What to bathe your puppy with if you don’t have shampoo at home? 7 tips for well-groomed pets

Everyone can bathe - you might think, but taking care of your four-legged companion requires some preparation.

Owners are usually most concerned with the question of whether cosmetics developed for human use are harmful to dogs. In the event of an emergency, it is no problem to wash your dog with shower gel, shampoo or natural soap containing natural ingredients and free of dangerous chemicals, but do not make it a habit.

Dogs’ skin is thinner and more alkaline than humans’, and their fur contains protective oils that shampoo removes, so making them dry and dull over time.

But what should you do if you don’t like the store products, so you would rather opt for natural homemade shampoo? Then here is a simple, natural and healthy shampoo recipe for fragrant, shiny fur.

Homemade dog shampoo

If you’re willing to take the time to make a truly natural, chemical-free shampoo, you should check the ingredients. Although it may seem complicated at first, you will actually only need five ingredients, and the best part is that you can use each of them for your own purposes too.

Ingredients:

• filter
• funnel
• cooking pot
• an empty, clean shampoo bottle or anything you want to store the shampoo in later
• water
• 4-5 pieces of soap nut
• Vitamin E oil
• 100% lavender, sweet orange or camomile oil
• water or glycerine based – i.e. non-alcoholic – grapefruit seed extract
• organic liquid vegetable soap

Boil half a liter of water, then put the stove on a low flame and add the soap nuts. Let them cook for 20 minutes, and cool and then filter the resulting soapy water into the shampoo bottle. Add 1 teaspoon liquid soap, 5 drops of vitamin E oil, 2 drops of the essential oil(s) of your choice, then 2 drops of grapefruit seed extract and shake well. The gentle, delicious-smelling dog shampoo is ready!

How often do you bathe your dog?

If not justified by the smell or the dirtiness of its body, it is completely unnecessary to give your dog a bath, because even the gentlest dog shampoos and conditioners can reduce the hydration and defenses of your dog’s skin if used too often.

Of course, washing the paws with water or a little shampoo after a walk or frolicking in the garden does no harm the dog, you can repeat this several times a day as needed.

Dog groomer Krisztina Demeter shows you how to bathe your pet correctly.

What to do with a scared, nervous dog?

One thing is for sure: aggressive, disciplinary behavior is not a solution in this case, because as a result, it is imprinted in the dog’s mind that bathing is associated with negative feelings and scolding. The key word is gradation. With gentle movements, kind words, and snacks, let the dog get used to the props, water and the touching rarely touched parts of the body.

How to protect your ears and eyes?

If you have a dog with drooping ears, you don’t necessarily need to pay special attention to this, but it is worth gently blocking the ear canal of some dog breeds with a soft piece of cotton wool. Important! Never push the cotton wool deep, just enough to stay in the ear!

In order to protect the animal’s eyes, instead of using the shower method, clean the face with a wet sponge so that shampoo does not get into its mouth, nose, or eyes.

But then how do you wash the eyes out?

It is possible to remove the eye goop and the so-called tear stains with a gentle liquid specially created for this purpose and a soft cloth, cotton ball, and an ear cleaning stick. If your dog’s eyes water excessively, consult a vet, as this can be a symptom or sign of various health problems.

Ready for the hairdryer?

In good weather, short-haired dogs can only be soaked with a towel and rubbed off the excess water, but long-haired dogs may need a hair dryer. Make sure it’s not too hot, set it to the ideal temperature, and keep an adequate distance between it and the dog’s fur! It is also worth combing your four-legged friend dry, because then the structure of the hairs is stronger and you can untangle the knots more easily without damage.