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Does Aromatherapy Dog Shampoo Work?

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Aromatherapy Shampoo for Dogs

Aromatherapy Dog ShampooAromatherapy dog shampoo mostly works, but it depends on ingredients, as with anything. By far, this is the biggest craze in the dog grooming world. Now, your dog can upgrade to an aromatherapy experience during her next groom.

Why Aromatherapy Dog Shampoo?

As with any human trend, it usually trickles down to the dog world. I mean, have you seen clip-on feathers for dogs now? 🙂  One concept I find extremely interesting is aromatherapy dog shampoo. The smell is powerful not only for dogs, but people too. Science is catching up it seems, as this type of shampoo contains many essential oils to promote calmness, relaxation and healing.

Human Perception

One of the top complaints after a dog has been groomed is the lack of a refreshing scent or presence of dog odor. So the dog grooming industry caught onto the aroma therapy trend and incorporated it into dog shampoos with smashing success. Not only have complaints decreased, but people have also returned to their grooming salons more often to refresh their dog’s essential oil scent.

Dog Perception

Essential oils promote relaxation, healing and calming within the dog world too. Most essentials oils are added into shampoos and conditioners, spritzed on a dog’s coat or wrapped in bandanas and tied around a dog’s neck. Now, some shampoos contain tea tree oil, which works as an antiseptic and smells wonderfully–a great shampoo for dry dog skin. Some scents are calming for both dog and owner. When choosing an aroma therapy shampoo for your dog, choose one with natural essential oils and not synthetic or detergent-based scents.

Product Recommendations

My favorite aromatherapy shampoos are Espree’s Rainforest shampoo and any richly scented shampoo by Show Season Products. If you’re interested in spritzing or applying safe essential oils to your dog’s coat, check out Young Living Essential Oils for Pets. These are by far my favorite. Plus, their website explains the proper way to apply essential oils, which is a must read for all pet lovers.

READ ALSO: Best Medicated Dog Shampoo

Dog Whitening Shampoo for all Coat Colors

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Dog Whitening Shampoo Works for all Dog Colors

Dog ShampooWhen watching the Westminster Dog Show, you’ll notice a glistening alabaster dog with his streaming hair glistening in the dancing light. Don’t hate! Your dog can too resemble a runway model with a shimmering coat. 🙂

Allow me to introduce you to color enhancing dog products. You’ll be shocked at how safe and well they work!

Pearl White

White dogs are hard to keep white. If you share your home with a four-legged blonde, you understand the struggle. When Stella’s white patches resemble beige blobs, I reach for a whitening shampoo.

Whitening shampoo contains small amounts of blue toner dilated with shampoo. Blue color will not turn your dog’s hair blue. Instead, the blue color neutralizes yellow stains. And if, by accident, white enhancing shampoo is left on your dog’s coat for too long, your dog’s flaxen mane will resemble a silvery glow–almost luminescent.

When it comes to whitening dog shampoo, White on White is the best. For stubborn stains, apply shampoo and brush through with a comb. White on White shampoo requires contact time with your dog’s coat to work its magic. Rinse thoroughly and reach for your sunglasses.

Crimson Red

As with humans, a dog’s red coat can fade and turn a ghastly corn chip color, especially when viewed in direct sunlight. Life is too short to live with that color! A red color enhancing dog shampoo contains reddish blue toner, diluted with dog shampoo, and restores a rich mahogany coat in 10 minutes. When a red dog’s coat fades, it’s usually missing blue undertones, which are always the first to fade for whatever reasons. My favorite is Red on Red shampoo. It really works wonders.

Charcoal Black

Black coats can turn red usually from frequent exposure to sunlight. Long black hair will fade, as the hair is older, and lose blue tones first. Hence, the red glow mid-shaft and ends. Using Black on Black color enhancing shampoo will revitalize ebony coats by depositing color, and your dog will glow again.

While we giggle at color enhancing shampoos for dogs, they are very safe and who doesn’t want to look fabulous?

More:
Deep Cleansing Shampoo for Dogs
Best Medicated Dog Shampoo
Heavy Duty Dog Shampoo
Dogs with Dry Skin

Heavy Duty Dog Shampoo

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Best Shampoo for Dirty Dogs

Best Dog Shampoo

Dirty dogs happen. And for those dirty and smelly moments, you need a heavy duty cleaning shampoo that won’t dry your dog’s skin out. I like to call these products the workhorses of the canine shampoo world because no one wants to bathe their dog multiple times, right? 🙂

Deodorizing Shampoos

Heavily scented shampoos contain ingredients to neutralize and deodorize smells, such as baking soda and oatmeal. Usually, these shampoos are used to remove strong odors, such as skunk spray or any other disgusting odor your dog decided to roll in that day.

Follow shampoo directions completely, as most deodorizing shampoos need sufficient contact time with skin and coat to successfully remove foul and strong odors. If shampoo is rinsed too soon, most odors will linger and the skunk will still smell terribly even diluted. To keep your dog busy in the tub while shampoo soaks, smear peanut butter along the shower wall. Once your dog is clean, rinse off your shower wall.

