Home Dog Grooming The Best Wet and Dry Dog Shampoo in 2020

The Best Wet and Dry Dog Shampoo in 2020

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Finding dog shampoo is not difficult. There are thousands of different types of dog shampoo available on the market. However, finding the right dog shampoo for your needs is a difficult part.

This article will review the best dog shampoos on the market and everything that you need to know about them.

Buddy Wash Original Lavender & Mint Dog Shampoo & Conditioner

Our Top Choice:

For those seeking for great quality for the money, we recommend the Buddy Wash Original Lavender & Mint Dog Shampoo & Conditioner.
Its superior washing ability and safe ingredients make it stand out among these products. For someone aware of their pups’ health, you can be assured knowing that your dog’s skin and coat get the best care.

Comparison Table

Features:
Our Rating:
Buy from:
Best Natural Dog Shampoo
Buddy Wash Original Dog Shampoo & Conditioner
Buddy Wash Original Dog Shampoo & Conditioner
  • Pleasant lavender & mint smell
  • Soothing & relaxing effect
  • Cleans well and rinses easily
  • Weekly use without irritations
Earthbath Oatmeal & Aloe Dog Shampoo
Earthbath Oatmeal & Aloe Dog Shampoo
  • No soap
  • For sensitive/itchy skin
  • Softens coat
Pro Pet Works Oatmeal Dog Shampoo + Conditioner
Pro Pet Works Oatmeal Dog Shampoo + Conditioner
  • Contains conditioner
  • Suitable for most pets
  • PH-balanced formula
Medicated Dog Shampoo
Douxo Sogeval Chlorhexidine PS Shampoo with Climbazole
Douxo Sogeval Chlorhexidine PS Shampoo with Climbazole
  • Strong antiseptic action
  • Moisturizes skin
  • Vet recommended against skin issues
Veterinary Formula Antiparasitic and Antiseborrheic Medicated Shampoo
Veterinary Formula Antiparasitic and Antiseborrheic Medicated Shampoo
  • Intense dermatitis treatment
  • Fights mange, yeast, parasites
  • Deeply soothes irritated skin
Natural Dog Shampoo Anti-Bacterial, Anti-Fungal, Anti-Itch
Natural Dog Shampoo Anti-Bacterial, Anti-Fungal, Anti-Itch
  • Organic formula with oils
  • Helps itchy skin
  • No chemicals or preservatives
Dog Shampoo for Dry Skin
Paws & Pals Oatmeal Shampoo and Conditioner
Paws & Pals Oatmeal Shampoo and Conditioner
  • Super nourishing
  • Tear-free formula
  • Cleans & detangles dog hair
Tropiclean Oatmeal and Tea Tree Pet Shampoo
Tropiclean Oatmeal and Tea Tree Pet Shampoo
  • Big volume available
  • Rinses off completely
  • Salicylic acid fights dandruff & flaking
Pet Pleasant Shampoo with Pure Lavender Essential Oils
Pet Pleasant Shampoo with Pure Lavender Essential Oils
  • Safe for puppies
  • Extremely soothing & calming
  • Gentle wash & freshness
Hypoallergenic Dog Shampoo
4-Legger Organic Lemongrass & Aloe Dog Shampoo
4-Legger Organic Lemongrass & Aloe Dog Shampoo
  • Holistic essential oil blend
  • Effective for allergy skin
  • Nothing synthetic
Dry Dog Shampoo
Paw Choice Naturals, Foaming Mousse
Paw Choice Naturals, Foaming Mousse
  • Removes odor
  • Quick & easy to use
  • No need to rinse off
Dog Flea Shampoo
Richard’s Organics Flea & Tick Shampoo
Richard’s Organics Flea & Tick Shampoo
  • Safe for pups above 12 weeks
  • No parabens or chemicals
  • Kills & repeals fleas, ticks, mosquitoes
Wahl Dog/Pet Shampoo
Wahl Dog/Pet Shampoo
  • Good for sensitive skin
  • Non-toxic ingredients
  • Budget-friendly
Deshedding Shampoo for Dogs
FURminator deShedding Ultra Premium Dog Shampoo
FURminator deShedding Ultra Premium Dog Shampoo
  • Contains Omega 3 and 6
  • Keeps skin & coat healthy
  • Use once a month
Furminator deShedding Waterless Pet Spray
Furminator deShedding Waterless Pet Spray
  • Without bathing
  • Reduces shedding
  • Works well with deShedding tools

What type of dog shampoo do you need?

