# Shampoos & Conditioners



## kennajo (May 20, 2011)

What do you all like to use?


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## Josie/Zeus (Nov 6, 2000)

John Paul - Paul Mitchell


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## Samba (Apr 23, 2001)

Miraclecoat shampoo

# 1 All Systems Botanical Conditioner


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## elisabeth_00117 (May 17, 2009)

Earthbath, Mango Tango

Mango Tango Shampoo


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

I use several different shampoos & conditioners according to coat type.

For most GSDs, I like Laube Bloomin' Orange. It smells good, cuts through dirt and excessive oils, rinses cleanly, and leaves the coat with a nice shine. It also kills fleas. It's very economical as it dilutes 50:1.

For GSDs with dry or sensitive skin, I like Coat Handler 15:1 Clarifying Shampoo or 5:1 Maintenance shampoo. It's mild, hypoallergenic, tearless, and will not strip the coat. This is my main shampoo that I use on most dogs, especially poodles, as it tends to leave the coat fluffy.

I have a couple other specialty shampoos that I use for skin conditions, Espree Tar & Sulfa for oily, scaley, itchy skin, Tropical Oatmeal for dry, flaky, itchy skin.

Baking soda is an excellent shampoo booster, I use it on almost every bath. Since I have a bathing machine that mixes shampoo and water together and then pumps the mixture through a hose, I can simply add a scoop of baking soda into the solution. Fluffs the coat, attacks odors, and raises the pH to better match the dog's natural pH, so it tends to be soothing.

For conditioners, my favorite one for dry skin is Coat Handler Leave-in Conditioner. You dilute it 15:1, pour it over the dog, and leave it in to dry. It doesn't increase drying time or leave an oily residue like some conditioners can. For matted spots, I work it in full strength, let it sit a minute and rinse lightly.

I also make a solution with Lanolin, Jojoba oil, and lavender/cedar essential oils for a "hot oil" type treatment. Mixed with water and alcohol, this is also great as a finishing spray after the bath during brushout--helps detangle, slick up the hair a bit, and adds body and shine. A little goes a long way. It's fantastic for poodles as it really helps the hair straighten and stand up nicely for scissoring.


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

Earthbath is a really nice product also, as is Allergroom.


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## Danielle609 (Jun 18, 2011)

my sister has a chocolate lab and swears by the furminator shampoo and conditioner

FURminator deShedding Ultra Premium Shampoo


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## Greydusk (Mar 26, 2010)

I'm using Earthbath-Green tea leaf. I like the scent, but would like to try some different Earthbath shampoo's after this bottles gone.


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## SummerwoodSoaps (Feb 3, 2011)

I have been using my own shampoo bars on Stella (GSD) and Sumo (border collie). They are made with detergents and are not soap like I sell (which has too high a ph for dogs). I make sure to not use any silicones on the dogs and follow it with a conditioner bar that I leave on the fur. The bar form is so much easier for me to use than liquid. I use lavender and peppermint essential oil blend. I only bath them if they are dirty though, or the time Stella rolled and rolled in a dead chicken.


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

SummerwoodSoaps said:


> The bar form is so much easier for me to use than liquid.


Back when I was a kid and before I was a groomer, I also found that dog shampoo in the bar form was much easier to use. Not sure if they still make it but I think I used Hartz Flea Soap. It was probably a terrible product,  but when you don't have bathing equipment or even a tub, it is easier and probably less wasteful to use a bar than liquid. I'd be interested to know how you make your dog soap bars!


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

Danielle609 said:


> my sister has a chocolate lab and swears by the furminator shampoo and conditioner
> 
> FURminator deShedding Ultra Premium Shampoo


I used to use a similar product made by Best Shot, it is probably a similar formula. The Best Shot Ultra Wash uses silicones to slick up the coat and aids in de-shedding. Some people feel that silicones are damaging to the coat, I personally use them very sparingly.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

any dog shampoo that's natural or organic.
i've never used a conditioner.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

is this shampoo and conditioner for animals??? LOL



Josie/Zeus said:


> John Paul - Paul Mitchell


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## sagelfn (Aug 13, 2009)

Earthbath!! I have used puppy, Aloe & Oatmeal, Green Tea Leaf and have some Mango Tango for his next bath. So far I like them all.


