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    Home » Green Cleaning » Easy All Natural DIY Dog Shampoo

    Easy All Natural DIY Dog Shampoo

    Published: Jan 28, 2019 by Bren

    Make your own, all natural DIY dog shampoo with simple ingredients you already have at home. It’s easy to make, cleans well, and is kind to your best friend’s coat! 

    homemade dog treats

    This post uses affiliate links. Read more in Policies and Disclosures.

    Our Rescue Dogs

    I may be biased, but I think we adopted the world’s best rescue dogs!

    homemade dog treats dog on deck

    Our first rescue is named Gus and he is a 9-year-old German Shepherd/Collie mix.  We adopted him in 2011 from the West Side German Shepherd Rescue in Los Angeles, CA.

    I can’t take credit for making him the world’s best dog. He was 2 and a half years old when we adopted him and was already fully trained!  He was skinny, dirty, and shy but we could tell he was a sweet goober of a dog.

    Gus had been relinquished to a city pound by his former family because he was “itchy.” We brought him home, switched him to corn-free dog food, started washing him regularly with all-natural shampoo, and the itching stopped!

    I’m so glad we get to be his forever family!

    German Shepherd puppy

    Last year we decided to add a puppy to our family and began looking for rescue dogs. After a few months of searching (and more than a few visits to the Humane Society) we found a German Shepherd puppy who was born with PRAA (a restricted esophagus).  We adopted her in the summer of 2018 from the Muddy Paws Second Chance Rescue in Omaha, NE.

    Luna had surgery to correct her birth defect before her adoption and we continue to keep her healthy with a restricted diet and six small meals a day. She’s a petite girl at only 52 pounds but is thriving with our family!

    Like any puppy, Luna is an inquisitive ball of energy. She keeps me on my toes all day long, but I couldn’t imagine life without her!

    Dog Allergies and Itchy Skin

    Like many dogs, our rescues have a few sensitivities that can make them scratch until their skin is raw and lick their paws obsessively:

    1. Many dogs are allergic to corn. If they get any in their diet (via dog food or dog treats) they can turn into a big itchy mess.
    1. Some dogs have seasonal allergies. Seasonal irritants such as pollen can cause dogs to scratch and lick their paws relentlessly during the spring, summer, and fall (until a hard freeze).
    1. Dogs are sensitive to yard fertilizers and herbicides. After a walk through yards that use standard commercial lawn care products, dogs can have irritated paws and be an itchy mess.
      • We only use natural lawn products and try to avoid grass that has been treated with harsh chemicals.
      • We use a povidone-iodine foot bath to help reduce itchy paws.

    Regular Dog Baths

    We help keep our dogs’ allergies at bay by bathing them frequently (ever 1-2 weeks in high allergy months). We groom them at home and use our own homemade dog shampoo to stop itching.

    German shepherd looking out doog

    How to Make DIY Dog Shampoo

    Ingredients

    • ½ cup Seventh Generation Natural Dish Liquid, Free & Clear (or another gentle, non-toxic, non-scented dish detergent)
    • ½ cup apple cider vinegar
    • ½ cup water

    Directions

    Combine ingredients in a plastic bottle, shake together and use to wash your dog. Wet dog with warm water, apply shampoo and massage, then rinse well (as you should with all dog shampoos). This recipe makes enough to wash our 70 lb dog several times.

    Warnings

    • Patch test this wash on one small part of your dog to check for allergic reactions.
    • Your dog will smell slightly vinegary after his or her bath but will smell like nothing (but a clean dog) when dry. Vinegar is a natural deodorizer.

    dog Shampoo ingredients

    DIY Dog Shampoo Cost

    Making your own dog shampoo is very economical!

    • Our old dog shampoo cost around $8 for 4 washes or $2 a wash
    • The DIY version costs $1.31 for 3 dog washes or about $0.44 a wash ($0.56 for 4 ounces of Seventh Generation Natural Dish Liquid,  $0.75 for 4 ounces of organic apple cider vinegar, ap, $0 for tap water)

    FAQ

    I get lots of questions about making my own dog shampoo. Here are a few of the most common questions and answers

