Sadly, our four-legged friends like nothing more than to roll around, getting mucky and smelly. So, it's important to ensure you maintain their hygiene at the highest level. Although dogs do clean themselves to a certain degree, bathing them regularly not only removes odors and dirt from their skin and coat, it also helps eliminate dandruff, fleas, damaged hair, and itchy, infected, or inflamed skin. There are so many products offering your dog a glossy coat and healthy skin that it’s hard to know which one to choose. To help you on your quest for the best shampoo, here are our top picks.
Buddy Wash dog shampoo & conditioner
Great all-arounder that cares for your pooch’s coat in an inexpensive way
This 2-in-1 dog shampoo and conditioner ticks all the boxes when it comes to cleaning and moisturizing your dog’s coat without reliance on nasty chemicals. Containing natural ingredients such as lavender, mint, chamomile, coconut oil, aloe vera, tea tree oil, sage, nettle, and rosemary, this shampoo hydrates and soothes while leaving your dog’s coat soft, nourished, clean, and smelling nice. This is a great all-around soap-free dog shampoo for both short and long-haired dogs that cleans without irritating.
Burt's Bees natural shampoo for dogs
Soothe your dog’s need to scratch with this natural moisturizing shampoo
This is a great option to moisturize your dog’s skin using only natural ingredients. This oatmeal shampoo with colloidal oat flour, beeswax, and honey not only relieves dry skin, but it boosts shine by nourishing your dog’s coat. With a pH-balanced formula designed for dog hair, it doesn't have the added fragrances, colors, or other nasties found in similar shampoos. This does mean you end up with a more natural dog smell than with other fragranced formulas, but it is likely to be a minor complaint if the result is a happy, relieved dog with soft hair and no more itching or chafing.
Earthbath oatmeal & aloe pet shampoo
Relieve those allergy-induced itches with this soap-free shampoo formula
With a balanced pH and a soap-free formula, this is a great way to combat any allergy-suffering dog’s sensitive skin and coat, provided they are over six weeks old. Containing oatmeal and organic aloe vera, it’s a safe yet effective way to clean and deodorize your pet while helping to combat irritation and moisturize dry skin. As well as not containing soap, this product also lacks gluten, DEA, parabens, synthetic dyes, sulfates, and phthalates to help reduce the chances of skin irritation and help deal with allergies.
Wahl pet friendly waterless no-rinse shampoo
Go water-free to relieve the stress of hydrophobic dogs
Does your dog hate baths? Is it often a two-person job? Reduce the torture and stress caused to shower-fearing dogs with this pet-friendly dry dog shampoo made from all-natural plant-based cleansers. Although you will still need to wash them, this is a great remedy to space those dreaded baths out, while still removing skin and hair detritus, preventing fleas and other parasites, and removing that unwanted doggy smell. Just lather up the dog using this shampoo foam, brush it through their hair, and dry them off with a towel. What could be simpler?
Honeydew natural dog and puppy shampoo with colloidal
Treat your newest family addition to some safe pampering
This vet-recommended puppy shampoo is only made with natural ingredients such as colloidal oatmeal, jojoba oil, and essential lavender oil to provide a soothing wash that thoroughly cleans puppy coats without stripping it of essential oils, leaving it dry. The lavender addition provides a gorgeous smelling coat (provided you like the smell of lavender, of course) without causing irritation.
That said, one word of caution: although this is designed to be hypoallergenic, some dogs (like some humans) can have a reaction to essential oils, but this is rare and usually only with puppies that have strong allergies or skin that’s very sensitive. This is rare, though, and for most puppies (and dogs), this is a safe, very gentle, effective solution for smelly pups.
Bio-Groom super white pet shampoo
Brighten up your dog's white coat the natural way
Is your once white-haired dog now looking stained, dull, or yellow? Many people think that white hair changes as dogs get older, but often it is just caused by ingrained dirt. While some dog-whitening shampoos contain strong bleaches to whiten hair, this option whitens using a gentler, safer method. The cleaners are derived from coconut oil that contains hydrolyzed proteins, which means it also has added nutrition for your dog’s coat. Additionally, there are no strong perfumes designed to mask the harsh chemical odors caused by some whitening shampoos, making this a great option to get your dog’s coat pearly white.
How to choose a dog shampoo
Why you can trust PetsRadar Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
When choosing a dog shampoo, you need to think about what problem you need it to solve. Is it to get rid of parasites, remedy a skin allergy, fix damaged hair, or just to get a luxurious, knot-free glossy coat that smells great? A great all-arounder that covers all these options and that won't break the bank is the Buddy Wash dog shampoo & conditioner.
Another quality dog shampoo that can relieve itchy skin conditions and, more importantly, isn’t a cause of them is Burt's Bees natural shampoo for dogs. Shampoos containing oatmeal (or just oats) will help with skin allergies because they are a very effective moisturizer. You should also consider Honeydew natural dog and puppy shampoo, which is a good choice for dogs of all ages.
Another ingredient to look for is aloe vera, which also acts as a skin-healing moisturizer that helps add a glossy shine to your dog’s coat. We recommend Earthbath oatmeal & aloe pet shampoo.
Lastly, remember dog’s fur and skin differs as much as human hair, so look for shampoos designed for your breed or your dog’s hair type for best results. Follow these tips, and your four-legged friend will soon have a full, healthy, shiny, odor-free coat, just as any best friend deserves.
