used people products! Sounds like at the rate I bathe that would have been fine. I did end up buying the Dungeness Ranch Aromatherapy stuff, mainly because I love the way it smells in the bottle. I'm definitely going to switch off on some of these other suggestions though. Thanks!!!! :-)

I have generally neat dogs. They get brushed regularly and if they get dirty, they are wiped clean. When they come in wet from being outside, they get toweled dry. They do not smell. Casey sleeps with me, curled up against my belly when it is cold out. There is nothing disagreeable about them that would indicate that they need baths. Why would essentially indoor dogs without smells need full baths more often than three or four times a year?

Anybody else have dogs who don't need bathing?

Here is a link that might be useful: Casey, Toby, and Bina

Nancy, regarding dogs who don't need bathing: My dearly departed boy sheltie, Cutter, rarely needed bathing. He was an indoor dog, and I gave him a bath every few months. He had no smell and wasn't greasy in any way; we could barely keep people from plunging their hands into his fur, exclaiming how soft he was. He was a naturally clean dog.

Now, my new girl sheltie, Zoey, she's had a few baths since I got her almost 2 months ago, and after petting her, she still feels a little dirty to me. Not like "my hands are now coated in dirt from petting her", but like there's just the slightest hint of residue/greasiness on her, and a faint doggie smell. It's not the same fresh fluffiness Cutter always had. She gets bathed with the same shampoo & conditioner I used on Cutter, but the two dogs came from two different backgrounds, so I guess it could be a lot of things.

Casey, Toby, & Bina are adorable! Thanks for that daily dose of cuteness.

I'm happy to hear that others use human shampoo on their dogs as well. The main ingredients in my shampoo are the same main ingredients in dog shampoo.... gentle effective cleansers. ^_^

I bath my lab about 4-5 times a year. Brushing helps keep her clean. But Labs are easy to keep clean because they have a constantly shedding coat. And they blow coat twice a year. That keeps them clean. Dogs who shed a lot need less bathing. I spend more time cleaning the lab's ears, than I do bathing her.

Some dogs don't shed, so they need more baths.

My little bitty terrier doesn't have much hair. You can see her skin under her hair. I don't really brush her, 'cuz there's not much to brush. I wipe her down with a washcloth. And she is so small, I can put her in the kitchen sink if I need to rinse her off. I probably do that about once a month.

Our old hound dog was constantly rolling in the dirt, he liked being dusty and dirty. Of course, as he got older he was less rambunctious and he stayed cleaner longer.

My smooth-haired doxie keeps very clean also. But sometimes he likes to roll in smelly things...

The only thing worse than a skunk sprayed dog is wiping off bits of rotten flesh, gelatinous fat, and bits of bone that are ground into and stuck to the hair on your dogs back...

hound lovers unite!

Well I just used the Dungeness Ranch Aromatherapy Shampoo and spray conditioner and I have to admit my pack of pooches smell better then ever and I can't believe how soft they are!! The Shampoo didn't soap up as well as I'd like, but I couldn't be happier with the spray. Looks like once this bottle of Shampoo is gone I'm going to try one of the cheaper suggestions above, but the spray is here to stay. :-)

Joepyeweed, gotta love those hounds! Toby and Casey are both part Beagle or other hound. They used to roll in things, but never got the chance to roll in dead animals. I do not envy you having to clean that stuff off a dog! THe hound part that my boys have kept is the best part - baying together in the morning at the rising sun or at people outside.

My Casey is just meticulous about his grooming. He washes himself all the time and is especiall concerned that he have clean feet. He sucks them. It is not an allergy irritation, he never continues cleaning his feet long enough to irritate them.

All three of our furbabies shed like crazy.

one of my favorite sprays is from naturalgroomer.com and it is the Eau De K9- it has a floral smell but it one of the longest lasting sprays I have used. They also have The Boss- for the manly dog but I think it is overpowering and a little too manly.
I like the Bright Magic from Top Performance- it smells and cleans great. It keeps my white dogs super white. I use the Dark Beauty for our Rottie and it makes his coat so shiny and smells lovely. I buy by the gallon, I bathe weekly even though they are indoor they still smell doggy.

Yes, dead animals and horse poop are my hound's favorites. I keep him away from those, but sometimes he'll find some nasty-smelling patch of grass at the park and practically flips over and lands on his back in the middle of it before I know what's what. Sigh.

gabro14, You still have me steamed. My velvet-coated Casey Jones wants to tell you that by refusing to touch him you are missing out on one of the most cuddly, warm, loving, soft and CLEAN canine experiences out there.

