# Need opinions on a which shampoo to use on Ava



## The A Team (Dec 1, 2005)

Ava's hair is very soft. So soft that people have commented to me that you can hardly feel it when you touch it. Well, it's turning into big knots underneath!!!! I sit and pull apart potential matts constantly.

I need a shampoo that will make the texture more silky and slippery...any ideas?

Someone told me to use Isle of Dog shampoo recently - I think I've heard of it....any other thoughts before I order Isle of Dog? (I think that's the name of it....  )

Thanks for your help.


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## bellaratamaltese (May 24, 2006)

I absolutely did not have a good experience with Isle of Dogs and I have heard from others that it has matted other coats up horribly. It's very expensive also, although if you can get samples, that would be more beneficial, if you would still like to try it. 

Have you tried the Dove Go Fresh (or is it So Fresh?) in the yellow bottle? I really like how it silkens up the texture on Lucy's coat who has a similar sounding coat, it looks like. although with all shampoos, what works for one, doesn't work for them all. What are you using on her right now? 

for a leave in spray, my new fave one is It's A 10 (human product) and I also like Quicker Slicker. 

Flat ironing her after you blow dry her might help prevent those mats also, even though it's a pain to do.


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

I find it handy to ask my breeder since they know their coats best...every coat is different and one product certainly does not fit all. I really find the conditioner I use changes the hair more so than the shampoo.


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## princessre (Dec 23, 2008)

I'm hearing through the grapevine that Bonnie has a shampoo/conditioner that is absolutely amazing...I'm not sure it's available to the public yet, but maybe it might be the perfect one for Ava's coat? I'm personally very intrigued...It sounds like Casanova has the same exact coat, so let me know if you find the ideal shampoo, whatever the brand!


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## elly (Sep 11, 2006)

I love it's a 10 for my hair, I guess Mercedes and I can share products


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## cindy6755 (Mar 20, 2005)

Cookie has the exact same coat very soft like a baby bunny. I finally had to give him a puppy cut because he matts so bad. If you find something that works let us know.


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## princessre (Dec 23, 2008)

That's the first thing people say about his hair too, like "OMG his hair is SOOOO soft!" I'm so glad Casanova is not the only one with this really soft bunny hair that mats easily....Thank God he is soooo furry and keeps growing more and more hair....I always feel bad pulling so many hairs out when I'm de-matting him., but he is like a hair growing factory. :blink: 

I like Pure Paws alot, but I haven't tried that many shampoos!


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## Deborah (Jan 8, 2006)

I have tried many products over the years. I used the yellow Dove everyone was raving about a complete matting mess. Gave the rest to my boys to shampoo their hair.

Pure Paws is one of the best I have ever used. Rylee has little to no matting, not even under her arm pits or leg pits. It is a cinch to brush her every night. I am so very pleased with this product. I do not dilute the conditioner. Her hair is so silky to touch. :wub:


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## vjw (Dec 20, 2006)

Pat, sometimes you have to try different shampoos and conditioners to find out what works with your dog's coat type and your water hardness/softness.

Karli's hair is silky and *Show Season's Sugar Cookie* is my favorite shampoo right now. I think it's hard to find shampoos/conditioners for fine/silky coats. Seems like a lot of shampoos/conditioners are either too harsh and the coat mats, or they are too heavy and weigh the coat down. I can use ANY kind of shampoo/conditioner on my Golden Retriever and her coat looks great. 


Show Seasons Link 


I'm not a fan of Isle of Dogs shampoos, but I do like their light management conditioner and will occasionally use it. (My sister-in-law uses some IOD products in her grooming shop and I've tried a lot of their samples.) Also, some people like the fragrances, but I don't like the fragrance of any of the IOD products. 


It's amazing how a little bit of *La Pooch Creme Rinse* conditioner (the Female one smells nice) will help with the mats. I just LOVE this conditioner because you can use it full strength if the coat is very dry. Right now Karli's coat is well conditioned and I mix a few drops of the creme rinse with water in a Sally Beauty bottle and use after shampooing her. I've tried a lot of conditioners and I haven't found one I like any better than this Les Poochs one.


Les Poochs site


Doesn't Ava "need" a bottle of the $3000 Les Poochs VIP cologne????





Joy


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## conleymm (Jul 31, 2009)

<span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS">My absolute favorite Shampoo & Conditioner is the 'Mighty Maltese' brand. I've never seen it in stores, but I found it on Ebay in fairly large containers for a reasonable price. Both the shampoo and conditioner are whitening and concentrated. Some more experienced Maltese owners would know better than I, but I thought I'd throw 'Mighty Maltese' out there...</span>


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## Cosy (Feb 9, 2006)

I've been using Bonnie Palmer's shampoo/conditioner with no surfactants and it's heavenly! No mats at all!
Cosy has nice hair but it's not what I classify as pure silk. If she scratches she gets a mat. With this new
stuff NO MATS for 9 days! I'm trying her other shampoo and conditioner on her tomorrow. I'll let you all
know what I think of them too. That non surfactant was strange to use with no sudsing but it sure did
make her coat soft and easy to groom. Though she isn't in full coat right now, she does have long hair
on her legs, tail and head/ears, which all will get mats if she scratches or if her tail rubs against her dresses
etc. Not with this stuff. It also has a beautiful fragrance to it. I hope she starts selling it soon.

