Australian Shepherds are beautiful and hard-working dogs that have taken on roles as herding dogs, rescue dogs, and service dogs. No matter the challenge, Australian Shepherds are up for it.
These dogs do like to spend time outdoors and can get themselves quite dirty. Combined with their long, luscious coats, this means Aussies need a little extra maintenance to keep them looking good.
Their coats are double layered with a soft, fluffy undercoat and a coarse outer layer that’s semi-waterproof. They’re also prone to skin allergies and may suffer from itchy skin and irritation.
To keep their natural oils intact, you need a shampoo that penetrates both layers and slows shedding. Check out our best shampoo for Australian Shepherds, based on reviews from dog owners like you!
A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites of 2023
Image Product Details
Best Overall
Skout’s Honor Probiotic Dog Shampoo
Hypoallergenic
Moisturizing to help with dog’s dry skin
Probiotics
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Best Value
Burt’s Bees Oatmeal Shampoo
Oat flour and honey
Designed to soothe skin
pH balanced
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Premium Choice
Vetnique Labs Medicated Shampoo
Medicated
Soap free
Addresses bacterial, fungal, and yeast infections
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Best for Puppies
Burt’s Bees Tearless Puppy Shampoo
Buttermilk and honey
Tearless
No sulfates or colorants
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Buddy Wash Original Lavender & Mint
Botanical extracts and essential oils
Alcohol free
Naturally deodorizing
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The 7 Best Shampoo for Australian Shepherds
Skout’s Honor Probiotic Unscented Dog Shampoo is the best overall shampoo for Australian Shepherds. The hypoallergenic shampoo features avocado oil to soothe irritated skin and moisturize the coat, as well as colony-forming probiotic kefir to promote healthy skin. This shampoo can help defend against itch, odor, and inflammation.
Life stage: All
Breed: All
Features: Hypoallergenic, tearless, soap-free, cruelty-free
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The shampoo has no sulfates, parabens, colors, dyes, or GMOs. It’s also cruelty-free and suitable for all skin types and conditions, including itching, dryness, irritation, and excessive shedding. Though this shampoo is intended for sensitive skin, it’s best to speak with your vet about your dog’s specific skin conditions and your shampoo options. Some reviewers didn’t see relief for their dogs from trying this shampoo.
Pros
Hypoallergenic
Moisturizing to help with dog’s dry skin
Probiotics
Cons
Some pet owners needed to wash the dog twice to see a result
Burt’s Bees Oatmeal with Colloidal Oat Flour Dog Shampoo is the best shampoo for Australian Shepherds for the money. Made with natural ingredients like honey and colloidal oat flour, this shampoo deeply conditions the skin and coat to soothe irritation and itch. The shampoo is pH balanced for dogs and made without artificial fragrances, parabens, chemicals, petrolatum, or phthalates.
Hypoallergenic
Moisturizing to help with dog’s dry skin
Probiotics
- Hypoallergenic
- Moisturizing to help with dog’s dry skin
- Probiotics
Some pet owners needed to wash the dog twice to see a result
- Some pet owners needed to wash the dog twice to see a result
Life stage: Adult
Breed: All
Features: Oatmeal
When used as directed, this shampoo won’t wash off topical flea and tick treatments. This shampoo is intended for adult dogs. There’s also a separate puppy shampoo. Several reviewers said that it doesn’t lather well and may make skin issues worse.
Pros
Oat flour and honey
Designed to soothe skin
pH balanced
Cons
Doesn’t lather well
A few people reported skin conditions did not improve
Vetnique Labs Dermabliss Anti-Bacterial & Anti-Fungal Medicated Cat & Dog Shampoo is the premium choice for dog shampoos. This shampoo is designed to help with skin infections from bacteria, fungus, and yeast, and cleans and deodorizes the skin. The antiseptic formula has no soap and uses medicated ingredients like chlorhexidine gluconate and ketoconazole to alleviate itchy skin conditions.