The exact type of dog shampoo that you need to purchase depends on the needs of your dog. Some dogs have a shedding problem and will need a deshedding shampoo.

Best Dog ShampooOther dogs may have a fungal infection on their skin. In that case, they will need an antifungal shampoo.

Finally, sometimes you just need a good shampoo for your dog’s monthly bath. In that case, we recommend a good natural shampoo.

In fact, we always recommend using a natural shampoo when washing your dog. Dog’s have very sensitive skin and hair. So carefully use dog hair dryer. Synthetic chemicals used in dog shampoo tend to be far too harsh for a dog’s fur and skin.

Best Natural Dog Shampoo

Our Favorite

#1 Buddy Wash Original Lavender & Mint Dog Shampoo & Conditioner

Buddy Wash Grooming, Shampoo, Conditioner, & Deodorizer ProductsBuddy Wash is our top pick for the best overall dog shampoo. It has everything that you would want in a general dog shampoo and it comes in a few sizes that range from one gallon to 16 ounces. The 16-ounce bottle is great for testing out the scent and the gallon container is great if you don’t want to keep purchasing shampoo.

Anyway, the first thing we really like about this shampoo is that it smells great. Lavender and mint really do go well together for a great smell. The smell is nice and covers up the wet dog smell, but it isn’t so strong that it is overwhelming.

It’s the perfect strength.

As for the quality of the shampoo, it lathers nicely with a decent amount of suds, so you don’t have to worry about not getting thorough cleaning on your dog. The large amount of suds means you can get a lot of use per bottle of shampoo that you buy.

Earthbath All Natural Pet ShampooEarthbath makes a natural shampoo with aloe and oatmeal. The aloe makes it a great shampoo if your dog has problems with dry skin.

The shampoo also has a balanced pH and does not contain soap, which makes it perfect for sensitive skin. The natural ingredients also make it great if your dog has any allergies.

As for the smell, it has an oatmeal and aloe smell. It doesn’t smell bad, but it also doesn’t smell amazing like mint and lavender.

Finally, it lathers nicely. However, it is a natural shampoo, which means that you get much less lather than you would with a non-natural shampoo.

Overall, we really like this shampoo if you have a dog with sensitive skin or allergies. The price is the only downside of the shampoo and the price is still very affordable. Your allergy prone dog will certainly appreciate it if you use a natural shampoo.

Pro Pet Works All Natural Oatmeal Dog Shampoo + Conditioner for DogsPro Pet Works is another great choice for a 100% natural shampoo. As with all natural shampoo, this shampoo has no artificial ingredients and no soap. This makes it great for a dog with any type of allergy.

We really like that this shampoo has both aloe and Vitamin E. Both those ingredients do a great job at keeping your dog’s skin moist and healthy. They can also make your dog much less itchy if they have any problems with fleas.

This shampoo is so natural that it does not even have any added fragrance. You do get a slight smell of the oatmeal and aloe, which smells fine. However, you won’t have any heavy scent. This can be good or bad depending on how bad your dog smells.

Overall, we like this as a good solution for dogs with sensitive skin. It’s slightly better priced than the Earthbath shampoo. You can’t go wrong with either choice though.

Medicated Dog Shampoo

Medicated dog shampoo is usually used to treat specific skin conditions in your dog. The most common medicated dog shampoos are antiseptic, antifungal, and antibacterial. Here are the best types of medicated dog shampoos.