Pat, you might ask her for a sample.


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## sassy's mommy (Aug 29, 2005)

QUOTE (Cosy @ Sep 8 2009, 09:37 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=827422


> I've been using Bonnie Palmer's shampoo/conditioner with no surfactants and it's heavenly! No mats at all!
> Cosy has nice hair but it's not what I classify as pure silk. If she scratches she gets a mat. With this new
> stuff NO MATS for 9 days! I'm trying her other shampoo and conditioner on her tomorrow. I'll let you all
> know what I think of them too. That non surfactant was strange to use with no sudsing but it sure did
> ...



Brit I am curious.......... Surfactants are the essential cleaning substances in shampoos. Oils like sebum, do not mix with water, so the water needs an addition to make the oily matters soluble. Surfactants are the ‘power ingredients' that do this. The bubbles are not what cleans the hair, but the bubbles collect the oil and dirt from the hair so that it can be rinsed away. This "new shampoo" sounds interesting, but I am curious as to how it works???????


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## The A Team (Dec 1, 2005)

I asked Bonnie about advice on shampoos. She said she's out of her samples right now - but she didn't give me advice on any other shampoos in the mean time.

I might see if I can get some sample sizes, this stuff is all kind of expensive, and I'd hate to waste my money if it's not right for her. 

Thanks for all your input, I will go back through this thread and look into the suggestions. I like the idea of people shampoo - it seems so much easier to get, LOL. 


Oh, Stacy, right now I'm using CC Day to Day Shampoo and Conditioner


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## princessre (Dec 23, 2008)

I've always wanted to try the Dove and the Pantene, but I'm too scared as I've heard a couple friends say it matted their babies and they had to get cut down because of it...But others swear by them, of course....Please let me know if you try them...


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## harrysmom (Sep 28, 2007)

I just ordered the les pooch tearless puppy shampoo and the conditioner.... I ordered the female scent....
I don't think the boys will mind...lol. I'll let you know how I like it.

Harry doesn't really mat, but Teddy just has to sit down and he's matted, so I hope the
conditioner works for him. 

Debbie


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## Cosy (Feb 9, 2006)

QUOTE (Sassy's mommy @ Sep 9 2009, 07:31 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=827575


> QUOTE (Cosy @ Sep 8 2009, 09:37 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=827422





> I've been using Bonnie Palmer's shampoo/conditioner with no surfactants and it's heavenly! No mats at all!
> Cosy has nice hair but it's not what I classify as pure silk. If she scratches she gets a mat. With this new
> stuff NO MATS for 9 days! I'm trying her other shampoo and conditioner on her tomorrow. I'll let you all
> know what I think of them too. That non surfactant was strange to use with no sudsing but it sure did
> ...



Brit I am curious.......... Surfactants are the essential cleaning substances in shampoos. Oils like sebum, do not mix with water, so the water needs an addition to make the oily matters soluble. Surfactants are the ‘power ingredients' that do this. The bubbles are not what cleans the hair, but the bubbles collect the oil and dirt from the hair so that it can be rinsed away. This "new shampoo" sounds interesting, but I am curious as to how it works???????
[/B][/QUOTE]

Pat, I don't know as this is new to me, but I do know this type of stuff has been used in the dog show world for awhile. I also know Cosy was clean after using it. You do have to work it into the skin as well. It creates a rather slick feeling so when rinsing I suspect it rinses and slides all the dirt/dust right off. Just my very uneducated guess!

Added: I do know there are some non surfactant shampoos out there for people ( a more natural way of cleansing). Kaolin seems to be the ingredient which binds to the excess sebum and dirt particles. It is gentle to skin and doesn't alter the ph balance. Ya learn something 
everyday! LOL


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## coco (Sep 20, 2006)

Pat, Bonnie recommended Pure Paws to me, and we like it. It's the best I've found so far. As for Pantene, Sophia, it's what matted Coco's hair so badly, I had to have her cut down. She was in full coat at the time. :-(

As an aside, I'm on an airplane, and they actually have Internet service. I cannot believe it. Wish they'd had it on the flight from England last week!


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## cleooscar (May 28, 2008)

Raine's hair mats easily too. The 2 boys rarely get matted. I used to use Plush Puppy Herbal Whitening shampoo and Coat Handler conditioner. I recently switched to Nature Specialties Plum Silky shampoo and Re-moisturizer conditioner on the recommendations I got here on SM. I'm finding that I prefer the NS conditioner better than her old one. Her hair is easier to brush after bath. I tried both the NS Quicker Slicker and John Paul detangling spray as well as Fur Butter deep conditioner but didn't see any major improvements. I'd love to find a shampoo/conditioner that can decrease her mats but then I'm losing hope of ever finding a product that can majorly fix/change/improve her mats. Bonnie Palmer's shampoo/conditioner sound promising though. I'd love to try them--if I can go for no mat for 3 days, I'd pay just about anything!


