Grooming Your Dog with Dry Dog Shampoo
January 19, 2010 by Paris and John
Filed under Budget Tips, Grooming, Tips
Winter dog baths are difficult, especially for larger dogs that won’t fit into the sink. Your choices are usually 1) a back-breaking (and sometimes dog-wrestling) session in the bathtub followed by often unpopular hair drying or 2) a trip to the dog groomer.
But there’s another alternative: dry dog shampoo. Whether you use this dry mixture to extend the time between real baths or to remove odors your dog picks up (how can they drop and roll SO quickly?), dry shampooing can be a good way to get your dog clean fast and without fuss.
You’ll find commercial dry dog shampoos in pet supply stores but you can also make an inexpensive dry shampoo at home using materials you probably already have on hand. The basic recipe uses one cup of one of these ingredients:
- cornstarch
- flour
- baby powder
- unscented talc
Many recipes also call for adding 1/2 a cup of baking soda to deodorize and/or a 1/2 cup of salt to help remove dirt. Some also call for a few drops of your favorite essential oil for dogs (use only essential oils you know are safe on dogs). Don’t use any of these mixtures on dogs with skin irritations or cuts.
When you have your ingredients selected, mix them together in a clean, dry glass jar with a metal, screw-top lid that’s small enough for you to hold easily. Close up the lid and shake the ingredients to mix then punch about a half dozen holes in the lid. You’re ready to shampoo!
Before doing the dry shampoo, you’ll want to brush your dog thoroughly, just as you would before any dog bath. Brush him head to tail and work through any tangles with your fingers. This will ensure that the dry shampoo gets all the way to his skin.
Now you’re ready for the shampoo. Select a room you can vacuum easily or even mop: you’ll have powder to clean up when you’re done. Take care to keep the powder out of your dog’s eyes and nose and start sprinkling, working the powder into the lower levels of his coat. If you can, try to leave the dry shampoo in for five or ten minutes, then thoroughly brush it out. The dry shampoo will take with it excess oil and dirt and you’ll have a cleaner dog!
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