Keeping Your Pup Clean: A Wahl Dog Shampoo Review

Doggy shampoo is a staple in our house. We don’t just use it for baths, we also use it to wash our dog’s paws after walks and to clean his gear (harness, leash, collar) in between washes.

Over the years, we’ve tried several brands but there’s never really been one that we’ve stuck with. Trying new products is just more exciting because you get a new scent each time.

But there is one dog shampoo that we always come back to after a while and it’s the one by Wahl.

We initially got it because of its cheap price but it has since become one of our favorites. They sell it at our local Walmart too, which makes it super accessible.

For those who are interested, here is our Wahl Dog Shampoo review.

About Wahl Shampoos

Wahl offers more than one type of doggy shampoo, all of which are plant derived and paraben free.

There’s a Four in One Shampoo that’s for cleaning and detangling, an Oatmeal Shampoo that helps reduce itching, an Odour Control Shampoo that helps deodorize and a Puppy Shampoo that features an extra gentle formula.

We usually get the ‘Four in One’ or ‘Odour Control’.

Interestingly enough, some are made in the USA while others are made in Canada (at least here in Canada).

Scents

Puppy Shampoo: Cornflower Aloe
Oatmeal: Coconut Lime Verbena
Four In One: Lavender Chamomile
Odour Control: Eucalyptus and Spearmint

If we were to rate them, it would go like this: Four In One > Odour Control > Oatmeal > Puppy Shampoo.

The Four In One Shampoo smells like typical lavender with a hint of chamomile while the Odour Control Shampoo has a pleasant minty scent.

The Oatmeal Shampoo is honestly not that bad. The coconut scent isn’t too overwhelming and you can tell there’s some lime in there but it’s just not our favorite.

The Puppy Shampoo, on the other hand, smells almost like medicine. That’s a nope for us.

*For this review, we’ll be focusing on the Wahl Odor Control Shampoo*

Wahl Dog Shampoo Review (Odor Control)

Like their other doggy shampoos, this one has a nice thickness to it. It’s not goopey to the point where it’s hard to squeeze out of the bottle but it’s not too liquidy either.

The shampoo bottle itself is also made of soft plastic with a flip lid at the top, which makes it easy to use.

Ingredients

The shampoo contains two types surfactants: cocamidopropyl betaine, lauryl glucoside, both of which are derived from coconut.

Other active ingredients include hydrolyzed wheat protein (helps strengthen the hair), glycerin (conditions hair and scalp), spearmint extract (relieves dryness), and eucalpytus extract (antimicrobial agent).

Unfortunately, it does contain sodium laureth sulfate (SLS), fragrances and coloring, which isn’t uncommon in doggy shampoos.

Using the Shampoo

One thing that we love about this product is that it lathers really well. Just add a bit of water, rub it in your hands for a few seconds and you’ll get a bunch of soap bubbles.

Just be careful not to use too much of the shampoo, otherwise you’ll end up with too much foam. That means it’ll take longer to rinse out and your pup may not like that.

Not to mention it can dry out their skin.

For paw-cleaning after walks, what we do is we dilute the shampoo with water beforehand and keep it in a small squeeze bottle.

When we get home from our walks, we squeeze a bit of it into a small basin, add some water and use it to wash his paws. Since it’s diluted, it’s easy to wash off and won’t dry out his skin.

Odor Control

Despite its name, this shampoo doesn’t actually contain any ingredients that specifically targets odors, which we thought was interesting. Having said that, it does contain two types of surfactants, which helps remove odor-causing dirt and oil residues from the skin.

The eucalyptus and spearmint extracts also have antimicrobial properties, which may help as well.

Perhaps our dog isn’t the smelliest but we’ve never had an issue with this shampoo. He always smells nice and fresh after his baths and that usually lasts one, maybe two weeks.

You might be disappointed if you’re looking for a product that will keep your dog minty fresh for weeks but for general washing, it does the job well.

Things That Could Be Better

As much as we love this shampoo, it’s not perfect. For starters, it does contain sodium laureth sulfate (SLS), which is notorious for drying out the hair and skin. It can also irritate the eyes.

The shampoo also contains perfumes, which can trigger allergies in some dogs. This can lead to swelling, lesions, itching and hair loss.

Fortunately, it’s not an issue for our pup but if it’s your first time using the shampoo, definitely keep an eye out and stop using it immediately if they develop any symptoms.

Overall

The Wahl Odor Control Shampoo is a good option if you’re looking for something affordable. You can easily get a bottle for less than $10 and it’s a good size too (about 700ml).

While it does contain SLS, many of its ingredients are plant-based, which makes it less likely to irritate the skin.

Like we said earlier, we do find ourselves coming back to this product every now and then so it is worth it for us. It might not be the best shampoo out there, but for the price, we don’t really have any complaints.