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DOGSTER TIPS A chihuahua in a bathtub getting shampooed.

Homemade Dog Shampoo — 3 Simple Recipes

Combating fleas? Soothing dry skin? Looking for a dry shampoo for dogs? There's a simple homemade
dog shampoo recipe for all needs.

Melvin Peña | Jan 19th 2018

Dog grooming is a huge business, and many dog owners are excited that their puppy pals should look
and smell their best when they go out in public. Of course, not every dog is going to strike a pose on the
show stage, and it can be fun to craft your own homemade dog shampoo for DIY dog grooming. These
are recipes you can make in the comfort of your home with your partners, friends, kids or other dog
owners. There is a homemade dog shampoo recipe to fit any need, any budget, and whatever time you
have available.

The ingredients are easy to acquire, most being ready-at-hand in the home, and most recipes are for
single use, meaning there’s no need for storage containers. You can try a new one each time you wash
your dog. Exactly how to wash a dog is a different matter. As anyone who has tried can tell you,
convincing your dog to submit to a bath can be a challenging proposition. Thankfully, making homemade
dog shampoo is only as complicated as you want it to be.

How to make homemade dog shampoo: Common ingredients

Jack Russell Terrier getting a bath by Shutterstock.

Making a DIY dog shampoo is easy. Photography by Steve Bruckmann / Shutterstock.

Things as simple as vinegar and baking soda show up as components in many a homemade dog
shampoo recipe. Others that can be picked up in grocery stores or drug stores include castile soap, which
is olive-oil based, and glycerine, a sugar-based alcohol compound. In many cases, your standard baby
shampoo or nontoxic dish soap is often incorporated into a DIY dog shampoo recipe to bind ingredients
together. The recipes we’ll focus on here are very simple, and require minimal preparation.

1. Homemade flea shampoo for dogs

There are several recipes out there for homemade dog shampoo for fleas, one of which is not only very
simple to concoct, but is also ideal if you dog has sensitive skin!

This homemade flea shampoo for dogs requires:

1 quart of water

1 cup of white vinegar or apple cider vinegar

1 cup of baby shampoo or nontoxic dish soap (many sites recommend Dawn by name)*

For a lower-volume homemade flea shampoo or for a smaller dog or puppy, try:

1/2 cup of water

1/4 cup of white vinegar or apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup of baby shampoo or nontoxic dish soap*

Apply either solution with a spray bottle or a thoroughly cleaned-out condiment bottle to minimize
waste. Work the homemade dog shampoo into your dog’s fur, particularly along hard-to-reach areas
down the spine, the base of the tail, the chest, and under the forearms, and let it soak in for at least five
minutes before rinsing. Comb or brush your dog during that time to remove dead fleas.

*Dawn and baby shampoo should not be used too frequently on dogs as it may dry out their skin and
should not be used on dogs with a dry skin condition. Instead, you may want to try a liquid castile soap,
like Dr. Bonner’s.

2. Homemade dry shampoo for dogs

If you bathe a dog too frequently, more than once a month or so, you run the risk of drying your dog’s
skin. Between baths, a dog’s natural hair and skin chemistry reassert themselves, and you should give
them time to do so. One potential solution between traditional baths is a homemade dry shampoo for
dogs. These DIY dry dog shampoos tend to involve baking soda, another item found in most homes and
easy enough to get at any grocery store. Massaging a dry shampoo into your dog’s skin will give the dog
the sensation of being petted and caressed without the resistance you might face in the traditional wet
bath scenarios.

Several homemade dry shampoos for dogs also include baking soda. These tend to involve:

1 cup of baking soda

1 cup of corn starch

A few drops of an essential oil –- lemon and lavender seem to be the most popular.

Sprinkle the mixture on your dog and massage it into the dog’s skin with your hands or with a comb or
brush. It is best not to use too much baking soda at a time — a cup for a mid-sized dog, half a cup for a
very small dog or puppy — and not to apply this method too frequently, since the residue from the
powder can accumulate, no matter how much a dog shakes himself afterward. A dry shampoo for dogs is
a good stopgap, but nothing beats the fun of having your dog shake water all over you or your bathroom
from time to time.

Another way to keep your dog stink-free between baths? Homemade doggy deodorant >>

3. A DIY dog shampoo if your dog has dry skin

A dog in a bath with bubbles on his head.

You can easily make a DIY dog shampoo for dogs with dry skin, too. Photography © MargaritaKeller |
Thinkstock.