Here is a link that might be useful: Mr. Jones

Nancy- I'm sorry you're steamed. I have always been able to tolerate a stinky dog better than a stinky attitude. I think Casey is adorable and I would pet him stinky or not- I would even kiss that sweet face. Some dogs don't need to be bathed frequently- some dogs are smelly and some aren't.
My dad has two outdoor dogs- they get a bath maybe 2 times a year. The rest of the time they dip in the lake. To get dirty they roll in dead carcass of what they may find on the land- oh the stench is bad then. They normally don't smell horrible just very doggie-unless they just found carcass.
I'm not above them to not pet them stinky or not- they just asked to be loved and petted. It takes a matter of minutes for me to wash my hands.

We, too, very seldom bathe our dogs. It took me a long, long time to figure out that the less I bathe them, the less they need to be bathed.

My first clue came when I was visiting an acquaintance who lives on a farm and has a big, wrinkly bloodhound. I had always thought of bloodhounds as stinky because the ones I knew always had nastiness growing in their wrinkles. This one smelled wonderful. I asked how often they had to bathe him to keep him smelling so good, and I was shocked when they told me they had never bathed him! This dog was six years old and never had a bath! How could it possibly smell so good?! They explained that bathing makes them smell worse over time. They brushed him regularly and wiped off any dirt he accumulated from being outside. They rinsed him with a hose if he got particularly muddy. They also fed him well (an all raw diet). I didn't believe them at first, but they did have some pretty good evidence, so I started looking into it.

What I discovered was that dogs' skin doesn't have the same stinky glands that humans' skin has to create "B.O." What makes dogs' skin stink is irritations caused by stripping the natural oils from their skin with shampoo, whether dog or human. After a dog is shampooed and its skin stripped of its natural oils, the skin goes into overdrive trying to restore these oils. It also develops dry and flaky areas of dead skin that accumulate and smell, or areas that get moist and develop skin infections like the previous stinky bloodhounds I had encountered.

I started experimenting with my dogs, who I had previously bathed about once a month. The next time I thought they were due for a bath, I skipped it and, instead, gave them a very thorough brushing (they are all short-haired dogs, so brushing isn't an everyday event for them). As time went on, I notice that not only did they not smell any worse, they were starting to smell BETTER. I kept this up for about six months. Then, one day, some little critter died in our yard, and of course my dogs all felt compelled to roll in the dead thing (why do they do that?! ugh!!). They stunk and they were NOT coming back in my house smelling like that, so they all got a bath. About three weeks after their bath, I noticed that some of the old funky dog smell that had made me want to bathe them more regularly had returned. Instead of succumbing to the temptation to bathe them again, I brushed them and waited it out. Sure enough, the funk disappeared.

Right now, it has probably been over a year since their last bath, but their coats are more gorgeous and odor-free than ever. They spend the vast majority of their time inside. They are on an excellent diet, which makes a huge difference, and they are in excellent health. They still get wiped down with a damp towel or an occasional baby wipe if they get into dirt, but we avoid baths. The less I shampoo my dogs, the less they need to be shampooed.

Take a look at the condition of this bath-free coat...

Nancy,

Sorry you're steamed, but the "not touching your dog thing" was meant as a joke. And a lot of people on this forum agreed that bathing infrequently is the norm for them too. So what are you so steamed about? I'm just one person with one opinion.

I bathe my dog about once a month (sometimes once every 2 months if I'm lazy). She NEVER smells either, but I just think that dogs should be bathed more frequently than a few times a year....they walk outside and get touched by tons of people and things, and I don't think brushing alone will really *clean* a dog....their coat might look nice and shiny, but dirt still accumulates on it. Just my opinion, and nobody is right or wrong in this. I also take my dog to the dog park and we go camping a lot...so even though most of our dogs are "indoor dogs", they still go outside daily (even if just for walks).

Oh, and your dog is adorable...there is no denying that (but I'm definitely not missing out on one of the most "cuddly, warm, loving, and soft canine experiences out there"...look below and you'll see that I'm already experiencing it :))

Please don't take my opinion personally.

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Gabro, your own dog looks like chocolate silk, I am glad you have him/her.

