Word up, dudes. To get technical, any anionic surfactant will work fine. Cationic and zwitterionic (I love that word) are ineffective and not very effective respectively. Soap just happens to be cheap and handy--and you can often do better on price than baby shampoo. When lazier, I tend to use Suave as the price per ounce is much cheaper and it goes on sale a lot more often (and I like the apple scent). When not lazy, I use 4 ounces of sodium laurel sulfate (available at good price from Bramble Berry) in 1 gallon of water as a concentrate, then apply 3 ounces of that concentrate per gallon to the lawn. Price per ounce is very low. At higher concentrations, it'll also remove oil from your garage floor very easily. Toxicity is very low, but if using the SLS powder, don't breathe the stuff while mixing. It's not toxic, but it's a major irritant. I wear a mask. The 3 oz per thousand measurement is extremely flexible; I've gone as high as 15 when I've had a "greasy soil" problem. Vast overuse can cause sodium buildup (all soaps are sodium or potassium salts), but I've never seen it become a problem (yet). Soap allows water to penetrate more easily into the soil the same way that soap allows water to coat your hair, beard, skin, and dishes. It also creates an environment in soils of more diverse ions, which causes the soil particles to flocculate (gather together) into nice, small peds that allow water and air to penetrate soils much more easily. Bacteria also like the peds as they make good homes with lots of cracks and caves for them to live in--and then the bacteria further flocculate the soil for you. Conversely, clay and silt tend to be deflocculated soil, arrayed in plates and sheets that don't allow water or air to soak in easily. These soils tend to be hard, either soaked or bone dry, crack when dry, and don't support a great deal of microbial life below the surface. Although any other soil type can become deflocculated, it's a little more rare in sandy soils.

I have hair that's fair-colored, naturally curly, & fine to medium textured, so it's easy to damage, & naturally dry in our hot & dry to hot & humid climate (central Arkansas). I was told I needed something with a lot of natural moisturizing ingredients, and I started buying TCB ethnic and Aussie Moist shampoos & conditioners again after using many different expensive salon brands for a year or more. But, I love Dove's new 2-in-1 shampoo/conditioner! It's great for when I stay with relatives & in-laws, or on the go (i.e. at gyms & public pools) all of which where showers & bathroom time are limited.

Our two Mini-labradoodles (2nd generation)have different types of hair from each other. Our female, Andi has wiry hair on her back but her legs, head are soft and wavy/curly. She doesn't shed hair on our clothes or furniture but when you comb her, especially on her thick back fur, you will get it in the comb. Amos, our black male, has more poodle like hair, soft, its wavy to thick curls. We cut his hair about every other week to keep the mats down, which was a real problem when he was swimming this summer. Now it is not such a problem and we let him go a little longer. I do find little curls like on the carpet where he scratches them out, mostly from around his neck or ears. Either that or his sister pulls them out playing! Our breeder did not promise that they wouldn't shed at all, but that there would be less than other breeds like our Brittany. We certainly have less shedding than with either our Brittany or our Cockapoo. Hers was more like fuzz when she shed. He did tell us that they would need combing and that daily would be the best route to go. Luckily, they both love to be combed and its part of our nightly routine while we are on the floor with them. I agree (QQ know this) that they are very sweet, lovable, and smart.

Such confusing replies you received! Actually, the WORST shampoo would be human baby shampoo because the pH is too low and it is wrong for cats and dogs. Sure, you could get away with it, but if you want your pet to be comfortable, that would not be the shampoo of choice. Human ADULT shampoo is okay, especially if you need a dandruff shampoo. A cheap antifungal is baking soda, however. I mix that with my own shampoo and it's fine for me, but it certainly does raise the pH of shampoo, so I don't know if it's a good choice for dogs or not. But you could add baking soda to any loads of pet blankets and towels you wash. My dogs do really well with oatmeal shampoo formulated for dogs. As far as dogs having fur, some dogs have fur and some have hair. It is fur if it is like a wolf coat, a double coat that sheds and doesn't need cutting. It is a hair coat if it requires cutting, like a poodle, bichon frise, yorkie, etc. If you have a pure breed you will get the most specific answers by talking to others with your specific breed.