Best Dog Shampoos & Conditioners

When your dog has an actual skin condition — hot spots, yeast dermatitis, or ringworm — this is the OTC shampoo vets most often recommend before escalating to prescriptions. The dual-action formula with benzethonium chloride and ketoconazole addresses both bacterial and fungal issues in a single wash. Just commit to the 10-minute soak time or you're wasting your effort.

For puppies getting their first baths, Burt's Bees removes the anxiety with a genuinely tearless, gentle formula that won't cause a negative association with bath time. The buttermilk base leaves puppy coats impossibly soft without any harsh ingredients. It's mild by design, so don't expect it to tackle a mud-caked adult retriever.

The cheapest dry-skin option here, and the gap it fills is price rather than formula: the Earthbath oatmeal wash costs nearly three times as much. Wahl states an oatmeal base with aloe, and no parabens or alcohol.

FURminator's bath-day partner for its deshedding tool: a conditioning shampoo for double-coated, heavy-shedding dogs. On its own it is a pleasant, inexpensive shampoo; paired with a deshedding session afterwards, it is the routine the maker designs it for.