If you bathe your dog more frequently, or if your dog tends to have sensitive, itchy or dry skin, you might
want to try a homemade dog shampoo that will bring some degree of relief. Adding ingredients such as
aloe vera gel or glycerine can help relieve itchy and dry skin. Glycerine is a sugar-based, water-soluble
alcohol compound, much less frequently found around the house than vinegar or baking soda, but can
easily be found in drug stores, pharmacies and online.
A typical recipe for homemade dog shampoos for dogs with sensitive skin involves:

1 quart of water

1 cup of baby shampoo or nontoxic dish soap*

1 cup of white vinegar or apple cider vinegar

1/3 cup of glycerine

2 tablespoons of aloe vera gel

This DIY dog shampoo recipe’s addition of glycerine and aloe vera provide soothing elements for dogs
with sensitive or dry skin.

*Dawn and baby shampoo should not be used too frequently on dogs as it may dry out their skin and
should not be used on dogs with a dry skin condition. Instead, you may want to try a liquid castile soap,
like Dr. Bonner’s.

Plus, discover some helpful information on hypoallergenic dog shampoo >>

What are your favorite homemade dog shampoo recipes?

Have you ever created your own homemade dog shampoo? Are you a do-it-yourself aficionado? Do you
prefer more sophisticated recipes? Do you enjoy the process of creating homemade dog shampoo as
much as the results?

If you like putting things to boil, enjoy using specialty ingredients for fragrance and shine, or find that
some methods work better for particular breeds of dog, let us know! Please, share your favorite DIY dog
shampoo recipe in the comments!

Thumbnail: Photography by toons17 / Shutterstock.

This piece was originally published on December 13, 2013.

Read more on shampooing and bathing your dog right here:

How to Safely Shampoo a Dog Who Has a Skin Condition

Dog Shampoo Can Be More Hazardous Than You Think

5 Common Mistakes That Make Dogs Hate Baths

Posted in Dogster Tips, Common Health Issues, Health & Care,

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Contributions

27 comments on “Homemade Dog Shampoo — 3 Simple Recipes”

Pingback:DIY Dog Shampoos: 5 Homemade Shampoo Recipes For Your Pooch!

Pingback:6 Best Dog Shampoos for Dry Skin 2018 | Happy Pets Now

January 25, 2018 at 7:08 am

Barbara says:

Dawn dish soap? It has chemicals and dries out their skin……….

January 26, 2018 at 12:07 pm

Anna Van Damme says:

Totally agree, Barbara! Dawn or even baby shampoo is NOT recommended for use on pets because the
pH is way too harsh for them. Better to use liquid castile soap that can be purchased at any health food
store. BTW–fleas will DIE with the use of ANY shampoo–all it needs is to left on the pet long enough to
drown the insects, and harsh chemicals are not needed. Just soap and a flea comb.

January 30, 2018 at 12:34 am

Ignatz says:

Really stupid article. All dish soaps, and even baby shampoo, are designed to strip oils and are not the
correct pH. Do a bit of work on this, please, Dogster…

February 6, 2018 at 11:37 am

Lulu says:
A groomer at Petsmart once told me “I might get in trouble for telling you this, but you can use dish soap
like Dawn instead of dog shampoo.” I wouldn’t be suprised if that’s what they use for baths.

Which makes sense if you’ve seen the Dawn commercial where they clean birds that were involved in an
oil spill. It does cut grease afterall.

All shampoo strips oil. But baby shampoo couldn’t be more gentle. If it’s gentle enough for a baby,
certainly it’s gentle enough for a furbaby.

Soooo…maybe the article isn’t the stupid one?

March 2, 2018 at 1:31 pm

Jean says:

I’d sure like to see comments from people who have made their own and how it worked out for their
dog. Criticism and arguments aren’t at all helpful. Experience is.

March 3, 2018 at 3:20 pm

May says:

Amen Jean…Amen.

Pingback:Homemade Dog Shampoo Recipes - The Labrador Site

Pingback:These 7 Products Are Causing Cancer In Your Pets

March 17, 2018 at 2:46 pm

Deb says:
I made this shampoo with Dawn and apple cider vinegar . It dried there hair out and made mats . I used
it for one summer season and the hair just keep getting harder to keep brushed out. It is ok for one or
two washes but not for every wash . I have St. Bernards .

Deb

March 23, 2018 at 7:05 pm

Mia says:

My pup had a bad case of mites that caused her to lose hair and have itchy skin, I tried the diy shampoo
for dry skin with baby shampoo and it worked tremendously. It’s important not to wash your dog too
often as that can lead to stripping of natural oil on dogs fur. The diy shampoo helped ease the scratching
and make her fur soft again. 10/10 recommend

April 3, 2018 at 11:43 pm

Noreen says:

Do all of these recipes apply to all dogs? For the homemade flea shampoo, can the second one be used
as an ordinary shampoo as well bc I saw another page and it does not state anything about fleas…
Anyways, thanks for these recipes!