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## spidermilk (Mar 18, 2010)

I have only ever tried Johnson Baby's Shampoo (right after getting him) and then MiracleCoat with Tea Tree Oil.

I am happy with the MiracleCoat- I don't bath Dax a lot (hardly at all, haven't all summer) but when I do it is because it is winter and he has dry skin and is itching. It really seemed to help moisturize for a long time. I gave my parent's Westie a bath with it too (he has sensitive skin and gets dirty easily...) and it worked wonderfully. I would like to try the Earthbath products though if I ever get through with this bottle of MiracleCoat.


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## kennajo (May 20, 2011)

I bathed Rocky yesterday (after swimming at the lake) today he feels a little oily. He had really dry flaky skin when I brought him home from breeder at 8 wks but that is getting better. He has 1 hot spot patch that the vet thinks was probably an ant bite so I am watching him close. Thanks for the replys


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

I like Miracle Coat as well, then poof them out with Mink Oil or "The Stuff"


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## Good_Karma (Jun 28, 2009)

I love Earthbath, although I have tried a few, including that Mane and Tail stuff, which wasn't too bad. But Earthbath products remain my favorite.


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## SummerwoodSoaps (Feb 3, 2011)

Can anyone who has the earthbath shampoo tell me what the bottle says the ingredients are? I lookEd at the web site and there is a lot of missing info there. First off, what coconut based detergents are they using? There are a lot of different ones out there, some harsh and some gentle enough for babies. And mango essence? What is that? Mango butter or oil? It can't be an essential oil because there is no such thing as mango essential oil. Are they trying to pass the fragrance off as an essential oil? Not cool there. And olive squalene is NOT a preservative. At best it isan antioxidant which slows the oxidation of oils but does not prevent the growth mold or bacteria.


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## Good_Karma (Jun 28, 2009)

I have the oatmeal and aloe formula. These are the ingredients listed on the bottle:

Purified water
natural cleansers
colloidal oatmeal (3%)
aloe vera
almond and vanilla essences
olive oil squalene (preservative)
All ingredients are natural. 100% biodegradable. Contains no DEA, parabens, phosphates, synthetic dyes, or perfumes.

I'm guessing from your screen name you know a thing or two about soaps. Your insight into the ingredients list is intriguing. You may have a point on the mis-characterization of some of the ingredients, but in your opinion, how does Earthbath compare to other dog shampoos?


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

The problem with dog shampoo is that they are not required by the FDA to give a full ingredient list like they do with human shampoo. Some do, but most just give an abbreviated list of what is in the product, and they don't have to disclose everything. So when they say something like "natural cleansers", you have no idea what that actually IS. And some contain "proprietary" ingredients that they do not have to disclose.

I have tried dozens and dozens of different shampoos on hundreds of different coat types. Since settling down with Coat Handler, I haven't had a single issue with irritation, dryness, or sensitivity to the shampoo or conditioner. So whatever is in their formula, I am satisfied with. It isn't cheap, but this is my livelihood.


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## MrsWoodcock (Oct 21, 2010)

YES! I know this because im a hairstylist, and came across it lol 

Products For Improved Pet Care | JP Pet



doggiedad said:


> is this shampoo and conditioner for animals??? LOL


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

My favorite brand is Les Poochs. It's hard to find though because it's mostly marketed towards groomers. It makes their coats feel really nice, shine like crazy and smells SO good... I like the Le Pooch Puppy (male scent) shampoo/conditioner because I like the scent of that one the best. For my tri-colored terrier I used the Pooch Bright (white dog shampoo) and it worked really well at getting his coat bright white and shiny on the non-white parts without harsh ingredients.

Others I've used that gave good results were Animal Naturals True Colors shampoo, Chris Christensen, and Fresh n Clean creme rinse.

I've also done a sugar scrub on Bianca with pretty good results... I got the recipe from a groomers forum.


