# Shampoo recommendations please



## joeinca (Mar 19, 2015)

Anyone have shampoo they recommend. My puppy is healthy with no issues. She gets so dirty so I'm looking for a good deodorizing shampoo. Looking for something highly rated. Thought about just grabbing something off the shelf but if there's something outstanding, I'd like to know so i can try it.

Thanks.


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## Fodder (Oct 21, 2007)

earth bath products are really good and easy to find - used them for about a decade only recently switching to tea tree naturals sandalwood spice which I looooove! only problem is that I get it from work so I'm not sure how readily available it is on the market. it's great stuff tho!


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## Magwart (Jul 8, 2012)

For a healthy dog, I have found nothing better than Wondercide's REPEL bar soap (which was recently renamed "Flea & Tick" soap...same stuff, as far as I can tell):
Flea & Tick Natural Shampoo Bar for Pets with Citronella & Geranium

(I haven't tried the other scents, but I wouldn't hesitate to give them a shot, as this company is first rate.)

It's good for pets AND people, all-natural coconut oil-based, infused with neem, citronella and geranium to gently repel fleas, ticks and mosquitoes, great smelling, and EASY. I was skeptical about a bar soap when I first got it -- I've used bottled dog shampoo for years. I was converted to switching to the bar after the first bath. It is SO much easier to use, the bath is done in half the time. It rinses cleanly too. (Tip: I put it in a mesh bag (like the kind garlic comes in) to make it grippy.)

I'm seriously in love with this product. If anyone's ever gone through the aggravation of trying to use other natural products like Dr. Bronners which are way too thin, and end up getting too much too easily while a dog is wiggling and trying to jump out of the tub--this is the solution. Since the shampoo is in a bar, you actually the ability to keep both hands on the dog with out constantly reaching for a bottle.


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## Fodder (Oct 21, 2007)

interesting Mag. how many baths is a bar good for?


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## middleofnowhere (Dec 20, 2000)

I use a castile soap. A bar is less than $2 last time I bought one. Someone gave me a "Bud's Suds" bar, too. Castile is gentle and natural. A bar is easier to use than I initially thought, too.


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## Magwart (Jul 8, 2012)

It lasts a loooong time -- much longer than a normal 8 oz bottle of shampoo. I can't remember if I'm still on my first bar or my second. I have probably had this one for at least a year --it's so long ago that I can't remember when I ordered it. My last Wondercide order cfm still in my in box was March '15, but I didn't order soap in that one, so it would have had to have been last fall. 

FWIW, I don't bathe my dogs frequently (only when they need it -- usually because they've been in the mud, or if the summer heat and humidity has brought out funky smells).


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## WIBackpacker (Jan 9, 2014)

Magwart said:


> I'm seriously in love with this product. *If anyone's ever gone through the aggravation of trying to use other natural products like Dr. Bronners which are way too thin, and end up getting too much too easily while a dog is wiggling and trying to jump out of the tub--this is the solution.* Since the shampoo is in a bar, you actually the ability to keep both hands on the dog with out constantly reaching for a bottle.


 Haha. Well, Magwart hit the nail on the head. 

I use Dr. Bronners (mint) for the occasional bath my dogs require. No irritation, non-drying, and I always have it on hand since I use it on myself. That being said, it is a thin liquid, and "portion control" can be a challenge - a little bit goes a long way.


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## kshadow (Oct 25, 2015)

I use Nootie. His skin is amazing, his fur is amazing and he smells so good for at least a week. I love this shampoo. I don't have to bath him much maybe every 3 to 4 months. The spray conditioner is great if you want between baths. I bought the conditioner and used it once only when he was meeting grandma for the first time. It smells really good but he doesn't really need it.


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## Fodder (Oct 21, 2007)

dr bronners is available in a bar as well, tho I've found it not to be as fragrant as the liquid.

it leaves my hair and my long coats hair feeling full and stripped. apparently I'm in the minority... but we no longer use it as shampoo in my home.


