10 Best Shampoos for Havanese – 2024 Reviews & Top Picks

Havanese dogs are known for their thick, silky, and soft coats that don’t shed much at all. But whether you already have a Havanese or are considering adopting one, don’t let this low-shedding coat quality fool you into thinking they’re a low-maintenance breed. On the contrary, Havanese have high grooming needs because their coats are prone to tangling and require regular brushing, bathing, and grooming.

Thankfully, a high-quality dog shampoo can help your dog achieve the beautiful silky coat the breed is known for. But, unfortunately, not every dog shampoo will be suitable for your Havanese. Keep reading to find our reviews of the ten best options for your dog today.

 

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The 10 Best Shampoos for Havanese

1. Hepper Colloidal Oatmeal Pet Shampoo – Best Overall

 

Since Havanese dogs can be prone to certain issues like dry skin and dull coats, you need a shampoo that is gentle but effective. The Hepper Colloidal Oatmeal Shampoo is a fantastic option and our choice for the overall best shampoo for Havanese.

This soothing colloidal oatmeal formula is made with safe and natural ingredients to reduce your pup’s risk of having a negative reaction. It’s pH-balanced and also free from any potentially dangerous soaps, dyes, sulfates, and phthalates, so it’s great for pups with the most sensitive of skin.

It can not only keep your Havanese dog’s coat and skin clean and remove bad odors, but it will also moisturize and nourish the skin.

The formula has a nice aloe vera and cucumber scent that isn’t too overpowering, though some folks with scent sensitivities may prefer an unscented option instead.

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2. Burt’s Bees Oatmeal Shampoo with Colloidal Oat Flour & Honey

Burt’s Bees Oatmeal Shampoo with Colloidal Oat Flour & Honey provides the best shampoo for Havanese for the money. You can buy a 16-oz bottle of this gentle and cleansing formula for just a few dollars. The company also sells this product in a 32-ounce or one-gallon bottle.

This formula features colloidal oat flour and honey to help moisturize your Havanese dogs sensitive and dry skin, leaving the coat shiny and healthy. The oat flour addresses itchiness due to skin conditions, while the inclusion of honey ensures moisture retention. The formula also contains green tea extract to strengthen hair follicles. This pH-balanced shampoo can reduce redness or flakiness while preventing dry skin. It doesn’t have much of a scent, which can work for or against it, depending on your preferences.

The formula doesn’t lather like other shampoos, so knowing if you’re using enough of the product can be difficult.

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3. Hepper Deep Clean Shampoo – Premium Choice

Hepper’s Deep Clean Shampoo is on the top of the list because of the high-quality formulation. It is great to have this powerful, odor-repelling formula on hand when your Havanese is particularly stinky. It won’t cover your pet’s smell with a strong chemical odor but instead will eliminate it altogether.

The formula works differently than other shampoos, however, so consumers should know what to expect when they use it. When you lather the product in your pup’s fur, you’ll notice a strong scent initially. This smell will fade within a day or so, but it’s a necessary part of the odor-eliminating (and not masking) process.

The formula will thoroughly cleanse the coat without stripping your Havanese pup’s natural coat and skin oils. It is gentle, pH-balanced, and free of potentially damaging ingredients like synthetic dyes, alcohol, parabens, and sulfates, so it shouldn’t cause skin drying, itchiness, or flaking.

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4. Earthbath Ultra-Mild Wild Cherry Puppy Shampoo – Best for Puppies

Your Havanese puppy has different shampoo needs than its adult counterparts. Earthbath Ultra-Mild Puppy Shampoo is a gentle and tearless formula designed specifically for puppies six weeks of age or older. This pH-balanced shampoo is easy on young dogs’ delicate skin and includes aloe vera in the ingredient list to relieve itchiness. The ultra-concentrated formula is paraben and phosphate free and contains no gluten, soap, phthalates, or sulfates. It is formulated in the USA, so it’s made with ingredients you know are safe for pups.

The fresh cherry scent is nice enough, though some might find it overpowering. However, the scent does disappear quickly once your pup is dry.

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5. CHI Gentle 2-in-1 Dog Shampoo & Conditioner

The CHI Gentle 2-in-1 Dog Shampoo & Conditioner is an easy, convenient, and time-saving companion for your Havanese dogs’ bath time. Its gentle and effective formula provides shampooing and conditioning prowess, so you don’t have to add extra bath time to put in two separate products. This is a lifesaver if your Havanese hates bath time. The formula is pH-balanced, leaving your pup with a glossy and silky coat. It’s effective at removing dirt and debris, too.

