Even if you personally love smelling their Frito feet, there’s no denying that dogs sometimes stink. Whether your dog rolled in something smelly or is simply overdue for a bath, the best dog shampoo for odor will have your pup smelling fresh in no time.
Why Does My Dog Stink?
There are a number of reasons why your dog could smell bad. Too long between baths can cause oil buildup that leads to more pronounced doggy odor and a greasy coat. Dogs who romp and play outside regularly often pickup smells in their environment too, so if your dog loves rolling in the dirt and grass, chances are they’ll come inside smelling a little funky.
You may be looking for the best dog shampoo for odor and itching, but itchy, stinky skin may be a sign of an underlying health condition. Skin conditions, ear infections, anal gland issues, allergies, and other health-related problems can cause smellier-than-usual pups. If your dog regularly smells bad even after a bath, or is constantly licking or scratching, consider talking to your vet about it.
Traits We Want in a Dog Shampoo for Odor
The best dog shampoos for odor should banish doggy smells, be easy on the skin, and leave dogs’ coats feeling healthy. Here are two things to look for when buying a dog shampoo:
Deodorizing ingredients: Look for a shampoo that will help neutralize dog odors at the source instead of just hiding them with strong scents. Ingredients like rosemary oil and baking soda will help rid your home of that stinky dog smell. Using a PH-balanced dog shampoo is a good idea too, since it will keep your pup’s skin healthy and less susceptible to skin issues that cause odor.
Skin-friendly ingredients: If your dog has sensitive skin or preexisting skin issues or allergies, look for soothing ingredients that will keep their skin and coat moisturized and irritant-free. Ingredients like colloidal oatmeal, ceramides, and aloe will keep dogs’ skin barriers soothed and healthy.
How We Tested the Best Dog Shampoos for Odor
I used each of these shampoos on both of my dogs, one of whom is a long-haired, double coated breed and the other who is a short-haired, single-coated dog. Testing each shampoo on both dogs allowed me to evaluate how well each worked for certain coat types. I assessed how well each shampoo lathered, how they made my dogs’ coats feel post-bath, and whether they eliminated doggy odor (my short-haired dog is particularly prone to a greasy coat and doggy odor when she goes a long time between baths). Shampoos that left a lot of residue on my dogs’ coats despite being thoroughly rinsed and shampoos that left them feeling dried out were penalized accordingly.
To zero in on the odor-reducing benefits of each shampoo, I also created a standardized test to see how well each shampoo cleaned and neutralized odors. I soaked a rag in coffee for 5 minutes to simulate both dirt/debris and odor. After each rag was soaked in coffee, I briefly rinsed the coffee from each rag in lukewarm water. I then washed it using half a teaspoon of shampoo and water for one minute, making sure to lather and scrub as well as I could. I rinsed each rag thoroughly, and after rinsing I let each rag dry overnight. I then smelled each rag and ranked them in order of least coffee smell to most coffee smell. The rag with the least coffee smell was the best at eliminating odor and this matched up with my real-life tests using my dogs.
Read on for the best dog shampoos for odor I tested for Whole Dog Journal:
Best Dog Shampoos for Odor
| Whole Dog Journal Rating | Product and Maker | Price | Size | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Wahl Odor Control Purifying Dog Shampoo | $10 | 24 ounces | Sudsed up well, with a strong smell of eucalyptus mint. Completely washed the coffee scent out of the fabric in the smell test, and left a pleasant minty scent that wasn’t too overpowering. It also completely banished doggy odors when used on our tester dogs. This shampoo left my dogs’ coats feeling a bit dry but was helpful at removing excess oil and cleaning greasy coats. |
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DermAllay Oatmeal Shampoo | $17 | 12 ounces | This option got quite bubbly for a non-soap shampoo. The apple scent is light and pleasant, and it completely neutralized the coffee scent in the smell test. This shampoo offered the best post-bath coat texture on my long-coated dog of all the shampoos I tested. |
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Arm & Hammer Super Deodorizing Dog Shampoo | $7 | 20 ounces | This shampoo was incredibly sudsy and has a strong artificial fruity scent. It left some light coffee smell on the fabric during the scent test and left some residue on my dogs’ coats post-wash. Still, this is a solid low-priced shampoo for budget-conscious dog owners. |
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Frisco Oatmeal Dog & Cat Shampoo | $25 | 20 ounces | The strong artificial almond scent is a bit off putting at first, but this shampoo completely neutralized both coffee odors and doggy odors in our tests. It left a pleasant, slightly sweet after scent, and left my dogs’ coats feeling soft and shiny. |
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Earthbath deodorizing rosemary shampoo | $19 | 16 ounces | This shampoo didn’t lather very well, and I had to use a lot of product to give my dogs a thorough bath. It has a nice, faint rosemary scent, but it failed to neutralize odors in all of our tests. |
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Burt’s Bees Oatmeal, Oat Flour & Honey | $12-$18 | 16 ounces 32 ounces |
This shampoo also lacked lather and required using a lot of product to completely wash my two medium-sized dogs. The bottle opened and spilled partially in transit, and it failed to neutralize odors in all of our tests. |
Best Overall Dog Shampoo for Odor: Wahl Odor Control Purifying Dog Shampoo
The Wahl Odor Control Purifying Dog Shampoo is the best shampoo for odor that I tested. It completely neutralized the coffee odor on the fabric during our smell test and left a nice faint minty scent on the cloth. When I washed my two dogs with it, it did a great job of cutting through excess oil on the coat and eliminated all doggy odors (including the strong Frito foot smell that my older dog tends to get).