Oat flour and honey
Designed to soothe skin
pH balanced
- Oat flour and honey
- Designed to soothe skin
- pH balanced
Doesn’t lather well
A few people reported skin conditions did not improve
- Doesn’t lather well
- A few people reported skin conditions did not improve
Life stage: All
Breed: All
Features: Medicated, soap-free
All Vetnique products are made in the US. Many reviewers saw relief of their dogs’ skin irritation with this shampoo, while others found it too harsh and drying for their dogs.
Pros
Medicated
Soap free
Addresses bacterial, fungal, and yeast infections
Cons
May be too harsh for dogs with sensitive skin
Burt’s Bees Tearless Puppy Shampoo with Buttermilk for Dogs is a great choice for puppies. The gentle ingredients help clean your puppy’s coat without drying it out, and it’s pH balanced for dogs with buttermilk to soothe skin. Honey also helps to regulate and retain moisture and strengthen hair follicles for growth.
Medicated
Soap free
Addresses bacterial, fungal, and yeast infections
- Medicated
- Soap free
- Addresses bacterial, fungal, and yeast infections
May be too harsh for dogs with sensitive skin
- May be too harsh for dogs with sensitive skin
Life stage: Puppy
Breed: All
Features: Tearless
The shampoo is 97% natural and cruelty-free with no sulfates or colorants, so you can feel confident using it on your puppy. The formula is tearless, though you should still be cautious about using it around your pup’s eyes and nose. Several reviewers said the shampoo doesn’t lather well and it takes a lot of cycles to fully bathe their dogs.
Pros
Buttermilk and honey
Tearless
No sulfates or colorants
Cons
Doesn’t lather well
Buddy Wash Original Lavender & Mint Dog Shampoo & Conditioner is a gentle two-in-one formula that is specially made with cosmetic-grade ingredients. The shampoo has botanical extracts and essential oils to get your pet clean with a pleasant scent. Aloe vera, lavender, and mint help calm irritated skin.
Buttermilk and honey
Tearless
No sulfates or colorants
- Buttermilk and honey
- Tearless
- No sulfates or colorants
Doesn’t lather well
- Doesn’t lather well
Life stage: Adult
Breed: All
Features: Soap free
The coconut-based liquid is alcohol-free and uses wheat protein as a natural deodorizer, so you can use it on your pup regularly without drying out its skin. The shampoo is not tested on animals and safe for humans when used as directed. Reviewers were pleased overall but did say the shampoo has a strong scent.
Pros
Botanical extracts and essential oils
Alcohol free
Naturally deodorizing
Cons
Strong scent that some people might find overpowering
- See Also: 9 Best CBD Dog Shampoos in 2022: Reviews & Top Picks
4-Legger Organic, Hypoallergenic, Lemongrass & Aloe Dog Shampoo is free from artificial or synthetic chemicals for an organic clean. Lemongrass acts as a natural cleanser and uses aloe vera to soothe the skin, even for sensitive dogs. The shampoo is USDA-certified organic and includes essential oils to promote naturally healthy skin without stripping coat oils.
Botanical extracts and essential oils
Alcohol free
Naturally deodorizing
- Botanical extracts and essential oils
- Alcohol free
- Naturally deodorizing
Strong scent that some people might find overpowering
- Strong scent that some people might find overpowering
Life stage: Adult
Breed: All
Features: Hypoallergenic, cruelty-free
The concentrated formula is easy to lather and rinse with no detergents, thickeners, parabens, preservatives, or sulfates. The shampoo is 100% biodegradable, sustainably sourced, and eco-friendly. Several reviewers complained about the consistency of the shampoo and its strong smell, however.
Pros
Hypoallergenic
USDA-certified organic
Essential oils
Cons
Consistency of shampoo is quite thin
Strong smell, not good for people with sensitive noses
- See Also: 10 Best Dog Shampoos for Allergy Sufferers in 2022: Reviews & Top Picks
FURminator DeShedding Ultra Premium Shampoo for Dogs is a uniquely formulated shampoo that’s designed to condition, clean, and de-shed your dogs. Omega fatty acids, calendula extract, and papaya leaf extract help to enrich the coat, promote healthy skin, and reduce shedding.
