Hair is not only vital to a dogs’ cuddliness, but it also plays a major part in their health.
Unfortunately, a dog’s majestic fur tends to get dirty and stained, particularly if it is white.
While there are many shampoos that can get white hair clean, only the best dog whitening shampoos will restore and maintain your dog’s snowy, glistening original color, keeping it stain-free and bright!
Quick #1 Pick: White on White Dog Shampoo. If you don’t have time to read our full detail review, we can make it easy – White on White is our top pick for best whitening shampoo!
What’s The Importance of Using Dog Shampoo?
Before discussing whitening shampoo, let’s get into the importance of dog shampoo in general.
It should be clarified that, although occasional use of human shampoo on dogs may not be harmful, frequent use of human shampoo on dogs can be very damaging to your dog’s skin.
In addition to hurting your dog’s skin, human shampoo can have extremely negative effects on your dog’s coat, sometimes even causing hair-loss.
Why can’t dogs handle human products? Dogs have a much higher level of pH in their skin, making it that much more sensitive to the acidic nature of human shampoo.
For this reason, it’s highly recommended to use specialized products for dogs that have been designed for their hair and skin. Human shampoo just won’t cut it for canines!
Why Use Whitening Shampoo for Dogs?
People who own white dogs know that, if the dog’s fur isn’t properly taken care of, over time your dog’s fur will lose its brightness, becoming dirty-looking and sometimes even getting stained.
This results in an opaque, unhealthy looking tone of white that’s not as impactful as your pooch’s luscious mane should be – your dog deserves to look stunning!
You’d never wear a white pair of jeans on a camping trip, would you? Chances are those pearly white pants would get very dirty, very fast. Dogs don’t have another set of pants though – they have to wear white all day, every day!
A white coat dog can be a striking, gorgeous site, but bad fur drastically reduces that beauty.
Desperate, some owners resort to things like white dye or goofy haircuts to hide the stains. There’s a better way though!
Thankfully, there are products capable of balancing, restoring and enhancing the whiteness of your dog’s fur coat! These whitening shampoos are made specifically with light-colored coats in mind, keeping your canine gorgeous and pristine!
What To Look For In Whitening Shampoo For Dogs?
There are various types of whitening shampoo for dogs, each of them meant to achieve something different.
Not all cases are exactly the same, so it’s very important to understand what the root of the problem is in order to know which type to use.
- Bluing Shampoos. Bluing shampoos add optical enhancers to the coat, making it appear brighter. Bluing elements help neutralize brassy, orange tones while keeping hair bright and light. Human forms of bluing shampoos are often popular with blonds!
- Clarifying Shampoos. Clarifying shampoos add brightness and remove stains, but should be used carefully because of their harshness. Clarifying shampoos are powerful and great at removing waxes, oils, residue, and other build-up on your dogs coat. This means they’re especially good to use if you’re putting other products on your dog’s coat. However, they shouldn’t be used too often since they are very strong and can be damaging if overused.
- Enzymatic Shampoo. Another option is getting an enzymatic shampoo that dissolves particles, making it ideal for removing stains caused by urine, blood, tear and saliva.
- Bleaching Shampoos. Bleaching shampoos are a more radical solution that should be handled with extra caution, being capable of removing color from dark coats and, if overused, even damaging both hair and skin.
- Dye-Based Shampoos. Finally, there are shampoos that, instead of removing stains, cover them with a dye.
Ultimately, what it comes down to is the gravity of the case. If it isn’t too bad, a soft brightening shampoo can be used to enhance the natural color of the dog’s coat. However, if the hair is too stained, it might be smart to go with something stronger.
K9 of Mine Tip: We recommend avoiding harsh ingredients whenever possible, as they can hurt your dog’s coat and skin over time.
Start with a mild dog fur whitening shampoo, and then try more aggressive treatments if your first attempt doesn’t work.
What Is The Best Whitening Shampoo For Dogs?
1. Bio-Groom Super White Pet Shampoo
The Super White Pet Shampoo by Bio-Groom is a balanced and safe all-around whitening shampoo.
Designed to enhance white and light-colored coats while adding luster and body, it provides a nice shiny finish that sparkles without looking unnatural or dyed. At the same time, it enhances the texture of the hair, rendering it soft, smooth and bouncy.
Its formula contains an active ingredient derived from coconut oil that contains hydrolyzed proteins, providing added nutritional benefit for your dog’s coat. The shampoo is also great for matting control, as it makes the hair more manageable and easier to untangle without damage.
Bio-Groom also leaves a fresh and clean scent, rather than a strange odor designed simply to mask chemical residues.
Price: $14.26 | Buy on Amazon
Features:
- Leaves hair soft, eliminating the need to follow it up with conditioner
- Dilutes in a 1 to 4 ratio that produces a lathery wash without using too much product.
- Tearless, so if it won’t harm the dog if it accidentally get in its eye.
- Fortified with proteins.
- Does not contain harmful chemicals or bleaching agents
- A biodegradable product.
Pros
Since this dog whitening shampoo doesn’t bleach your dog’s fur, it’s an ideal choice for non-white and light-colored coats.
Cons
Since some owners find that this coat whitening shampoo makes their dog’s skin itchy, we don’t recommend it for dogs with extra sensitive skin or allergy issues. While most are happy with the lather, a few owners report an underwhelming amount of suds.
