Great homemade dog shampoo

I have a havanese dog (at least that is what i was told). I like to bath it often but I had noticed that the dog shampoos I bought made the dogs fur loose that nice shine - it looked dull, and it scratched alot. Even if I spaced the baths to every two to three weeks. I like to bath it often.

This was two weeks since its last bath

So I tried this recipe for homemade dog shampoo from How To Make Your Own Great Smelling Dog Shampoo

A glass jar with lid
1/4 of a jar Apple Cider Vinegar
1/4 of a jar Ivory Antibacterial Dish Soap
1/4 of a jar Aloe Vera gel
1/4 of a jar water
1 Rosemary sprig
2 Drops Rosemary Oil
2 Drops Lavender Oil

Now, living in Zambia means some of the ingredients were not readily available, or it meant scouring the shops for them. I did not have the time to invest in the search so I modified the recipe and used what I had and could easily find:

 A Container to put the shampoo in. I used the one shown in the picture.   
1/3 cup white Vinegar
1/3 cup liquid soap (I used, but I reckon you can use any)
1/3 cup water
1 Rosemary sprig
1 Lavender sprig (I have a rosemary and lavender bush in my garden)

The picture shows the liquid soap (left) I used and the container (right). You can use any that you prefer.

The website said to let it stand for 24hrs before using but I used it immediately (note to self read the whole post before starting) and to be honest with you I did not notice any nice smelling aroma and the shampoo did not get rid of that wet doggy smell. On the good side it lathered very well and the dog was clean but it did not smell nice after I had finished.

So I thought to myself - trust these things not to work. I will just continue using the regular store bought one.

I had some left over and since i hate throwing things out i put in the fridge to be used the next time. (the website recommends keeping it for only two weeks and then discard). 

I used it two weeks later and boy was there a difference -

- no doggy smell when washing the dog,

- the shampoo is sweet smelling

- the fur has a shine to it

- and best of all the dog smells great! even after two weeks you can still detect the faint smell of the shampoo.

- also the dog scratched a lot less.

Reasons for this difference i think is that the lavender and rosemary required time to diffuse in to the mixture. The original recipe uses oils so the 24hrs should be adequate but i will try different times to see when the lavender and rosemary are noticeable in the shampoo when used.

After bath. It was difficult to get a good pic as it kept running around.

In comparison to store bought shampoos this is great. I would  recommend this as a much cheaper alternative. The only thing you have to add to your shopping list is liquid soap as vinegar is a household staple. Invest in a rosemary and lavender bush and you are all set.

Stay blessed.