I guess I am having a sensitive week (don't ask) and sometimes humor is hard to discern in writing - which is why they have emoticons, I guess ;-)

Holigator, that is an interesting story. It is good to hear what you have learned about bathing. I find that brushing and a rubdown when coming in wet does the trick.

I use Johnson's baby shampoo in between groomings. She smells nice... Once she's dry.

I have a 12 year old beagle that sheds,hates being groomed and only gets a wipe down when she decides to get into something smelly. She has a lovley, neutral smell. Bernie is a 57#, 6 month old golden who has a truly gamey body odor. The breeder "cleaned" him when we got him but he didn't feel clean and he smelled bad. We've given him a couple of baths since and he feels clean and soft but stinks! I've been told Goldens are smelly and that this is a male/testosterone thing.I am hoping this musky odor will lessen after he is neutered but if it doesn't what else can we do?

I use Mane & Tail shampoo & conditioner on my dogs. It's got a pleasent smell, but not too perfume-y. It also leaves them feeling sooooo soft!

I'm another who only bathes my dogs maybe 4 or 5 times a year. I have a long haired St. Bernard & a beagle/cocker spanial mix. Neither of them get stinky unless they roll in something, which doesn't happen often since they have a fenced-in backyard to play in while outside. I used to bathe my SB frequently b/c of his long hair, but found that it irritated his skin. Now, I brush when needed & of course towel dry when he's been in the rain. I clean my dog's ears frequently b/c they can get stinky if left alone, but bathing is limited to summer time (May or June to Sept. or Oct.) and only a few times at that. I also shave my SB during the summer b/c of his intolerance to heat, so this helps renew his coat & keeps him smelling good! :)

I have only bathed my Iggy once in the year and a half I've had him, and that was after he rolled in coyote poop. He reeked. He does well just having stuff like that wiped off with a cloth.

My last dog was a different story, because he was a long haired Schnauzer. It's true that most funky dog aromas are the result of skin conditions.....but I found that sleeping on dirty bedding is also a big factor. So, I'd change the oil in his sheets along with our human laundry. LOL. The older he got the more I tended toward really mild and neutral shampoos. I usually used Castille soap...it doesn't get much milder than that.

i use johnson & johnson oatmeal baby wash.It is no tears also. I have a bichon & a havanese and they are allergy prone. Ralfsmom

We just started using Earthbath on our schnauzers, and they get oatmeal shampoo at the groomer's. They are bathed about twice a month, which includes the bath at the groomer's. My male has terrible skin issues (mostly itching) and needs something mild and non-irritating. So far so good, and it smells good too.

I think that it's worth mentioning that Baby Shampoo is not a non-allergenic shampoo, as we would be led to believe. It is simply pH adjusted so that it doesn't sting the eyes. It has all of the stuff in it that is now reported to be potentially dangerous. This is true with most of the well-known brands of baby soaps/shampoos. "No Tears" doesn't mean "no allergens".

A pure Castile soap, with no additives such as fragrances, is the safest product for people and pets with allergies.

I like Green Mountain soap (liquid and bar soap). It's made locally in my city. It is not pH adjusted, so it will sting the eyes....from what the makers tell me. I manage to keep it out of my eyes.

You may enjoy using Doggie Sudz shampoo by Austin Rose. It's specifically for dogs, gentle for the skin, all natural and even vegan certified.

Here is a link that might be useful: Doggie Sudz by Austin Rose

I agree with Gina, Lisa and others that there is no difference between dog and human shampoos, and I've used both interchangably (and on my horses too!) over the years and decades with no ill effects for any of us. PH is mostly determined by the water used to rinse and it has little effect on anything.

Back to the question of which dog shampoos I like... My favorite was a cherry pomegranite shampoo from Pet Effects that has been discontinued. They also made a "holiday special" shampoo one year called "sugar plum" that smelled sooo nice.

I like the coconut smelling white pet shampoo sold by Petco and it makes my collie's white fur dazzlingly bright (like any white pet shampoo containing laundry blueing.)

My favorite dog shampoo is the very economical Hartz conditioning shampoo sold at KMart that made my little sheltie smell like a tropical flower.

Hi there, I use Honey Oatmeal Shampoo for my Bernese Kennel. It works like a charm. I never looked for another brand again. I used to order it from one of my friends who makes organic soaps and shampoo. I was hesitant in trying it out but it worked out pretty good for his coat. For the conditioner, i tried ordering from http://humanheartnature.com/ and so far they're pretty good. I hope this helps.