Shampoo debates

Okay, so a few comments later and I've got some more to add on the whole shampoo debate. No not really, but I guess I did fail to mention a few keys points--thank you to Penni for mentioning them to me. I always learn something and it's important that we share our views.

First off bathing-yes, for many of us, bathing is a weekly ritual. I think something needs to be said for the way in which a dog lives, will attribute to that. The surfaces they are one, the climate and their daily dose of exercise. Also remembering what a dog's coat is designed for makes a difference. Some breeds need a lot of TLC, while many need very little. For example, Pongo the Puli. He has a very musty smell, but it's due to the nature of his coat and the cording. It takes him up wards of 8-10 hours to dry after a bath, making it very hard to justify a full bath each week. A toy breed like a lhasa or maltese, weekly bathing and oiling of the coat to keep it flat, supple, and long, plus putting them in papers, is a must.

My dogs get lots of grass in the summer, snow in the winter and rain in between to refresh their coats. A good roll by each in the mornings is not unheard of. Standing or running in the rain followed by a towel off before they come in. Now a plunge in the creek does ask for a quick bath just because pond smell is not something I like to sleep with. We also will put a dog on the table and with a little listerine and water, mist them down and blow out their coat every other week.

Might I also add the diet can play a big roll in skin and hair condition. I won't go into it much but cheap kibble diets not only make for larger clean up but the condition of your dog can be very apparent by their coat condition. This being a big issue with my 4-H kids-they ask how to make their dog look better and before we talk grooming, we talk diet.

Next--some products are good and some are bad. Penni mentioned that Pantene is used by a lot of toy dog people. And this is the product that my friend who did research in college on, is one of the worst ones for human hair. It does coat the hair shaft with waxes and such, making it ideal for keeping a long coat manageable. But overall, it is one of the products that she had way down on her list of products good to use. And yes, many human grooming products-mouses, gels, hair sprays, are used on show dogs, and those should always be washed off the dog, immediately following a show. Again, we get back to the fact that humans will wash them out daily and reapply.

Isle of Dog, yes, I do know personally of one dog having a reaction to it. What this might offer is a good place to note that not every product is good for every dog. I use two of their products, had good luck with them and recommend them. BUT if you dog has a reaction, then don't use it, but also don't bash the entire line, as someone else might love it. Test it out first is what I always say. I can say the very same thing about another line of dog products, won't touch them, yet a show friend swears by them.

Lastly, ph. Just a little fictious, yes, but in fact due to the very nature of the beast, dogs and humans do have different skin and hair types that usually require different products. Most of the time what I get is that someone went out and bought a cheap bottle of human shampoo and the dogs coat now looks dull and dingy. First off, rinse, rinse, rinse, rinse. and rinse again. Most dog products are designed to be easily rinsed. The normal John Q public, doesn't realize that you will need to be extra vilgilant on that point. 2nd off, remember, we humans are washing ourselves daily, head to toe. Your animal isn't. Also they ingest it when they lick themselves. Internal reactions can and do happen. Key here, be careful about what you use. The product should be gentle to the skin, rinses well and check to see what it's warnings are-if you don't rinse well, they can get sick other ways then just a skin rash.

Oh I love these forums!!! More input please, I'm always open to suggestions and love a differing view.

Later gators...
C