suggestions for dog soap

[Iseleigh]

I'm looking at making a bar shampoo for dogs that will be hard but also make good amount of lather to get down to the skin on double-coated breeds and help remove loose hair. I have a 6 month old Boxer/Heeler/Something/Something Else who wound up with a double coat and he sheds like crazy. So far I've only used plain water to bathe him as he doesn't roll in anything nasty but he does like dirt and mud and an actual soap would probably clean him up and de-shed him better than plain water.
The plan is to replace the water with oatmilk and flat beer, no colorants, and maybe fragrance, water discount of 5% (33% total).
I ran the following through SoapCalc

Castor 5%
Coconut 50%
Soybean 7%
Palm 20%
Lard 18%

Soap Bar Quality	Range​	Your Recipe​
Hardness	29 - 54​	58​
Cleansing	12 - 22​	34​
Conditioning	44 - 69​	35​
Bubbly	14 - 46​	38​
Creamy	16 - 48​	29​
Iodine	41 - 70​	36​
INS	136 - 165​	192​

Being that there's such a high percentage of coconut oil, would a SF of 10% be enough to combat the dryness associated with a high coconut oil content? I make a 100% coconut oil soap with 17% SF, it's not drying but the lather leaves something to be desired (for me) on anything but a shower poof.
The Hardness is showing 58, so that's a hard bar but Cleansing shows 34, which is too high. SoapCalc doesn't seem to take SF into account during formulation, so changing the SF doesn't show any change.
Being that dogs skin pH is different, I don't want to make something that will dry him up and make him itchy.

 

[dibbles]

If you do a search for dog shampoo, you will find lots of threads to read. Bottom line, for my dog I wouldn't use lye based bar soap. Also be sure to research any fragrance oil you are considering, and use it sparingly. Dogs have a highly developed sense of smell and many essential oils are harmful for them.

 

[lenarenee]

According to our vets, true soap isn't healthy for dog's skin at all. They don't produce oils as much as human skin because they have fur to retain that oil. The higher pH of lye soap is also a problem. If you must make a dog soap, maybe consider one without coconut oil. A good groomer will have tips on how to remove all that shedded fur.

 

[dibbles]

For the fur this works very well https://www.amazon.com/FURminator-d...=1630817346&sprefix=furminator,aps,234&sr=8-5

 

[Obsidian]

I did make a bar with 25% neem oil, just replaced some of the olive oil in my regular recipe.
I wouldn't use a lot of coconut, 25% max. I can see how its tempting to use more to get through a thick double layer coat but you don't want to dry out the skin.
Oat milk is a good idea but I'd skip the beer, skip the scent too.

Not sure that soap is going to do anything for shedding, thats just what double coat breeds do. Best way to combat shedding is to get a regular brushing routine down, at least twice a week.
I used to own and raise malamutes, the struggle is real.

 

[Makingsoap21]

If you do a search for dog shampoo, you will find lots of threads to read. Bottom line, for my dog I wouldn't use lye based bar soap. Also be sure to research any fragrance oil you are considering, and use it sparingly. Dogs have a highly developed sense of smell and many essential oils are harmful for them.

I’ve also read that a lye based bar soap is not recommended . I’m also looking to make soap for my pup & senior dog ! Do you have any recommendations on what to switch the lye with?? I’m Still a bit new to soap making

 

[dibbles]

I’ve also read that a lye based bar soap is not recommended . I’m also looking to make soap for my pup & senior dog ! Do you have any recommendations on what to switch the lye with?? I’m Still a bit new to soap making

I think you would need to look into formulating a syndet bar. I am not much help there, sorry.

 

[Quanta]

I’ve also read that a lye based bar soap is not recommended . I’m also looking to make soap for my pup & senior dog ! Do you have any recommendations on what to switch the lye with?? I’m Still a bit new to soap making

You will want to make a syndet bar. For a human, a syndet shampoo bar needs to have a pH of about 5, for a dog it needs to be 7.5. It is easy to formulate one with the correct pH. You will want to research the ingredients you use to make sure they are safe for dogs. Just because something is safe for human use, doesn't mean it's safe for dogs. I would skip the fragrance entirely.

I second the recommendation for the Furminator. I had one that I used on my Border Collie and it worked great. If your dog has a coarse outer coat, a rubber brush might work better. We had a Jack Russell/Rat Terrier mix and we used one of these:
https://www.amazon.com/Kong-Groom-B...LRC/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?crid=910K2NSOX16H&dchild=1

 

[Mistrael]

Definitely need a syndet bar. But shampoo isn't going to be enough to care for a double coat. There's a YouTuber who is a pet groomer who films her work. I think she's The Girl With the Dogs or something like that. With a double coat it's the grooming tools that are key & it's really important to brush them out very regularly. I have an Australian Shepherd so I have at least half a dozen combs, brushes, slickers, etc. It's so worth it though, especially when her vet compliments us on her complete lack of matting.