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## Apoolutz (Jan 19, 2013)

Wondercide repel bar soap, absolutely love it, I will never mess with a bottle of shampoo again.


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## N Smith (Aug 25, 2011)

I use a variety of things, though I prefer getting gallons of Best Shot Ultra, Tropiclean (Color Enhance Shampoo, Kiwi Conditioner) and Panagenics (expensive!). I haven't tried them, but I have heard fantastic reviews about the Chubs bath bars.

The earth bath products are ok, I found them gentle, but not strong enough to really clean my Shepherds.

My go to is my Tropiclean. I purchased 1 gallon of Shampoo concentrate and 1 gallon of Kiwi conditioner concentrate (smells like coconut and leaves dogs REALLY shiny), that was LAST year ($120 for both)! I then just mix my concentrate into smaller jugs and use that a single bath per dog. It is not recommended that mixes are left sitting, as they will collect bacteria/separate etc. So you should use a fresh mix for each bath.

The best tip I ever got for ensuring a crisp, extra clean, deodorized coat, was 1 cup of baking soda into a 4 gallon jug of water. Shake until the baking soda is desolved and pour over the dog from the ears down (avoid eyes and face). Works like a charm every time! I use this following my conditioner at bath time, let sit for 10 minutes while I massage in, then one final rinse.

My other "secret weapon" is the Yuppy Puppy Bath brush. It is absolutely amazing at getting coats clean and cuts down time and product used. Its a very simple concept that has changed my bathing routines for the better. Because my coats are clean, my drying time is cut in half and my coats are nicer in general and easier to scissor (for my Poms).


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## joeinca (Mar 19, 2015)

Thanks for all the great suggestions! I found all of them on Amazon...just need to pick one now. I do like the idea of a soap bar...but I'll need a mesh bag of some sort to keep it in.


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## joeinca (Mar 19, 2015)

N Smith said:


> I use a variety of things, though I prefer getting gallons of Best Shot Ultra, Tropiclean (Color Enhance Shampoo, Kiwi Conditioner) and Panagenics (expensive!). I haven't tried them, but I have heard fantastic reviews about the Chubs bath bars.
> 
> The earth bath products are ok, I found them gentle, but not strong enough to really clean my Shepherds.
> 
> ...



1 Yuppy Puppy brush added to cart! Thanks!


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## N Smith (Aug 25, 2011)

joeinca said:


> 1 Yuppy Puppy brush added to cart! Thanks!


Welcome  Honestly, best $20 I ever spent on dog grooming supplies!


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## Fodder (Oct 21, 2007)

the yuppy puppy brush really? is it easy to clean out from dog hair or does it just not accumulate as much as I'm imagining?

I'm a zoom groomer myself... for baths specifically, don't use it for grooming otherwise.


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## N Smith (Aug 25, 2011)

Fodder said:


> the yuppy puppy brush really? is it easy to clean out from dog hair or does it just not accumulate as much as I'm imagining?
> 
> I'm a zoom groomer myself... for baths specifically, don't use it for grooming otherwise.


I chucked my zoom groom out the window after my first bath with the Yuppy Puppy lol. In my experience, especially for prepping show coats, the YP brush gets the coat WAY, WAY cleaner than the zoom groom and I have never dropped the brush (whereas my zoom groom takes regular trips around the sink/tub/bathroom lol)

A certain amount of hair comes out in the brush, but is cleaned out easily with a poodle comb, greyhound comb, or good water pressure.

If I have a dog blowing coat, I clean it while Shampoo sits, then while conditioner sits. It doesn't accumulate so much that you have to keep stopping to clean it out. You can scrub the whole dog before cleaning it out. When they aren't blowing coats, I can do all 5 Poms straight through and take out the tiny bit of coat at the end.

I do follow the deshed process that Jody Murphy details in her DVD though, as it is an amazing process that REALLY makes a difference in the amount of loose coat released during grooming.


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