Degreasers

Clarifying, or degreasing, shampoos remove excessive buildup from your dog’s coat. This is pretty common in some breeds of dogs, such as long-haired dogs and Terriers, especially if they have beards and mustaches. If not cleaned often and properly, dog beards and mustaches will develop food boogers (food matted in hair), which are very tough to remove. By rubbing and combing in a good clarifying shampooing, most food boogers can be worked loose and deodorized.

My Favorites

Hands down, my favorite is Clean Start Clarifying Shampoo by Chris Christensen. Many years ago, I shared my home with Bouviers, which are large heavy-coated breeds with long breads and mustaches. When bathing, I needed a quick acting, yet gentle clarifying and deodorizing shampoo that would remove residue and keep food boogers at bay. This shampoo did a fabulous job!

To remove skunk odors, I highly recommend Best Shot One Shot Deodorizing and De-Skunk Shampoo. It will get the smell out! Follow shampoo directions. You may need to bathe your dog’s face again later in the week. Skunk smells were designed to last. 🙂 Tomato juice and other home remedies have not worked for us, but again my skunked dogs had long beards. Oh, the joy.

You may also like: Deep Cleansing Shampoo for Dogs

Fish Oil for Your Dog’s Joints

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Joint Support Supplements for Dogs

Fish Oil Really Works!

Fish Oil for DogsWow, what can’t fish oil prevent, right? Well, it seems this powerful anti-inflammatory delivers a powerful punch or, rather, soothing and lubricating swing for joint pain. When searching for a powerful fish oil, choose cold water wild caught fish for maximum DHA and EPA amounts as well as products with publicly posted lab results verifying purity and potency.

If you want to check out how fish oil benefits canine joints, check it out here. I’ll leave it to the experts. 😉

Increase Intake of Vitamin E

When adding fish oil to your dog’s diet, it’s important to also increase your dog’s daily intake of vitamin E. Increase in fish oil depletes vitamin E levels so check out dosage advice here. When adding fish oil to your dog’s diet, add small amounts in the beginning to prevent tummy aches. Slowly ramp up to recommended amounts within a two-week period.

Ascenta Canine Omega3 Fish Oil

A veterinary nutritionist recommended this product many years ago and we still use it today. Each batch is tested for purity and potency plus the added smokey beef flavor ensures our dogs lap up the last drop. Each teaspoon contains high doses of EPA (720 mg) and DHA (450 mg) derived from anchovies and sardines, including added vitamin E. Canine Omega3 is a liquid, which can be easily measured and stirred in your dog’s daily meals. Don’t forget to refrigerate after opening and shake before serving.

Monica Segal’s Wild Salmon Oil

Each soft gel capsule contains 100% Wild Sockeye Salmon Oil (500 mg) and vitamin E, which takes the guess work out of fish oil to vitamin E balance. All of Monica’s products are tested for quality and laboratory results are posted with findings. While these products are shipped from Canada, it’s well worth waiting seven days for proven products.

READ ALSO: Best Joint Supplements for Dogs

Deep Cleansing Shampoo for Dogs

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Dog Cleansing Shampoo

Dog Shampoo

As both a dog trainer and licensed cosmetologist, choosing shampoo sends me into frenzies for my family and dogs. Dog grooming products are expanding rapidly and developing products depending on specific hair and coat needs. Yes, there are even color-care lines. 🙂

With all the choices out there, which one works best for your dog’s skin? To help narrow your choices down, let’s discuss shampoo categories, product usage and recommendations!

Cleansing Shampoo

One of the most popular shampoos is a basic cleansing dog shampoo. This category is designed to gently cleanse skin and coat, restore skin’s natural balance, provide a protective skin barrier and can be used weekly, or daily, if needed. While shampoo categories are designed for specific jobs, cleansing shampoos can be used in conjunction with medicated, degreaser and color care shampoos.

When looking for a cleansing shampoo, choose soothing and gentle ingredients. Check the label for colloidal oatmeal, oat protein, aloe and vitamin E. Most cleansing shampoos are lightly scented, which I find dissipates within a day or two, as some strong scents can dry skin.

If your dog is super sensitive to scented products, choose a hypoallergenic shampoo option. Not only are hypoallergenic shampoos scent free, most are free of detergents and other harsh ingredients for sensitive skin.

My Recommendations

My favorite cleansing shampoos are Nature’s Specialties Plum Silky, Chris Christensen Day to Day Moisturizing Shampoo and Espree Aloe Oatbath Shampoo. The first two are richly scented so they may not be an option if you’re sensitive to perfumes. If you’re searching for natural ingredients and a light scent, check out Espree’s Aloe Oatbath shampoo–it works wonderfully!

Dog Training Nation is a dog training blog for pet owners and dog lovers. We cover a range of topics from puppy socialization tips to dog aggression to dog health. It is our hope you share our content to make the world a better place for dogs.

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