    1. I don’t have dog shampoo what can I use? Combine 1/2 cup natural, unscented dishwashing detergent, 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar, and 1/2 cup water in a plastic bottle. Shake until well combined. Use like regular dog shampoo avoiding eyes and ears. RInse well.
    2. Can I add essential oil to the dog shampoo? Essential oils can be dangerous for dogs who have a better sense of smell than humans and lick their coat. I do not use essential oils in my homemade dog shampoo. If you want to add essential oils you should be aware of the risks.
    3. Can I add scent to the shampoo or use scented detergent in the shampoo? Chemicals used to scent dishwashing detergent can irritate dogs’ skin. I do not use scented detergent in my homemade dog shampoo. The apple cider vinegar is a natural deodorizer that will leave your dog scent free once he is dry.
    4. Can I make DIY dog shampoo with Castile soap? Yes, but you cannot combine Castile soap with vinegar. Instead, you should mix 10 ounces of warm water with 1 tablespoon of unscented Castile soap. Wash dog then rinse well with fresh water. Finally, rinse with apple cider rinse (mix together 1 cups of apple cider vinegar with 8 -10 cups of warm water).  Avoid eyes and ears.
    5. How can I get skunk smell out of dog’s fur? The American Kennel Club recommends a making a scent eliminating DIY dog shampoo from baking soda, dishwashing detergent, and 3% hydrogen peroxide solution. Get full directions here.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Chrysta

      January 30, 2022 at 1:37 pm

      I have a very hairy dog. I brush and spray her with a no rinse shampoo everyday. It doesn’t work very well to get rid of her dog smell. Do you have a recipe for a daily shampoo that doesn’t need to be rinsed that will help?

      Reply
      • Bren

        February 23, 2022 at 8:56 am

        I don’t have a daily shampoo recipe, sorry!

        Reply
    2. Starr

      January 21, 2021 at 8:59 am

      Can I add some coconut oil? If so how much would you recommend? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Bren

        January 27, 2021 at 8:39 am

        I’ve never tried adding coconut oil so I am not sure it would work. If you want to try I would start with a teaspoon or less of fractionated coconut oil which stays liquid at room temperature.

        Reply
    3. Amanda

      July 12, 2019 at 3:02 am

      Can l use a natural oatmeal soap as a shampoo for my dog?.

      Reply
      • Bren

        September 30, 2019 at 4:23 pm

        You would have to read the ingredients to be sure!

        Reply
    4. Robert L. Mann

      October 13, 2018 at 7:13 pm

      IT worked well for fleas on my Brittany. I used the Braggs and Seventh Generation, which was easy as I use both all the time. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Bren

        October 18, 2018 at 12:46 pm

        I’m so glad to hear it worked well for you!

        Reply
    5. Rhonda

      September 23, 2018 at 2:46 pm

      Will mrs Meyers dish soap be ok to use?

      Reply
      • Bren

        September 23, 2018 at 4:22 pm

        I would use an unsented soap.

        Reply
    6. Patty

      August 17, 2016 at 11:14 pm

      I use a natural dog shampoo with tea tree oil, but it is spendy! Could I add a few drops of tea tree oil to this?

      Reply
    7. Jo

      May 30, 2016 at 8:40 pm

      Do you need to refrigerate after you mix everything?

      Reply
      • Bren

        May 30, 2016 at 10:17 pm

        No, you should not need to refrigerate.

        Reply
    8. Christine

      March 07, 2016 at 8:07 pm

      Would Castile soap work instead of the 7th generation, or would it be too harsh?

      Reply
      • Bren

        March 07, 2016 at 9:15 pm

        You can’t use Castile in this recipe because it will break down in the vinegar. You can read more about it in my Green Cleaning Ingredients You Should Never Mix post. If you want to use Castile you can wash the dog in diluted unscented Castile and then rinse with vinegar mixed with water.

        Reply
    9. Cynthia

      July 10, 2015 at 12:20 pm

      Hi I just made a batch for my Golden Max and after he dried there wasn’t a smell but just in case I took a few drops of peppermint oil and ran it through his fur. His coat looks pretty good so far and he is naturally soft so no change there my only concern is he is still flaking. I wonder if I use this once a week his super dry skin (and hot spot) will subside. Thanks again!

      Reply
      • Bren

        July 11, 2015 at 12:36 pm

        So glad it worked! I try to wash less and brush more for flakes. What works for your dog?

        Reply
    10. Jennifer Miller

      January 19, 2014 at 12:07 am

      Will you come wash our dogs for us? You can test it out on really big, furry dogs!

      Reply
    11. Michelle Bisbee

      January 17, 2014 at 9:18 am

      This came just in time! Amber(our Golden love), has itches and smells and I have been looking for something different to try washing her with! Her next bath will be with this shampoo.

      Reply

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