April 6, 2018 at 12:56 pm

Traci says:

Liquid castile soaps such as Dr. Bronners work great, are non-toxic, and already contain natural glycerin.
They are also far more economical than “dog shampoo”. I would not use a dish soap unless i was
deliberately trying to strip greasy residue from the coat, and even then i would use a nontoxic one, not
Dawn. Herbal rinses are nice afterward, super simple, just plants & water. Vinegar can be added if a dog
already has an oily coat, but it can be drying to the skin. I have found that an herbal rinse is good
between baths for dry skin, if you are trying to minimize the number of times you use “soap”. �
April 6, 2018 at 1:02 pm

Traci says:

any “soap” will kill fleas during the bath. i prefer liquid castille soap such as Dr. Bronners for all bathing
needs. Few nontoxic soaps will repel fleas after bath time – herbal rinses are nice and can be applied
between baths as well. The bath is only going to get the fleas that are active on the dog at the time of
the bath. �

April 6, 2018 at 7:48 pm

Kristin Caufield says:

I’m going to second Dr. Bonners. Also, watch what EO you use. Lavender has estrogenic properties, and
citrus can be a skin irritant.

April 7, 2018 at 1:09 am

Teresa says:

Dawn is used on animals from an oil spill bc it cuts grease & it’s a once or twice thing. Dawn customer
service when asked about using it to bathe dogs with said basically…NO…do NOT use it for any other use
than washing dishes…it is NOT RECOMMENDED to be used to bathe dogs or cats…

April 18, 2018 at 10:06 am

Lori Tidwell says:

Can I substitute castille soap in place of Dawn dishwashing detergent for the flea shampoo?

April 29, 2018 at 10:59 am

Marianne says:

American Kennel Club lists dishwashing soap as an ingredient in one of their homemade dog soaps. I
used Dawn on my dog and it got rid of his flakes. So hard to know what you should and shouldn’t use
when you see something that works but everyone says not to use it. I contacted Dawn and the reason
they gave me not to use it is because they haven’t tested it for the purposes of continued use. I
suggested to them that maybe they should and expand their product line. I’m going to continue to use it
along with trying some of the other suggestions as well.

April 30, 2018 at 2:03 pm

Daniella says:

Please don’t use baby shampoo or any human shampoos on your pets! dogs skin has a completely
different Ph and this will burn their skin

May 4, 2018 at 2:13 pm

Kim says:

I’m a dog groomer and I would never and have never used Dawn on a dogs coat. It can be used to get
grease off their feet but that’s about it. If you get Dawn in a dogs eyes u will be paying a hefty vet bill.
Just look for all natural shampoos or make your own with aloe, glycerin and Castile.. essential oils are a
nice additive but do your homework on how much to use.

May 13, 2018 at 2:02 pm

Sherry says:

Everyone mentions adding aloe. What product am I looking for and how much. I see aloe creams, etc. is
there some type of liquid aloe or do I need an aloe plant? How much would I put in say a couple quarts
of water?
May 22, 2018 at 1:30 pm

Mike says:

Noticed a lot of people in the comments suggesting using Dawn. That really isn’t what the product is
designed for and you would be better off finding a natural dog shampoo or using one you make yourself
with natural products.

May 27, 2018 at 5:23 am

Lori says:

It almost killed my dog, he had a severe allergic reaction to the dry itchy skin shampoo. I have a 25 lb

Chihuahua mix and 3 days after exposure he went into a systematic allergic shock due to a reaction to
the ingredients in the shampoo. Now this was my experience not saying every dog will react that way.

May 28, 2018 at 12:16 am

Ruby says:

Lori, please tell us which of the 3 shampoo recipes caused such trouble for your dog. Thank you.

June 3, 2018 at 7:54 pm

Susan says:

I want to make the shampoo for itchy skin. Does anyone know how long it will be good after it is made?
He is small so a quart would last a long time, Thanks!

June 15, 2018 at 4:10 pm

Debbie says:
Re: the addition of detergents, Users should be advised that

SOAP MELTS CORNEAS

My little guy lost an eye to it.

Groomer accidentally splashed suds in his left eye, and the last time it happened, the cornea couldn’t
recover and he lost the eye. A very expensive and sad lesson. Be careful, Folks!

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