Our Favorite

Douxo Sogeval Chlorhexidine PS Shampoo with ClimbazoleThis particular shampoo is an antiseptic shampoo. The medicine in it is chlorhexidine and phytosphingosine salicyloyl (0.05%), chlorhexidine(3%), and lipoamide c8g (2.5%).

The chlorhexidine is an important ingredient in this shampoo since it has antiseptic properties that can treat pyoderma. Pyoderma is simply any skin condition that produces pus.

In terms of treating pyoderma, this shampoo is the best one for the job. It even has some moisturizing properties to it as well, so you don’t have to use a moisturizing shampoo to treat dry skin.

Now, this is a medicated shampoo, so it doesn’t have any scent or fragrance. It is specifically designed to treat a skin condition. This all makes it more expensive, so we only recommend purchasing if your dog has a skin condition that normal shampoo cannot treat.

Veterinary Formula Clinical Care Antiparasitic and Antiseborrheic Medicated Shampoo for DogsVeterinary Formula’s shampoo is great if your dog has any bacterial or parasitic infection on its skin. Some parasitic and bacterial infections include mange, seborrhea, and dermatitis. It can even treat fungal infections like yeast despite not being an antifungal shampoo.

Most domestic dogs don’t suffer from parasitic or bacterial infections. Though if you have found a stray dog it is very likely that it has a parasitic or bacterial infection of some sort.

Overall, this shampoo does one job — treating parasitic and bacterial infections — very well. We highly recommend this shampoo if your dog has a parasitic or bacterial infection or if you are bathing a stray dog that you have discovered.

Veterinary Formula Clinical Care Antiseptic and Antifungal Shampoo for Dogs and CatsVerterinary Formula also makes an Antiseptic and Antifungal Shampoo. This shampoo is recommended to treat any yeast infections that your dog may have on its skin.

Once again, this shampoo works great for treating fungal or bacterial infections. Actually, if your dog has all kinds of skin infections that you don’t know how to treat, then this is your best choice since it can treat so many issues.

All in all, this shampoo works great for fungal infections. It also works well when your dog has an infection that you do not know how to treat. The price is slightly more expensive than the other shampoo, but it does treat more infections to make up for the slightly higher price.

Fieldworks Moosh Dog ShampooThis is the best all-around medicated shampoo and it’s 100% natural. It is anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, antiseptic, and anti-itch.

It basically treats a bunch of skin infections, including bacterial pyoderma, and it does it using 100% natural ingredients. There really isn’t anything to complain about with this shampoo other than the price, which is higher than other medicated shampoos. This is, of course, to be expected because of the 100% natural ingredients.

Dog Shampoo for Dry Skin

Some dogs have super dry skin. If your dog has dry skin, then you have to use a special shampoo that won’t dry out their skin even more. Some breeds, such as beagles, are especially prone to dry skin and require special shampoo.

Our Favorite

Natural Oatmeal Dog-Shampoo and ConditionerPaws & Pals makes a 100% natural shampoo that is specifically designed for dogs that have problems with dry skin. It uses oatmeal, which actually works really great for moisturizing your dog’s skin and preventing any issues with flakiness.

The part that we really like about this shampoo is the excellent price. You aren’t going to find a natural shampoo at a cheaper price. We recommend this shampoo if you want a great priced shampoo for a dog with dry skin at an excellent price.

Tropiclean Oatmeal and Tea Tree Pet ShampooTropiclean has a very nice pet shampoo that works great for dogs with various skin conditions that may include dry skin. It works the same as the other natural shampoos. It does include tea tree, which does set it apart from most other shampoos.

The tea tree is used mostly for scent. This shampoo also includes aloe vera, oatmeal, and papaya for extra effectiveness and nice scent.

Overall, this is a good shampoo with some unique ingredients. It comes in three sizes: one gallon, 20 ounces, and 2.5 gallons. So there is a size for every use.

Colloidal Oatmeal Dog Shampoo with Pure Lavender Essential OilsPet Pleasant makes a natural shampoo for dry skin. They use lavender and jojoba, so it actually has a very pleasant scent. This makes it much more different than the average natural shampoo. It also has oatmeal for the moisturizing effect.