This formula is scented with CHI’s proprietary signature fragrance that’s said to be neutral and unisex. The scent is long-lasting, but we cannot put our finger on what it reminds us of. This may be a dealbreaker for you if you want to know what scent to expect before buying a shampoo.

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6. TropiClean Deep Cleaning Berry & Coconut Pet Shampoo

The TropiClean Deep Cleaning Berry & Coconut Pet Shampoo has a strong formula that can cleanse away dirt and debris while removing any trapped smells in your Havanese’s coat. It is available in three sizes, from 20 ounces to 2.5 gallons. The formula has a sweet smell of berries and coconut, reminiscent of tropical paradise. To create that lovely scent, it features ingredients like strawberry, pomegranate, and blueberry extracts. The smell may not last as long as desired post-bath, however.

The shampoo is paraben-, dye-, phthalate- and cruelty-free. It’s made in the USA with naturally derived ingredients, so you know it’s safe for use on your pup’s sensitive skin.

It may take more shampoo than expected to create the shampoo lather.

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7. Buddy Wash Original Lavender & Mint Dog Shampoo & Conditioner

Buddy Wash Original Lavender & Mint Dog Shampoo & Conditioner is another 2-in-1 formula that saves time and makes bathing your Havanese more convenient. It’s available in two sizes: 16 ounces or 1 gallon. The formula is soap-free with a rich lather that rinses away easily. It’s made with botanical extracts and natural conditioners like sage and aloe vera. The coconut-based formula is alcohol-free but features natural lavender and mint to make bath time more relaxing and soothing for your pup. It contains wheat protein, a natural deodorizer to keep odors at bay.

This smell may be too strong for some people, and some users reported the shampoo leaving their dog’s coat feeling dry and dull.

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8. Veterinary Formula Clinical Care Antiseptic & Antifungal Shampoo

The Veterinary Formula Clinical Care Antiseptic & Antifungal Shampoo is a great option for Havanese dealing with fungal or bacterial skin infections, including dermatitis. Some Havanese may be prone to developing these conditions due to allergies. The formula contains benzethonium chloride, a synthetic compound with antiseptic and detergent properties, and ketoconazole, an antifungal drug sometimes used in topical medications to treat fungal infections. The formula is paraben-free and pH-balanced to address your dog’s sensitive skin. It has a light citrus scent and leaves fur soft after use.

This shampoo is best used on Havanese with skin issues and not as an everyday shampoo for any dog. Some users report that their dogs had skin reactions from using this product.

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9. Vet’s Best Allergy Itch Relief Shampoo for Dogs

Vet’s Best Allergy Itch Relief Shampoo for Dogs is another great option for Havanese with allergies. This formula is designed to provide itch relief while leaving them smelling fresh and clean. In addition, it washes away allergens to give your put much-needed relief. This vet-formulated recipe contains a blend of natural ingredients like oatmeal and essential oils like tea tree oil. It will not affect any concurrent topical flea and tick treatments.

This formula is designed to help skin and itch issues caused by allergens. Therefore, it may not be the best pick for dogs not dealing with such matters. That said, it will not work for every dog with allergies or itchiness, so you may need to do some trial and error to find the best formula for your dog’s needs.

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10. Zesty Paws Itch Soother Dog Shampoo with Oatmeal & Aloe Vera

The Zesty Paws Itch Soother Dog Shampoo with Oatmeal & Aloe Vera formula is a bath wash designed to support your Havanese skin and coat health. It includes oatmeal for skin moisturization and vitamin E to promote healthy skin. In addition, the formula contains aloe vera to foster a softer coat and vanilla bean extract to leave it smelling clean. It lathers well and may help address itching issues for some dogs.

The formula is soothing and cleansing, but not every dog has a good reaction to it. This shampoo sometimes made itching worse, and the strong scent was not a good fit for everyone.

Buyer’s Guide – Choosing the Best Shampoos for Havanese

Picking the right shampoo for your dog is a more involved process than picking the first you see on the shelf or the first one that populates on Google. One must consider several factors if they want to improve their chances of finding the best shampoo for their Havanese on the first try.

Let’s look at some of the things you should look for when shopping for the best shampoo for your pup.

Ingredients

Seeking out a shampoo with the words “all natural” on its bottle just isn’t enough. You need to look at the ingredient list to ensure it is made using gentle ingredients and won’t cause any health issues for your Havanese. Many dog—and human—shampoos contain parabens, sulfates, and phthalates which can be problematic for dogs.

Parabens have antimicrobial properties and include things like methyl, ethyl, propyl, and butyl. This substance is an endocrine-disrupting compound, potentially interfering with hormones and harming several body systems.

