Dash stinks. Big time. My parents recently moved (to the middle of nowhere) out of their house into a retirement community that is being built. Right outside of their house is a huge dirt pile. Which Dash just loves rolling around in.
As much as Dash loves rolling around in dirt and smelly dead things, he just as much hates getting a bath. Since he’s in my parent’s care, my mother is the one who bathes him. Of course, when I received a sample of Pure Pooch “Really Clean” shampoo, I knew that I needed to be the one to wash the little bugger. (And, because it was me, of course, he pulled out all of the anxiety symptoms and shook like a leaf the whole time).
Anyway, Pure Pooch is a shampoo/conditioner line that was inspired by a 12 year old Maltese-Lhaso Aspa mix named Sophie. Over the years her owner, Ron Akanowicz, had tried plenty of shampoo brands and always found it a challenge to find one that was gentle and natural, while still being effective (Sophie has pink skin). Around the same time her favorite brand was discontinued they approached a company about developing our own line.
They have three foundational lines: Bright & Clean (for dogs with white coats), Really Clean (regular shampoo), and Calm & Gentle (extra mild and for dogs with sensitive skin) . But what makes Pure Pooch (which retails for $12.99) different from any other shampoo that you can find at the pet store? And is it really worth it to spend $12.99 on your dog’s shampoo?
I decided to test it on Dash to find out. Pure Pooch is different from other brands because the shampoo is all-natural, meaning it uses coconut-based cleansers and a blend of plant-derived conditioners and deodorizers. Here are the ingredients:
Water, Gentle Cleansers derived from Coconuts, Plant-derived Conditioner, Natural Enzyme Deodorizer, Neem Oil, Citronella Oil, Pro-vitamin B5, Fragrance (Essential Oil Blend), Citric Acid, Salt, Color and Preservative
The smell is DIVINE. The Really Clean smells grapefruity-coconutty. The consistency is gel-like. It says that it is hypo-allergenic, pH balanced and safe to use with flea and tick treatments (and I just found ANOTHER tick on Dash grrr). Pure Pooch shampoos are soap-free so they won’t neutralize flea and tick treatments when used as directed. And all Pure Pooch shampoos contain a blend of natural neem and citronella oils to help repel pests and protect your pooch in the great outdoors.
What is important to me is that it is soap-free (no lauryl sulfates), which means it is tear-free. I found that a little bit went a long way – it lathered up quickly and rinsed very, very easily. And Dash came out smelling like a dream. I even smelled him a few extra times later in the day I liked the scent so much, I swear. My mother (who has been using DAWN on Dash – sigh) was even impressed. And he even got complemented on his shiny coat by a stranger when we were out on our walk!
And if you care anything about the environment, Pure Pooch is safe – it doesn’t contain any parabens, it’s biodegradable, cruelty-free (never tested on animals) and made in the U.S.A.
So if that’s not enough of a reason to buy Pure Pooch, I don’t know what would be. I really, really liked this shampoo and I would buy it in a heartbeat. So, where can YOU buy it? For now, you can get it online at www.purepooch.com!
one very clean Dash
r
