I think that older people tend to bathe/shower less often because their skin is thinner and more sensitive... I can attest to that. My mother's skin was so paper thin and lacking in elasticity, there were multiple times her forearm skin would literally tear from dabbing with a towel. Multitude of reasons; aging, medications, forgetting to keep hydrated by drinking water, etc. etc. But I digress... My hair gets fully washed at night, then rinsed in a.m. so I can dry/style. So twice daily it's wet. (Summer more). My skin/hair needs moisture (don't drink enough water, I know that). Oily is clear on the other end of the spectrum. My concern was stress (death of my mom); age (hormone shift); regular coloring & twice daily rinsing is all taking a toll. I'm on my 4th night of Sally's 'wen' like product. First night, wow, hair was like pure silk when rinsed. Next morning, fluffy, full, oh so soft and shiny. Day 2, not so much. (But I blew it the night before by putting a small amount of oil on my scalp, ran through my hair, let dry before bed. The oil is helping, but too many nights in a row is too much.) The next night I skipped the oil, did the Sally condition clean, next morning my hair didn't feel as nice. (I used product on low end of amounts suggested as an experiment.) Last night I used Sally's, increased amount I used, then when out of shower put oil on again, and when I woke up this morning I did my usual rinse before drying/styling, only this time I put a dime size amount of Sally's product on my hair, massaged in and rinsed. Much better. It's fluffy, soft, shiny & silky clear to the ends and it swings ;) (I have no styling products in it, but it sure looks like I do.) Guess I'll have to fine tune the routine. But figure I'm saving a lot of wear 'n tear on my hair with a less harsh shampoo, no styling products, oil for added moisture a few nights a week. Oh, and something I should have done long ago was get one of those mega wide tooth combs for combing the product in the shower. I got Sally's "Beach comb" set. One for in the shower, one for when I get out. That also saves a lot of wear and tear over a regular comb or nylon (non-bristle) brush. We'll see how it goes, but just after a few days it's a lot less dry looking.

I use Mane & Tail shampoo & conditioner on my dogs. It's got a pleasent smell, but not too perfume-y. It also leaves them feeling sooooo soft! I'm another who only bathes my dogs maybe 4 or 5 times a year. I have a long haired St. Bernard & a beagle/cocker spanial mix. Neither of them get stinky unless they roll in something, which doesn't happen often since they have a fenced-in backyard to play in while outside. I used to bathe my SB frequently b/c of his long hair, but found that it irritated his skin. Now, I brush when needed & of course towel dry when he's been in the rain. I clean my dog's ears frequently b/c they can get stinky if left alone, but bathing is limited to summer time (May or June to Sept. or Oct.) and only a few times at that. I also shave my SB during the summer b/c of his intolerance to heat, so this helps renew his coat & keeps him smelling good! :)

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.

I just wanted to mention that if you spend a lot of time swimming, you should try out some swimmer-specific shampoo to use after time in chlorinated or salt water. I use Malibu Swimmers Wellness Shampoo several times per week after swimming and it has done a wonderful job of keeping my hair healthy. As for regular shampoo and conditioner, I used to be loyal to Aveda products (upon the recommendation of my hairdresser). But at some point I found my hair feeling limp and dry. I decided to try out a few other products and I've been happy with these. I'm not certain if they would work for your specific situation, but they've kept my hair soft and full despite swimming in chlorinated water multiple times per week. Desert Essence Coconut Shampoo Desert Essence Coconut Conditioner Alba Botanica Hawaiian Coconut Conditioner