In this lesson we will be discussing different shampoos and when, why and how to use them. You don't have to be too picky about the kind of shampoo you use on your dog, just make sure to get a shampoo that is made for dogs, not humans. There are only a few human shampoos that can be exceptions to this rule. Some people use their own human shampoo with no problems but I think it's best to use shampoo formulated for dogs in the first place because they are Ph balanced specifically for pets. The basic choices are: oatmeal, medicated, whitening, puppy, super-cleaning, hypoallergenic, flea shampoo & conditioners.

Oatmeal based shampoos are great shampoos to use as your basic. It will help with dry skin (which causes itching), skin allergies, and soothing the skin after a round with fleas.

Medicated shampoo should be used with more severe skin irritations, seborrhea, etc. The ones you can buy at your pet store usually have some combination of coal tar and sulpher, or hydrocortisone in them. They can and do help improve some conditions and hot spots. If your pet has an acutal skin infection, yeast, or mites you need to see a vet for the proper shampoo.

Whitening shampoo is usually used to brighten white coated animals but can also be used to clarify and brighten other colors to. There are special formulations for brightening black coats too. These whitening/clarifying shampoos clean really well but can have the effect of stripping oil from the skin and you may want to consider using a conditioner along with it if you use it every time you bathe your pet.

Puppy shampoo is really great for very young animals (4 months or less) and also for very old or fragile animals. It is wonderful at any stage of life for use on the face and around the eyes because puppy shampoo is usually tearless. Human baby shampoo is also very good for this.

A super-cleaning shampoo should be used whenever your dog has rolled in something nasty, is especially oily or stinky, or you know your regular shampoo just won't get "that" out of his fur. Look for words on the label like baking soda and degreasers. These kind of shampoos should not be used all the time as they will tend to dry out the skin and coat. Use a conditioner afterwards to make the coat nice and soft.

Hypo-allergenic shampoo is tearless also and was made for pets that are super sensitive to soap and who break out in itchy rashes after every bath. They are also good for sensitive owners. Do not assume that just because your pet has been really itchy after a bath once or twice that they need a hypo-allergenic shampoo. There are many factors to add up before insisting on a hypo shampoo for your pet. The major reason for itching after a bath is that you didn't rinse well enough. Secondly, your pet may be suffering with dry skin and you didn't use a shampoo that addresses that problem. Thirdly, the shampoo you used before may have been too strong for your pet and stripped all the oils out of his fur causing him to feel like he has dry skin, thus causing the itching. This doesn't mean you freak out and just start using a hypo shampoo out of fear of causing a problem. Hypo shampoo is a great product for the dogs that actually need it. But it isn't a great cleaning shampoo. It won't help with smells or oily fur and it won't soothe existing skin conditions. It doesn't lather well and being hypo-allergenic it has no soap in it so it can't clean as well as any other normal shampoo. Many pet owners, once they’ve convinced themselves that their pet needs hypo shampoo, will then fear using any other shampoo that their pet may actually need and benefit from. Make sure you have tried several other shampoos including oatmeal and a good skin conditioning shampoo before you make the switch to hypo-allergenic shampoo.

Flea shampoo will help you kill fleas but may have to be repeated several times. Every year fleas get more resistant to the available products and manufacturers are constantly trying to keep up. Use an eye protectant in the pet's eyes and apply the flea shampoo to the head first. Fleas will hide on your pet anywhere. In the ears, eyes, nose, rectum, they don't care, they are running for their life. Apply the shampoo to the head and neck first, to prevent the fleas from hiding in these areas where you can't see them, and then move on to the rest of the body. Leave the shampoo on for at least 5-10 minutes, according to the label of the particular shampoo you are using. Kill as many fleas as you can with your own hands while you are waiting. You can do this easily by popping the fleas between your nails.

Flea shampoo works by paralyzing the flea's nervous system so after a few minutes you will see the fleas stop moving. But they aren't dead yet, it takes a few more minutes to actually kill them. Rinsing the shampoo off too soon will allow the fleas to recover instead of being killed, so leave it on as long as the label says. If you have followed these directions but are still having problems with live fleas on your pet, you may want to go ahead and use a topical flea product, like Frontline Plus, or take your dog to a groomer for a dip. Not all groomers will use dip these days, most of us prefer the use of topical flea products, so call around and ask if they have dip if that's what you really want.

The important thing to remember is that you don't want to mix too many flea products on your pet because they are poison. Flea shampoo whether chemical based or naturally based (neem oil, eucalyptus, penny royal etc.) can be used together with dip or with topical products. But you don't want to use both dip and a topical product together because you could poison your dog. Some pets that are elderly, or in fragile health, or nursing are going to be sensitive to flea products too. When in doubt about what to do, ask your vet.

Conditioners are made specifically to target either the skin or the coat. Knowing which kind you need before you buy will save you some money. If your dog is itchy, which usually means dry skin, make sure you buy one that is made to condition the skin. If you are using a conditioner because your dogs hair is dry, brittle or not shiny, then use one made specifically for the hair itself.

 For the next lesson, I will actually walk you through the bath process. We will also cover clipping nails, and cleaning ears. You might be surprised to find out how much you really know about properly bathing your pet. Hope you will join me!