Homemade Dog Shampoo

I came across this and am going to give it a try next bath time for my dog. For the liquid antibacterial soap in the recipe, I'm going to use Dawn antibacterial liquid soap. I know is easier on animals, as it was used to help during an oil spill remove oil from birds.

Simple Shampoo Recipe

Here is a very simple dog shampoo recipe that can be made with items you probably already have in your home. You will need an empty bottle, liquid antibacterial soap, and white vinegar. Of course the amount of chemicals in this type of dog shampoo will be dependent on the type of liquid soap you use. Ivory clear liquid is a good option and can be found almost anywhere. Mix 4 ounces soap, 4 ounces distilled water, and 2 tablespoons white vinegar in a container, shake well and that’s it. White vinegar in this shampoo recipe will bring the PH of the soap down and more closely match your dogs skin PH of between 6-7.

Bathe your dog as normal, being very careful to keep the soap away from eyes and ears. For more tips on bathing your dog visit bathing your dog. Vinegar in this recipe is a great natural way to remove odors, condition your dogs coat, and skin, this also acts as a natural anti-fungal thus reducing skin problems that are fungal related. Vinegar smell quickly dissipates and your dog will stay fresh smelling much longer.

Thanks for the recipe... I'm going to try it out this week before Tank goes to stay at his grandparents house while we camp.

I tried it out and I like it. I didn't follow the recipe to a T thought.

I bought a small pitcher from a dollar store, filled it up with 3/4 vinegar, and not quite 1/4 Dawn liquid anti-bacterial soap. Tighten the lid on the pitcher and lightly shake. I skipped the part where it mentions to add water in it. It made a nice very light lather and very easy to wash out. I normally don't use a blow dryer to dry her fur out, just a towel to get the excess water. So will have to wait and see when she's all dry the end result.

When I got my first Malamute the breeder recommended using Ivory liquid soap, I thought it was a bit strange and never really tried it, because they go to the groomer to be bathed.

Jamn, it's much cheaper and for the price you get more. Not that dog shampoo is expensive, depending on the brand you buy. I usually have my dog scratching because I think I got all the shampoo out, then I end up rinsing her 5 more times. Even though I don't use a lot of the commercial brand shampoo on her. This mixture makes her coat shine and no itching from dry skin from the shampoo. Her coat is nice and glossy looking, but that will only last a few days before she decides to go running through the mud and puddles again.

I was actually wondering about using human shampoo on dogs. I like natural shampoos with no scent or dyes. Is this o.k. or should you use dog shampoo. I also would like to try the home made type with a natural shampoo.

Mousey, the Ph balance of a dog is different than in humans. I wouldn't use human shampoo, but I've heard of people using baby shampoo on dogs. I wouldn't use either because they could be harsh on a dog's skin and cause skin infections. Dawn and Dove dish washing liquid is much gentler on their skin, and the vinegar helps to keep the right Ph balance. Even with dog shampoo, I always end the bath with a vinegar rinse.

BigBrownEyes29 wrote:

Mousey, the Ph balance of a dog is different than in humans. I wouldn't use human shampoo, but I've heard of people using baby shampoo on dogs. I wouldn't use either because they could be harsh on a dog's skin and cause skin infections. Dawn and Dove dish washing liquid is much gentler on their skin, and the vinegar helps to keep the right Ph balance. Even with dog shampoo, I always end the bath with a vinegar rinse.

I forgot to post that I did this. It worked out great.

Good enough for me!

I googled it and this is pretty the recipe that comes up on all sites so I'm going to try it.

I even give my own hair a vinegar rinse once a week to keep shampoo and conditioner residue from building up. No matter how much you rinse it out with warm/hot water, it still builds up.

I use it in my washing machine (rinse cycle) ever since my son was a baby because he had bad eczema. It gets the soap residue out of the clothes.