Sulfates are useful at capturing oil and dirt to wash them from your dog’s hair shaft. Unfortunately, they are also great at stripping the hair of natural oils, which can cause skin irritation.

Phthalates are often used in shampoos to bond the fragrance to the rest of the ingredients so your pup will smell fresh and clean. But, unfortunately, like parabens, phthalates are hormone disruptors that can wreak havoc on your pup’s endocrine system.

Scent

How important is it to you that your dog smells like it just had a bath after you’ve shampooed it? This is one thing to consider as you search for the best shampoo for your pup. Not all formulas are scented, and some are scented so strongly that it becomes overpowering.

Some folks have sensitivities to smells and prefer their own body and hair products to be unscented. If this is the case for you, you’ll want to try an unscented shampoo for your dog or one lightly scented. Some options on our list have light scents, while others leave a long-lasting and clean smell.

Purpose

Dog shampoos serve several purposes, but most can’t check all the boxes. So, before you buy one, you will need to determine what it is you want your dog’s shampoo to achieve.

For example, there are shampoos designed to treat fleas and options to address hotspots. We were not looking at treatment-specific shampoo options today, so the ones we reviewed fell into one of the following categories:

Unique Considerations

Every dog is unique from the next; one shampoo may work for your neighbor’s Havanese, but it might not be ideal for yours. Keep in mind the following unique considerations when shopping for the right shampoo for your dog’s needs:

Skin conditions

Dogs with itchy or flaky skin need a moisturizing shampoo, preferably without additional scents or chemicals. Shampoos with compounds like benzethonium chloride and ketoconazole may be ideal as they provide antifungal and anti-bacterial properties.

Fleas & ticks

If your Havanese has a flea, tick, or parasite issue, you must invest in shampoo to address these concerns. Ensure you use it with other flea and tick prevention measures for the best results.

Age

If your Havanese is still a puppy, we recommend using a puppy-specific shampoo formula as they’re often gentler for their sensitive skin.

Odor

Dogs can get into many things, like garbage cans, that can contribute to their smell. If your Havanese is a little on the adventurous (read: smelly) side, it’s best to find a deodorizing shampoo to eliminate those unpleasant odors.

Tangles

A Havanese coat can get tangled very easily, so if you are contending with nonstop knots, you should consider a shampoo and conditioner that can restore moisture and maintainability.

Can’t I Just Use Human Shampoo on My Havanese?

While having just one bottle of shampoo at home for everyone in the family, including your dogs, would be nice, you shouldn’t use human-designed shampoo on your pets. Our shampoos are designed to wash out natural oils and wax on our hair, but because dogs’ skin is much more sensitive, they need a product pH balanced for their needs. Shampooing a dog with a shampoo with the wrong pH balance or harsh chemicals can irritate its skin and strip away its protective coat and skin oils.

How Can I Keep My Havanese Dog’s Coat Looking Its Best?

Havanese dogs are known for their beautiful coats, but they don’t come easy. Their long coats are stunning when kept in good condition, but if you let grooming and brushing fall to the wayside, it can easily get out of hand.

Brush It Everyday

You’ll need to set aside time every day to brush your dog’s coat to keep it looking its best. If you stay on top of this, you shouldn’t have to spend more than 10 minutes daily on grooming. Even just a day or two of skipping out on brushing can cause matting and tangles, though.

Start When It’s Young

The sooner you can start grooming your dog, the better. Start introducing it to a brush the day you bring it home. Regular brushings, when it’s a puppy, will teach it that grooming is a part of life. It’s much easier to get a puppy accustomed to daily brushings than an older dog that’s never seen a brush before.

Invest in Good Grooming Equipment

Not all grooming gear is created equal, so you must research to determine what combs and brushes will work best for your Havanese pup’s coat. Don’t be afraid to spend a little extra on high-quality equipment, as you’ll be using it daily and getting your money’s worth out of it.

 

Conclusion

Hepper Colloidal Oatmeal Shampoo is our pick for the best overall dog shampoo for Havanese dogs for its cleansing and hydrating abilities.

Burt’s Bees Oatmeal Shampoo is the best shampoo for Havanese that won’t break the bank. This powerful formula keeps your pup’s coat shiny, well-moisturized, and smelling great.

Keeping your Havanese dog’s coat healthy and beautiful is a chore, but it’s something you need to commit to as a dog owner. Any of the 10 shampoos in our reviews above should help your pup achieve a silky, shiny, and stunning coat.

• Related Read: Does Your Havanese Smell a Lot?

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Featured Image Credit: Boryana Manzurova, Shutterstock