How to Make Natural Homemade Dog Shampoo

At my local pet store, there are rows upon rows of different types of pet shampoo. It can all be quite confusing! And then I asked myself, Why don't I make my own homemade dog shampoo? It would be cheaper, gentler, more natural, and not contain harmful chemicals that would drain down my sink and pollute the soil (I try to be an environmentally-conscious as possible).

Commercial pet shampoos, both cat shampoos and dog shampoos, contain a startling amount of non-natural chemicals and ingredients. Some of them include all sorts of parabens, artificial scents and colors, and even sodium lauryl sulfate! Why would I want to put this stuff on my dog?

Use this dog shampoo recipe to make a cheap, eco-friendly, gentle and natural dog shampoo from everyday ingredients. It doesn't have any of the chemicals found in commercial dog shampoos, and it will leave your dog smelling fresh and clean!

Ingredients for a Natural Homemade Dog Shampoo

- A cup of all natural dish soap (yes, just normal dish soap: I love the soaps from Seventh Generation!)

- A cup of organic apple cider vinegar

- A third of a cup of glycerin

- A quart of water

Mix these four ingredients together, pour into a bottle for storage, and voila! You now have your own all-natural dog shampoo. Whenever you need to wash your dog and give your dog a bath, just give your bottle of environmentally-friendly dog shampoo a good shake, and pour onto Rover! He'll love it, and so will you.

How Does This Natural Homemade Dog Shampoo Work?

The natural dish soap will help to gently clean dirt and debris off of your dog. Glycerine coats his hair and keeps the shampoo rich. Apple cider vinegar helps freshen your dog's smell and also makes his hair shiny and smooth (just as it does on humans!).

Variations of the Natural Homemade Dog Shampoo:

You can play around with the ingredients and add to the basic foundational recipe as you see fit. It's a cheap shampoo, but it works wonders! If your dog is especially smelly, you can shampoo him with this natural dog shampoo and then use pure organic apple cider vinegar as a final rinse. The vinegar will neutralize any smells and leave his coat luxuriously shiny and beautiful.

I've also used Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps as a pre-wash. These liquid soaps are made from all natural ingredients and are very concentrated, so a few squirts into your dog's bathwater should be sufficient.

Why use commercial, chemical-filled dog shampoos when you can make your own cheap, natural, organic and gentle dog shampoo at home?