Aaahh! That smell. You know the one. That unmistakable corn chip smell that lets you know your dog needs a bath! My dog is not crazy about baths, so I decided to try John Paul Oatmeal Waterless Foam Shampoo.
First, a note about my dog: not only does she not like baths, she HATES getting wet in general. When we go for walks and we come across a sprinkler, she refuses to walk through any water from it and we either have to walk around it or cross the street.
The Bottle
The bottle is a decent size, at 8.5 fl oz. and has a pump on the top.
Directions
According to the bottle, you are to massage the product into your dog’s coat starting from the head and working your way down to the tail, making sure to avoid the eyes and ears. Next, brush your dog periodically until the coat is dry.
The Waterless Shampoo
The shampoo is supposed to be a “thick, rich foam”. Unfortunately, that was not the case for me. It came out watery and definitely not a thick foam.
The Scent
When I pumped this into my hand, it had a very light almond scent to it. It also smelled a little sweet to me. It definitely was not overwhelming and I actually found it quite pleasant.
Working With The Shampoo
This waterless shampoo was very easy to apply and work with. If my dog would have been more cooperative, I am sure it would have been even easier. I needed to have someone hold her while I shampooed her because she was not liking it!
All in all, it took me about 5 minutes to apply and massage in the shampoo (I tried to work as quickly as I could). If my dog would have stood still, I would have used more and spent more time in each area. But the time I had was enough to do a quick once over.
After The Shampoo
Once I was finished applying the shampoo, my dog decided she did not like being wet and attempted to dry herself.
I then tried to brush my dog, per the directions. I was only able to give her a brush over once because for some reason my dog is weird and is not crazy about being brushed for any length of time. Strange, I know! This seemed to be sufficient enough to work the shampoo through her coat, though.
Result
After my dog was dry, she felt very soft to the touch. Also, no more corn chip smell! She actually smelled like … nothing. I thought she might have a light almond scent to her, but surprisingly she didn’t smell like anything. No dog smell, but no artificial smell either.
My dog’s soft coat and neutral smell only seemed to last about a week before she reverted back to her “dog smell”. Not back to corn chips (thank goodness!), just that regular dog smell. I am not sure if the results would have lasted longer had I been able to take more time to apply more of it on my dog, but I do think the amount I used was sufficient.
Pros:
- Easy to use. Just pump into your hand and massage into your dog’s coat.
- Can be done quickly if your dog is not the type to stay still.
- You don’t need a lot of shampoo to get a decent result.
- Very light to imperceptible scent on your dog.
- It was not sticky.
- My dog felt very soft afterwards.
Cons:
- Since the shampoo is on your hands, it may be a little slippery with each additional pump. I used one hand to pump and one had to apply.
- My bottle was very watery, hence the shampoo got all over the bottle and the table I had it on.
- My dog only lasted about a week before she started smelling like a dog again.
Verdict
I would recommend giving the John Paul Waterless Shampoo a try. I am hoping my watery bottle was a one-off, as it was easy to use and had a very light scent. Even if it doesn’t last more than a few days, it is a good alternative to a bath if you are unable to have your dog groomed or can’t do it yourself.
It is also good as a quick “freshening up” if you are having people over to your house!
If you do try it, I hope your dog is more cooperative than mine!
Please check out our other posts on Health, Indoor, Outdoor, and Travel accessories for your dog, as well as Reviews of various products and travel destinations.