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## SummerwoodSoaps (Feb 3, 2011)

I can't really comment on it because I have never used it before. It looks to be only water and detergents as the active ingredients, no protiens, conditioners or silicones. I am willing to bet that the real preservative is hidden in whatever essence they are using. The squalene being at the end of the list is most likely around 1/2%, the essence at 1-2%. The water can be anywhere from 70-90% of the formula. The rest would be the detergents. The detergents I use are also made from coconut oil, though I do not consider any detergent natural. I also use mango and cocoa butter, silk protiens, and cetyl alcohol (conditioners) in my bars. 

If you like it and it works though, use it


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## SummerwoodSoaps (Feb 3, 2011)

If you like a cream rinse, you can use any conditioner made for daily use. Avoid the deep moisture types will have stuff that can build up on their coats.


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## sable123 (Jul 11, 2010)

I like the Christensen products, specifically Clean Start.


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## Josie/Zeus (Nov 6, 2000)

MrsWoodcock said:


> YES! I know this because im a hairstylist, and came across it lol
> 
> Products For Improved Pet Care | JP Pet


Yes, I only got to use it twice on Odin though.


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## tintallie (Aug 6, 2008)

I have used so far: earthbath puppy and the oatmeal&aloe? formulas, cloudstar buddy wash in lavender/mint, and SheaPet's Sulfate-Free Shea Butter Shampoo. It's not so much about my dog having sensitive skin, as it being me having sensitive skin and needing something that is free of sodium lauryl or laureth sulfate.

So far, I liked the SheaPet one the best, but it's not very popluar and only the odd place sells it.


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## Verivus (Nov 7, 2010)

I like chris christensen products.


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

tintallie said:


> It's not so much about my dog having sensitive skin, as it being me having sensitive skin and needing something that is free of sodium lauryl or laureth sulfate.


Yeah, that's the thing with me--since I have my hands in the shampoo all day, it's got to be something that's mild and won't dry out MY skin too much. That's why I was thrilled to discover Laube Bloomin' Orange--a shampoo for dirty, stinky dogs that cuts through grime and kills fleas, yet doesn't strip the natural skin oils. Before that, dirty/greasy dogs got a Dawn bath, which cracks my skin something fierce.


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## tintallie (Aug 6, 2008)

Found the MSDS for the Laube Bloomin Orange and it contains BOTH sodium lauryl and laureth sulfates, plus cocoamide diethanolamide (DEA)!

Bloomin Orange Shampoo

I could never use something like Dawn dish "soap". It's such a misnomer to call everything soap when it's a surfactant and detergent but not soap (which is a product of saponification). Unfortunately, real soap does produce soap scum with hard water...


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

tintallie said:


> Found the MSDS for the Laube Bloomin Orange and it contains BOTH sodium lauryl and laureth sulfates, plus cocoamide diethanolamide (DEA)!
> 
> Bloomin Orange Shampoo


Interesting! Well, however they formulate it, it does a great job cleaning the filthy critters without drying my hands. That is my litmus test for shampoo--how are my hands after a day of using it? If they are not dry and scaley, I feel pretty secure that it won't strip the oil out of a dog's coat.

It is not a tearless shampoo (I know because I've gotten it in my eyes more than once!) so I do have to be careful using it near the dog's face. Like I said, it's not my "regular" shampoo--Coat Handler fills that bill--Bloomin' Orange is for the dirty-stinky-greasy-flea-ridden customers.  I do like to use it on my GSDs, though, as my own dogs don't get bathed as often as they should. Go figure.


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## sable123 (Jul 11, 2010)

Verivus said:


> I like chris christensen products.


Clean Start is the best for heavy coated dogs and a great deal. I use it on all the dogs.


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## SummerwoodSoaps (Feb 3, 2011)

The detergents/surfactants I like to use are Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Cocoyl Isethioniate and Sodium Lauryl Sulphoacetate (all three are made from coconut oil). They are what I use in our personal shampoo too. I don't know if the Earthbath uses any of these or not. These tend to be much more expensive to use than sodium lauryl sulfates. 

