Groom Professional Dirty Dogs Shampoo

The Groom Professional Dirty Dogs Shampoo is the strong one -- a degreaser for the dog that has been in a ditch, rolled in something unspeakable, or simply has not been washed in far too long.

Key Features

• Degreasing power: Built to shift grease and ground-in dirt that an ordinary shampoo slides over
• For filthy coats: The first-wash shampoo in a two-wash job
• Fruity fragrance: A clean finish once the dirt is gone
• Still combable: Aimed at leaving the coat manageable rather than stripped dry
• Concentrate: Dilutes 20:1 despite being the strongest in the range
• Two sizes: 450ml and 4L

The Two-Wash Method

This is how a salon handles a genuinely dirty dog. Wash once with a degreaser like this to get the dirt off, rinse, then wash a second time with whatever shampoo suits the coat -- a moisturiser, a whitener, a scented one. The first wash does the work and the second one does the finish. Trying to do both with one wash is what leaves a dog still faintly smelling of pond.

This Is A Concentrate -- Dilute It

Groom Professional give this one a dilution of 20:1, which means 20 parts water to one part shampoo. That is how a salon makes a 450ml bottle last, and it matters for the dog too: neat professional shampoo is far stronger than a coat needs and strips the oils out of the skin. Mix what you need in a jug or a bottle before the dog gets in the bath, and mix it fresh rather than keeping diluted shampoo for weeks.

How To Use It

• Brush the coat out before it gets wet. Water turns a loose tangle into a solid mat.
• Soak the coat right through with lukewarm water first -- diluted shampoo will not penetrate a dry double coat.
• Work it in from the neck down so the suds run away from the face.
• Leave it on for five to ten minutes. Groom Professional build these to work with a bit of contact time, and rushing the rinse is what wastes the product.
• Rinse until the water runs clear, then towel off and brush the coat as it dries.

How Often To Wash

Most dogs do not need a bath more than once every four to six weeks, and plenty need less. Washing more often strips the oils that keep a coat weatherproof and the skin comfortable, which can leave a dog itchier than it started. Salons wash frequently because they are working to an appointment, not because a dog benefits from it.

Who Makes It

Groom Professional launched in 2009 on the Causeway Coast in Northern Ireland and is sold through the grooming trade supplier Christies Direct. The range was built for working salons rather than for the bathroom cupboard, which is why so much of it comes as a concentrate and in four-litre sizes. Groom Professional say the products are manufactured in the UK.

Good To Know

• This one is out of stock at the moment, so the page is here for reference while we wait on the next delivery.
• A degreaser used every week will dry the skin out. Keep it for the dogs and the days that need it, and follow it with something kinder.
• Do not use it on a puppy, on broken skin, or on a dog that is already itchy and flaky.
• This is a dog product. Do not use it on a cat unless the label specifically says you can -- cats groom everything off their coat and swallow it, and they handle fragrance and essential oils far less well than dogs do.
• Keep it out of the eyes, ears, nose and mouth. Rinse with clean water if any gets in.
• Groom Professional's published ingredients for this one include methylisothiazolinone and methylchloroisothiazolinone. They are common preservatives and they are also known skin sensitisers, so wear gloves if you bath dogs all day, and stop using it if the skin goes red or itchy.
• A shampoo cleans; it does not treat disease. Broken, scabby or weeping skin, bald patches, a smell that returns within days of a bath, or scratching to the point of bleeding all need a vet rather than a different bottle.
• Keep it out of reach of children and store it somewhere cool and dry.