Pro Tip: It’s worth noting that suds can be an under-rated feature – lather isn’t really an indicator of efficacy. It just means a foaming agent has been included!
2. Perfect Coat White Pearl Shampoo for Dogs
The White Pearl Shampoo for Dogs by Perfect Coat is a great option for maintaining a dog’s naturally white hair. Its easy-rinse formula is light but effective, capable of providing a deep cleanse without damaging the dog’s coat.
One of its most popular features is that it contains pearlescent whiteners that give the hair a glistening shine.
Soft enough to be used regularly, the White Pearl Shampoo is a helpful option for owners who are looking to enhance and maintain a healthy, beautiful white coat.
Price: Price not available | Buy on Amazon
Features:
- Pearlescent whiteners that are completely natural, largely reducing the possibility of allergic reactions to it.
- Long-lasting coconut fragrance that is delicious but subtle enough not to be overpowering.
- Doesn’t bleach or dye, making it perfect for white or light-colored dogs, even if they have a somewhat sensitive skin.
- Contains no abrasive chemicals or dangerous products.
- Perfect Coat’s easy rinse formula prevents shampoo solids from settling on your pet’s coat, which makes easy to wash away.
Pros
Can be used regularly, helping maintain the brilliance of the coat without risk of damage.
Cons
Although most dogs have no negative reactions to it, some owners complain about allergic reactions to this product’s formula.
3. Chris Christensen White on White Shampoo for Pets
The White on White Shampoo for Pets by Chris Christensen works wonders whitening dog hair, but its specialty is eliminating yellow stains from it.
With a formula that contains no bleaching agents, harsh chemicals or softening agents, this product manages to restore whiteness when it’s been lost and deepen existing whiteness.
Something that differentiates it from other products is its optic intensifying formula, a special combination of ingredients that turns this shampoo into a veritable treatment that not only eliminates stains, but also enhances color to the human eye.
Price: $22.99 | Buy on Amazon
Features:
- Cleansing and color deposit system in one application.
- While its primary strength is whitening, this product works great with all coat colors.
- Optical intensification formula that enhances whites and produces vibrant colors.
- Contains no bleaching agents & no caustic or harsh chemicals
- Enhances the coat with a semi permanent color that will not rub off on anything.
Pros
Pigment deposit system lasts up to 3 months, maintaining that great white coat!
Cons
While most praise it, some pet owners don’t like the aroma this product has.
Conclusion: Which Is The Best For Whitening Your Pup’s Fur?
After a detailed and careful consideration, the clear winner of this roundup is White on White by Chris Christensen!
While both the other products are absolutely great, solid products, White on White is capable of removing deeper stains without any sort of damage to the coat of the dog.
Its molecular structure allows it to affect the hair on a smaller scale, which in the long run has a much greater effect overall.
It’s also worthwhile noting that, without damaging chemical agents of any kind, this product is able to restore whiteness and brightness while at the same time providing optic intensification.
Ultimately, we believe White on White by Chris Christensen is the best dog whitening shampoo, being capable of achieving fast and long-lasting results without any negative consequences. However, all these shampoos are high-quality – you can’t really go wrong!
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Have you used dog whitening shampoo? Which worked best for your pooch? Share your thoughts in the comments!
Oh, and once your dog is white and clean, you may want to consider dying your pup some bright fun colors for special occasions, as dog hair dye works best on white-haired pooches!
13 Comments
July 3, 2019
We have a white-haired Jackapoo. I’d love to use one of these, or something to get her whiter, but she has extremely sensitive skin. Do I bother trying any of these?
June 25, 2019
Is there a whitening shampoo that’s also good for getting rid of fleas and ticks?
March 7, 2019
Thank you, for your very detailed information on your K-9 my dog page.
February 20, 2019
Eye stains are making me bananas! I’ve tried everything. Anyone have a miracle solution?
March 18, 2019
When we got our maltese, our breeder suggested putting some buttermilk powder in her food. She doesn’t have stains. I also give her tear stain chews. You can find them online.
December 1, 2018
Thanks for the great info. This might seem like a silly question, are these whitening products ok to use on a mostly white dog without harming or changing the colored spots?
December 4, 2018
I’ve never heard of any issues with spots so I think you should be fine.
June 8, 2018
These look awful. The ingredients are awful! You should try Pura Naturals. I don’t work for them but their company is chemical free and all natural, even the whitening one. Dyes and chemicals will make your dogs sick!
May 3, 2018
Have just used White on White for the first time on my full coated Maltese. It is thick and luxurious, not too aromatic, and a lush colour. It lathered well, and cleaned poochie beautifully. After a conditioner, the coat was blow dried, and car out beautiful. Poochie receives a lot of ‘looks’ when out, and today he received much adoration – he looked FAB! His coat is soft, and superbly white. I thought the product was a tad expensive, but I am happy with the results , and will be happy to be a regular customer for the White on White manufacturers.
April 24, 2018
I have a bichon and I was wondering about a shampoo that’s good for tear stains
February 27, 2018
Have to be careful with the White on White to not turn your dog purple.
August 13, 2018
I don’t understand how would it turn the dog’s coat purple unless maybe there might be a chemical in the dog’s hair that would turn it purple my dog has hair not fur I don’t understand but maybe you could give me a tip of why thank you
December 6, 2017
Thanks will pass forward.