Can you wash a dog with washing liquid used for humans?
Last Updated: 23.06.2025 00:24
The powerful detergents like “Dawn” dish soap or “Tide” laundry soap will strip ALL of the oils from the dogs fur and skin, causing drying, loss of flexibility and cracking, promoting fungal and bacterial infections, and the most common surfactant in dish soap, “sodium lauryl sulfate” is a severe irritant to the dogs eyes even in small amounts.
In most cases, short hair dogs do not need regular baths with shampoo… A good spraying down with plain water and a brushing after will take care of most bathing needs.
ONLY in an emergency, when the dog has been exposed to oily, waxey or sticky petroleum products or other harsh chemicals.
If you are simply dealing with normal dirt or even a dog who has a habit of rolling in poo or other foul stuff, the best product is cheap “No Tears” formula BABY SHAMPOO from the dollar store followed by “Mane and Tail” conditioner, found at your local “Feed and Seed” or full line pet store.
For these bone-heads a good hosing and a nap in the sun to dry is good enough…
HOWEVER I have dogs like Alphonse and Gaston here…. Mud-puppies….
If you bathe your dog more than once a month, using that conditioner is especially important to replace the fur and skin oils lost to the detergents….