Freestep, have your ever used a lotion bar on your hands? I love to use lotion bars on my hands when I have washing all my soap pots out. They get really dry and scaly because the stuff in left in the pots haven't finished the saponification process and is very harsh. I much prefer to use them than regular water based lotions. 

What kind of things do you look for when you buy a dog shampoo?


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## tintallie (Aug 6, 2008)

I have also used the Happy Tails Spa shampoo line and it contains the Cocoamidopropyl Betaine and Decyl Glucoside. This comes in normal sizes and the groomer sized gallon jugs I think.


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## SummerwoodSoaps (Feb 3, 2011)

I got some Decyl Glucoside a couple of weeks ago to play with  It is supposed to be a very nice, mild surfactant that is plant based. Combined with the Coco Bet, it should make a very nice shampoo. 

Anyone use a foam shampoo?


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## SummerwoodSoaps (Feb 3, 2011)

I just took a look at the Happy Trails shampoo ( I looked at the oameal one) and it looks to be a very good, balanced product and they seem to be honest with their ingredients. I might have to get some and see if I can formulate my own version, lol. Is this sold at Pet'smart type of places?


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

SummerwoodSoaps said:


> Freestep, have your ever used a lotion bar on your hands? I love to use lotion bars on my hands when I have washing all my soap pots out. They get really dry and scaly because the stuff in left in the pots haven't finished the saponification process and is very harsh. I much prefer to use them than regular water based lotions.




I have never tried (or even seen!) a lotion bar. What I'm using right now is a beeswax hand cream, it acts like a water-blocker and really helps keep my hands from drying out.





> What kind of things do you look for when you buy a dog shampoo?


Depends on what I want it for, but for a general everyday shampoo, I like a product that is hypoallergenic and tearless, doesn't strip the coat, and leaves the coat shiny and without residue. It is impossible to determine how the shampoo is going to work by reading the ingredient list (if in fact there is one to be read), so I have to test them in my salon. If I'm looking for something in particular (say a medicated shampoo) then I will ask around the groomer community for their recommendations.


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## SummerwoodSoaps (Feb 3, 2011)

Hmm, I wonder what the ph needs to be for a tearless shampoo for dogs? I think I have found a new project to tinker with, lol. Dog shampoo  How many of the dog shampoos has panthanol? I love to use it my shampoo. Do people prefer a super thick shampoo or more of a gel?


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

SummerwoodSoaps said:


> Hmm, I wonder what the ph needs to be for a tearless shampoo for dogs? I think I have found a new project to tinker with, lol. Dog shampoo  How many of the dog shampoos has panthanol? I love to use it my shampoo. Do people prefer a super thick shampoo or more of a gel?


I do know that a dog's skin is more basic than a human's. What I've heard is that they add something, like a numbing agent, to be able to label it "tearless", though a good many shampoos aren't irritating to the eyes even when they aren't so labeled. I beta-test every shampoo by putting it my own eye; if it doesn't sting me, I feel fairly safe using it on the dog's face.

I am not sure about panthenol, since most dog shampoos do not reveal their ingredient list. Personally, I like there to be as few ingredients as possible--I simply want my dog CLEAN. I do like a shampoo that has "slippery" suds (as opposed to thick, foamy suds) and rinses easily.

I think most pet owners like a thicker shampoo or a gel, but most professional groomers prefer liquid. Our shampoo usually comes by the gallon, highly concentrated and in a thick gel form that becomes liquid when diluted.


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## tintallie (Aug 6, 2008)

SummerwoodSoaps said:


> I just took a look at the Happy Trails shampoo ( I looked at the oameal one) and it looks to be a very good, balanced product and they seem to be honest with their ingredients. I might have to get some and see if I can formulate my own version, lol. Is this sold at Pet'smart type of places?


I know you can purchase directly from Happy Tails at happytailsspa.com but it normally is sold in pet boutiques and not Pet Smart/Land types big stores.


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## SummerwoodSoaps (Feb 3, 2011)

Actually tearless shampoos are made to the same ph as our eyes and that us why it doesn't sting.


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