Though the Eucalyptus Spearmint scent in the bottle is fairly strong, the after scent is very mild. Some deodorizing shampoos have overpowering scents and leave dogs smelling like you’ve tried to cover up the stench with too much perfume. That isn’t the case with the Wahl Odor Control Purifying Dog Shampoo.
For long-coated dogs, I recommend pairing this shampoo with a conditioner. It left my rough collie’s coat feeling a tad dry. This is really more of a clarifying shampoo than a normal shampoo, as it gets down to the skin and strips oils, dirt, and product buildup very effectively. It left my single coated dog’s coat a tiny bit drier than other shampoos I tested, but because she runs oily, it’s not necessarily a bad thing. This is a good pick for dogs with oily coats, and at $10, it’s reasonably priced.
Best Dog Shampoo for Allergies and Itchy, Sensitive Skin: DermAllay Oatmeal Shampoo
Of the shampoos tested, DermAllay Oatmeal Shampoo is the best dog shampoo for allergies, itchy skin, and sensitive skin. The soap-free formula is gentle on skin and if your dog is prone to dry skin it won’t strip out their natural oils either. This shampoo contains colloidal oatmeal, a popular ingredient for treating skin conditions like itchiness, eczema, severe dryness, and allergies in humans and animals alike.
According to Dr. Sara Bledsoe, a veterinarian at Chewy, “The active ingredient in this therapeutic shampoo is a ceramide complex that helps rebuild and maintain a strong, healthy skin barrier,” which is great for dogs with damaged coats and sensitive skin.
Despite the gentle formulation, this shampoo did an excellent job at fighting odor. In both the fabric test and real-life dog tests, it broke down odor nearly as well as the Wahl shampoo. I liked the way this shampoo left my Rough Collie’s coat feeling, even with no conditioner. The fatty acids and ceramides in this shampoo did a great job at moisturizing her coat.
This shampoo costs $17 for 12 ounces—if it were slightly cheaper, this shampoo would have been the overall winner. If your dog has any skin issues or is just extra sensitive to certain ingredients, opt for DermAllay Oatmeal Shampoo.
Best Budget Dog Shampoo for Odor: Arm & Hammer Super Deodorizing Dog Shampoo
If you want to spend under $10 for a dog shampoo, the Arm & Hammer Super Deodorizing Dog Shampoo is the best budget dog shampoo for odor. This shampoo left some residue on my Rough Collie’s coat after use, even with thorough rinsing, and the artificial kiwi blossom smell is quite strong. It did a decent job of deodorizing in both the coffee test and the dog test, leaving only a bit of lingering scent. This is not the best option, but at $7, it gets the job done cheaply.
Another Good Option: Frisco Oatmeal Dog & Cat Shampoo
The Frisco Oatmeal Dog & Cat Shampoo also performed well in our smell tests, completely neutralizing both strong doggy odor and coffee odor. Though it has a strong, artificial almond scent in the bottle, it actually rinses out to a lovely neutral smell that’s slightly sweet. This shampoo left my two dogs feeling more moisturized than the Wahl shampoo, so it’s a good pick for dogs with a dry coat.
This shampoo comes recommended by Dr. Katy Nelson, senior veterinarian at Chewy. “For my own dog when he’s just plain dirty or stinky, I break out the Frisco Oatmeal Shampoo,” she says. “It smells delicious, is gentle on his sensitive skin, and leaves his hair soft and tangle free. It’s a good one!”
This shampoo is pricier than the other options on our list, which is why I rated it a bit lower. If you want a shampoo that’s not as purifying as the Wahl, but don’t need the sensitive-skin friendly formulation of the DermAlly, this Frisco shampoo is a good pick.
Shampoos We Also Tested
I also tested Earthbath deodorizing rosemary shampoo and Burt’s Bees Oatmeal, Oat Flour & Honey. Both shampoos left a lot of noticeable coffee odor after our coffee sent test. Each one left my dogs’ coats feeling soft and clean, but they didn’t combat doggy odor as well as the other options on this list. If you’re looking specifically for a dog shampoo for odor, opt for Wahl Odor Control Purifying Dog Shampoo, DermAllay Oatmeal Shampoo, Arm & Hammer Super Deodorizing Dog Shampoo, or Frisco Oatmeal Dog & Cat Shampoo.