Poor Gus—last summer, my cockapoo suffered from dry skin so terribly, he scratched and bit at his hind quarters so fiercely that by the time I got him to a vet, he'd already created two raw patches—one on each hip, poor little guy. My vet had to shave his fur, treat him with antibiotics and worst of all for Gus, fit him with the cone of shame until the area healed. So this year, I did a deep dive into dog shampoos for itchy, dry skin so that I wouldn't repeat the cycle.

Every pet owner knows, washing your dog is already an event—even before you undertake Ballerina Farm-level homemaking like learning how to make homemade dog shampoo. If your pup has sensitive, dry skin, like my guy, he’s only going to hate it more. With the right shampoo, you can keep your dog clean without irritating dry skin or exacerbating itchiness. I tapped knowledgeable veterinarians to help understand the right formulas to use. (Finding the best puppy shampoo is a whole other story, if your dog is under a year old.) Since Gus's hair on his irritated areas grew back darker, I have only to glance at him to remember to keep him comfortable with the right rinse-and-repeat.

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After 16 years of veterinary practice, Dr. Lisa knows which ingredients work for dog skin and which work against it. When searching for the best dog shampoos for itchy, dry skin, she recommends finding options with super moisturizers, like coconut oil and sweet almond oil. Oatmeal is another ingredient in many skin-soothing dog shampoo formulas, as it's a gentle cleanser with anti-inflammatory properties. For very sensitive or allergy-prone skin, make sure your dog shampoo is hypoallergenic.

"Oatmeal is a great, hydrating ingredient found in hydrating shampoos. Oatmeal is also gentle enough to use more frequently in dogs that need to be bathed every one to two weeks if the veterinarian recommends that," Dr. Vaid says. She also recommends chlorhexidine solution, a gentle cleaning solution that aides in stripping dead, dry skin to make room for healthier skin to grow. 

Vets agree to steer clear of nasty ingredients like sulfates, parabens, preservatives or artificial fragrances. These irritants can exacerbate existing skin issues or quickly dry out your pup’s skin. And pay attention to your pet's appearance, aroma and behavior to determine how often you should wash your dog, since over-washing can irritate sensitive skin.

Dr. Lisa is a huge fan of leave-in conditioners, which can be used any time your pup gets wet. This includes post-bath time or even after a swim. Regularly applying leave-in conditioner can work wonders for dry skin (not to mention leave coats nice and shiny). Brushing regularly can also help spread your dog’s natural skin oils throughout her body.

One thing you don’t want to do is bathe your dog too often. “Only wash your dog every four to six weeks unless your vet has prescribed otherwise,” Dr. Lisa says. (Of course, if your dog rolls in mud, please give her a bath.) But aside from necessary scrubbings, monthly bath time should suffice.

Finally, if you notice constant itching or licking, red, flaky or dry skin that won’t budge, talk to your vet. It’s possible your dog suffers from allergies and needs a different solution than new shampoo.

Always make sure you check the ingredients list on grooming products! And choose a shampoo designed for your dog’s life stage. Puppies require even gentler dog shampoo formulas (and actually shouldn’t get baths until they’re around eight weeks old).

The most common cause of dry, itchy skin is allergies. "The most common allergies dogs suffer from are flea allergies, food allergies and/or environmental allergies," says Dr. Vaid. "When dogs suffer from allergies, they start scratching and biting at their skin which causes it to roughen and dry out. Omega fatty acids are a great source of skin barrier protection when dogs are itchy and supplements like Badland’s Ranch Skin and Coat." Dr. Vaid says that geriatric dogs tend to have drier skin as they age, especially if they are on a commercial kibble type food—so as well as treating dry, itchy skin on your pet topically, consider their diet.

Dog shampoos that work well are hard enough to find, much less ones that keep our pets clean as well as address skin issues. That's why we turned to veterinarians to explain the science behind dog grooming, including ingredients to look for and ones to avoid. Next we shorted through a crowded selection of liquids, bars and foams to curate a list that incudes user reviews as well as pet owners' tips and tricks for keeping Fido sweet-smelling and comfortable. That's how we came up with the deep-clean two-lather method

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