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## CloudClan (Jan 31, 2007)

As several have said try some different things and see what you can get that will work. I would be careful of Isle of Dogs though. I have yet to hear anything good about it from Maltese owners and I have heard plenty of bad. 

I use Crown Royal shampoo and conditioner. I also use Plush Puppy shampoos and conditioners and I like both of them pretty well. I have used CC day to day and the whitening. Have not been blown away by the day to day, but the whitening is a good product for cleaning up the coat (use it only rarely though as it can be harsh). 

I should say that if she is matting up, you really need to stay on top of it. Once a dog starts to matt you will get more matting. Someone said to me recently: it is like the hair has memory and it wants to tangle until you get it back on a cycle of growing straight. 

One thing you may want to consider is that it is possible to over-condition. This can make the hair feel softer.


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## PreciousPrince (Feb 27, 2006)

I love IOD. I like products and have tried lots and that and CC are what work best on Perri's hair. I use their whitening shampoo and heavy management cond, and the shampoo isn't drying. I did try samples of their naturaluxury line when it came out as it looked very nice but the results weren't as good as the whitening and heavy management combo on him. They will send samples so just ask, and ask for the naturaluxury samples too as it might work better on her hair than it did on Perri's. 
Oh and did trimming her tummy and underarms help?


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## Kutsmail1 (Dec 26, 2007)

Zippy has the combo coat of silky and cotton. She too is very soft, and tends to tangle easier as she gets dirty esp.

While I am going to try the flat iron suggestion, I did just recently try the Pet Silk Coat Control from Belinda. That stuff works pretty good! Also, easy to use.

If anyone using Pet Silk hasn't tried the Rain Forest Scent...OMG! That stuff smells so good! I bought everything Belinda has that has that scent!


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## harrysmom (Sep 28, 2007)

QUOTE (Harrysmom @ Sep 9 2009, 10:19 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=827608


> I just ordered the les pooch tearless puppy shampoo and the conditioner.... I ordered the female scent....
> I don't think the boys will mind...lol. I'll let you know how I like it.
> 
> Harry doesn't really mat, but Teddy just has to sit down and he's matted, so I hope the
> ...


Wow... talk about fast.... the shampoo and conditioner were just delivered! I didn't
even pay extra for expedited shipping! I hope that the
performance of their shampoo and conditioner are as good as their
customer service. Going to try it out later!


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## CrystalAndZoe (Jul 11, 2006)

QUOTE (Cosy @ Sep 9 2009, 12:41 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=827652


> QUOTE (Sassy's mommy @ Sep 9 2009, 07:31 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=827575





> QUOTE (Cosy @ Sep 8 2009, 09:37 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=827422





> I've been using Bonnie Palmer's shampoo/conditioner with no surfactants and it's heavenly! No mats at all!
> Cosy has nice hair but it's not what I classify as pure silk. If she scratches she gets a mat. With this new
> stuff NO MATS for 9 days! I'm trying her other shampoo and conditioner on her tomorrow. I'll let you all
> know what I think of them too. That non surfactant was strange to use with no sudsing but it sure did
> ...



Brit I am curious.......... Surfactants are the essential cleaning substances in shampoos. Oils like sebum, do not mix with water, so the water needs an addition to make the oily matters soluble. Surfactants are the ‘power ingredients' that do this. The bubbles are not what cleans the hair, but the bubbles collect the oil and dirt from the hair so that it can be rinsed away. This "new shampoo" sounds interesting, but I am curious as to how it works???????
[/B][/QUOTE]

Pat, I don't know as this is new to me, but I do know this type of stuff has been used in the dog show world for awhile. I also know Cosy was clean after using it. You do have to work it into the skin as well. It creates a rather slick feeling so when rinsing I suspect it rinses and slides all the dirt/dust right off. Just my very uneducated guess!

Added: I do know there are some non surfactant shampoos out there for people ( a more natural way of cleansing). Kaolin seems to be the ingredient which binds to the excess sebum and dirt particles. It is gentle to skin and doesn't alter the ph balance. Ya learn something 
everyday! LOL
[/B][/QUOTE]

Oh is it something like Wen? I've been using Wen for over 7 months now and my hairstylist constantly comments on how great of condition my hair is in. It says you can use it on dogs and I tried it on Zoe & Jett. I wasn't as thrilled with the results for them as I was for myself. They looked like they needed a bath before the week was up and they didn't look as white. But I love the concept of this that would be specially formulated for a white fluff!! I know others have commented that they didn't like the SpaLavish Shampoo and Conditioner but I've found that it is consistently what works best for my two and the fosters I've had. I did experiment a bit and discovered it was specifically the Renew Shampoo that works the best for us.


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