Hypoallergenic
USDA-certified organic
Essential oils
- Hypoallergenic
- USDA-certified organic
- Essential oils
Consistency of shampoo is quite thin
Strong smell, not good for people with sensitive noses
- Consistency of shampoo is quite thin
- Strong smell, not good for people with sensitive noses
Life stage: All
Breed: All
Features: De-shedding
The proprietary formula is made in the USA and free of parabens, chemical dyes, and artificial colors. Though some reviewers had good results, others said the shampoo was no different than other shampoos they’ve used and didn’t help with shedding.
Pros
De-shedding formula
Omega fatty acids, calendula, and papaya leaf extract
Made in the USA
Cons
Mixed results on the overall effectiveness
De-shedding formula
Omega fatty acids, calendula, and papaya leaf extract
Made in the USA
- De-shedding formula
- Omega fatty acids, calendula, and papaya leaf extract
- Made in the USA
Mixed results on the overall effectiveness
- Mixed results on the overall effectiveness
Things to Consider
Australian Shepherds have a double-layered coat that needs special care to reduce shedding and penetrate the thick coat to the skin beneath. With the right care, an Australian Shepherd’s coat can have less shedding, more smoothness and shininess, and healthier skin.
Before bathing, it’s important to brush your dog thoroughly to remove loose hair and dirt. Otherwise, you may not see the best results from ANY shampoo.
Scents
If your shepherd suffers from itchy or dry skin, it’s best to get a moisturizing shampoo that won’t dry out or irritate the skin further. Scented shampoos often contain chemicals that can cause irritation, so it’s best to choose fragrance-free shampoos or shampoos that derive scents from natural and non-irritating ingredients, such as botanical extracts.
Soothing Ingredients
Dog shampoo must cleanse the skin and coat gently without stripping the natural oils, which keep your dog’s coat and skin healthy. Soothing ingredients like oatmeal, honey, and vitamin E can help your dog’s skin become less irritated and itchy but be sure to speak to your vet about the best options for your dog’s unique needs.
Puppy Formula
Dog shampoos have different formulas for a reason. It’s not recommended to use an adult shampoo formula on a puppy. Most puppy shampoos are gentler and tearless for rambunctious puppies who don’t quite sit well for bathing (yet) and won’t be as irritating if it gets in your pup’s eyes. Once your dog reaches adulthood, you can switch to an adult formula.
- See Also: 10 Best Puppy Shampoos For Dry Skin In 2022: Reviews & Top Picks
Odor
If your dog likes to play in gross stuff, like garbage, manure, mud, or other smelly things, you may want a deodorizing shampoo. These powerful shampoo formulas help to eliminate unpleasant odors rather than masking them with strong floral scents.
Tangles
Aussies have long coats that can become matted easily. If your dog is prone to tangles, you may want to get a conditioning shampoo that can ensure moisture and manageability for your dog’s long coat. If your dog gets a lot of tangles and mats, you may want to use a separate shampoo and conditioner to replenish natural oils and help with detangling.
Conclusion
Australian Shepherds have long, beautiful coats and sensitive skin that need some extra TLC. Our top pick was Skout’s Honor Probiotic Unscented Dog Shampoo as the best overall shampoo for Australian Shepherds for its hypoallergenic formula. For the best value, choose Burt’s Bees Oatmeal with Colloidal Oat Flour Dog Shampoo. Our premium pick is Vetnique Labs Dermabliss Anti-Bacterial & Anti-Fungal Medicated Cat & Dog Shampoo for skin issues.
- You may also be interested in: 8 Best Brushes for Australian Shepherds in 2022: Reviews & Top Picks
Featured Image Credit: dfaen, Pixabay