Overall, we like this shampoo because of its lavender scent that will last for days. You can’t go wrong with this shampoo if you have a dog that has dry skin and smells bad. It is also a very affordable choice.

Hypoallergenic Dog Shampoo

Some dogs have bad allergies to all the chemicals and thickeners added to shampoo. Even if your dog does not have allergies, they still may get irritation from the shampoo. Here’s our top pick for a hypoallergenic dog shampoo.

4-Legger Certified Organic Dog Shampoo4-Legger makes an excellent hypoallergenic dog shampoo. The hypoallergenic shampoo is great if you have a dog with allergies. Typically dogs have allergies to synthetic ingredients used in shampoo, so 4-Legger uses only natural ingredients in their shampoo. They have no artificial ingredients in the shampoo.

Anyway, the scent is a pleasant mix of aloe vera and lemongrass. Lemongrass is not a scent that is often used in shampoo, which means this has a unique scent.

The shampoo has moisturizing properties to help with dry skin too. One of our favorite features is that the shampoo is biodegradable, which means that you can safely use it outside.

Finally, this shampoo does not have any thickeners in it. This means it does not later particularly well. However, it still works just as good. A very small amount of shampoo can be used to clean your dog.

Overall, 4-Legger’s shampoo has earned its place as the best hypoallergenic dog shampoo because of its 100% natural ingredients that practically eliminate any risk of an allergic reaction. Plus, it comes at such a great price and will last you such a long time that we highly recommend it.

Dry Dog Shampoo

Dry dog shampoo is best used when you don’t want to go through the whole process of bathing your dog with water and don’t want to use an ineffective wipe or spray. Dry shampoo is especially useful if your dog doesn’t like getting wet.

Our top pick for dry dog shampoo is the shampoo made by Paw Choice.

Paw Choice Naturals, Foaming Mousse

Dry Dog Shampoo, Waterless, No Rinse Foam MoussePaw Choice makes a foaming mousse that can be used to clean your dog without water. This is an actual liquid, so it fully eliminates the odor on your dog. It is not a masking spray or an ineffective wet wipe.

Of all the dry shampoos available, Paw Choice makes the best one. They even back it up with a 30-day satisfaction guarantee — you can return it “no questions asked” within 30 days.

It is a coconut based shampoo that is 100% natural. There is no alcohol, no sulfates, and no parabens. It is safe for dogs with the most sensitive skin.

Since it’s a dry shampoo, it’s easy to apply too. You just pump the foam onto your hand and then massage it into your dog’s coat. That’s it. Nothing more complicated than that.

All in all, this is a great choice. It is an excellent price too, which makes it an even better choice.

Dog Flea Shampoo

There are two effective ways to treat fleas and ticks on your dog — shampoo or medicine.

Flea medicine can be somewhat bad for your dog and is very expensive. The shampoo is less expensive and is 100% natural. Here are the two shampoos that we recommend for removing fleas and ticks.

Our Favorite

Richard's Organics Flea & Tick ShampooRichard’s Organics flea shampoo is a 100% natural shampoo that kills fleas and ticks. It also has five essential oils and Vitamin E to help treat dry skin.

This shampoo really does work for killing fleas and ticks too. Just apply it to your dog and wait 30 days to completely break the flea life cycle. Don’t worry if you see more fleas at first either. That is common because the shampoo irritates the fleas and makes them go to the surface.

We highly recommend this shampoo if your dog has flea problems. It comes at an extremely affordable price too. However, if your dog has more skin issues, then you will need to purchase additional shampoo to treat those issues.

Wahl Dog/Pet Shampoo, Flea and Tick, Rosemary MintWahl makes a flea and tick shampoo. However, it is not nearly as effective as the Richard’s brand shampoo. We still recommend it if you’re looking for a shampoo at an affordable price.

First, this shampoo has a thicker lather than Richard’s, which makes it much easier to apply. The consistency is about the same as foaming hand sanitizer as well, so it’s not too difficult to apply.

