Homemade Dog Shampoo vs Brand Names - What's The Best Shampoo for Your Dog?

Do you want to learn how to make make homemade dog shampoo for your dog, or are you considering going with one of the brand-name shampoos you can find at Chewy or Petsmart?  I am not an expert, but I bet dog shampoos are like human shampoos.  There are usually too many ingredients we don't need in our hair washing products.  

So let's try to find out what is in your dog's shampoo and what we don't want to use on our pet.  I just tried to read a dog shampoo label, and guess what...I can hardly say some of these ingredients, and others I cannot say at all, never mind actually knowing what they are.  And they don't sound that attractive to me at all.  And they cost a fortune.  I don't spend that much on my own shampoo products. 

I always loved to bring Pharaoh to the groomers, but that was an easy hundred-dollar trip.  And when you have a big white dog who loves mud, it's just not practical.  (Oh, and he did love the mud!) I always figured they would have the right kinds of shampoo my furry buddy needed, and they used a conditioner too.  

I've read that washing a dog with human shampoo is a No-No.  We should not use human shampoo products on our dogs.  The article I read said our skin is tougher and less sensitive than a dog.  It also said our PH levels were different.  I would have thought it was the reverse and guessed that a dog's skin would be less sensitive than human skin, but I guess I would have been wrong.  The exception to that rule is baby shampoo.  That's gentle enough for babies and for dogs.

I've gathered some dog shampoo recipes for you to try.  These DIY dog shampoos are made with simple ingredients.  You probably have most of them in your kitchen cabinets: Dish Soap: Vinegar: Oatmeal: Aloe Vera (I am a red-head, and aloe is the perfect solution to sunburn, so I always have that on hand!): Baby Shampoo.

How To Make Homemade Dog Shampoo - DIY

Here are some DIY recipes and instructions on how to make dog shampoo.  See which of these DIY homemade dog shampoo formulas fit your needs and make it yourself. Save yourself some money and use a product that will be gentle on your dog. Perfect.

• 3 Ingredient Shampoo - DIY Dog Shampoo
• Homemade All Natural Dog Shampoo
• Homemade Anti-Itch Dog Shampoo (Homemade Oatmeal Dog Shampoo)
• Glycerin And Aloe Vera Shampoo for Dry Skin
• Homemade Dog Whitening Shampoo
• BONUS - Homemade Dog Conditioner

Here are some of those ingredients I found in dog shampoo products. As I said, I don t know what they are. They might be perfect for your pet, but how would we know? I like to read what's in something and know what that is. 

1. DMDM Hydantoin Or Methylchloroisothiazolinone/Methylisothiazolinone?  

2. Decyl Glucoside 

3. Polyquaternium-7 

Homemade dog shampoo is how I decided to go when I bathed Pharaoh at home. Not an easy feat with a 100-pound dog, but we managed! He loved the water, which made it so much easier than if he didn't. He hung out in the tub when it was dry, so as soon as he heard the water running, he would come flying to jump in.  It was always so easy to get the homemade dog shampoo out and wash his hair!