As for the smell, it has a slight smell. This isn’t meant to be used as a shampoo to eliminate the smell, but it still works ok for that use.

Overall, we recommend Richard’s Organics as a flea and tick shampoo. Wahl’s will work if you want a good budget choice though.

Deshedding Shampoo for Dogs

FURminator deShedding Ultra Premium Dog Shampoo to Reduce SheddingSome dogs have a shedding problem. You get mounds of hair all over your house and it can even trigger allergies. Fortunately, there are a few solutions to shedding that don’t require cutting all your dog’s hair. These deshedding solutions work by forcing all the dead hair out at one time, so you can easily clean it.

Our favorite choice is the FURminator deShedding Ultra Premium Dog Shampoo. The shampoo has Omega 3 and 6 acids and papaya leaf extract to help reducing shedding. It works extremely well. In fact, it works so well that many users have stated that it removes so much hair that they thought their dog would go bald.

Furminator deShedding Waterless Pet SprayThe other option is the Furminator deShedding Waterless Pet Spray.

This is simply a spray that you apply to reduce shedding. It is mostly natural, but it does have some synthetic ingredients. Anyway, it works great at reducing shedding and many customers have reported that they don’t have to take their dog to the groomer.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best shampoo for a dog?- This just depends on your needs. If you need a general dog shampoo, then you can’t go wrong with the Buddy Wash lavender & mint shampoo. Fortunately, there are shampoo solutions for every grooming problem that you may encounter.

Can I use human shampoo on a dog?- No. Human shampoo is way too harsh for a dog’s skin and fur. It will dry out the skin and damage their fur. Simply put, you will do much more damage with human shampoo than if you were to just not bathe your dog. Do not use human shampoo on your dog.

How often should I shampoo my dog?- You should bathe your dog about once a month. If you bathe your dog more frequently, then you run the risk of drying their skin out and damaging their fur. If your dog constantly smells bad, then you can use a dry foam to clean your dog. You should limit a dry shampooing to once a week though. Dry shampoo can still damage your dog’s skin.

What can be used in place of dog shampoo?- You can actually make your own dog shampoo from 100% natural ingredients. It’s usually cheaper to just buy shampoo, but making it can be fun.

Here are our favorite recipes:

DIY dry shampoo:
• 1 cup corn starch
• 1 cup baking soda
• 3 drops of lemon or lavender essential oil

DIY flea shampoo:
• 1 quart of water
• 1 cup of white vinegar
• 1 cup baby shampoo
Note: Your dog will smell like vinegar.

DIY dog shampoo for dry skin:
• 1 quart of water
• 1 cup of white vinegar. Apple cider vinegar will also work.
• ? cup of glycerin.
• 2 cups of aloe vera gel. This step is optional, but we highly recommend it since the aloe will moisturize your dog’s skin.

How much does dog shampoo cost?- This varies on the type of shampoo and the quantity. It can range from $5 to $40. Medicated shampoo tends to cost more than natural shampoo. Synthetic shampoo, not common, will cost the least of any shampoo. However, we do not recommend using synthetic shampoo on your dog.

Conclusion

All in all, dog shampoo is a necessity if you want to bathe your dog. Choosing the right dog shampoo might be difficult at first. However, this guide should have provided you with all the information that you need to find the perfect dog shampoo for your dog.

Once again, we recommend Buddy Wash’s dog shampoo if you just need a general dog shampoo to reduce odor and moisturize your dog’s skin. The other shampoos on our list are mostly focused on treating specific conditions that your dog may have.

Images credits: Amazon.com, Chewy.com, photo stocks

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Author

Susan Cropper

As a veterinarian practicing for 48 years, Dr. Cropper brings her priceless experience to all our readers. She is currently taking care of her two rescues, Ollie the Greyhound and Bryce the Pitbull mix, that is why she always sees things as a veterinarian and a pet owner simultaneously.

View all posts by Susan Cropper | DogsRecommend.com