I use Nature's Specialties -- I like Lavenderm on the body and Plum Silky on the head -- for my dogs. Lavenderm dilutes 1 in 50. If there is any strong "doggy" smell (I find this on goldens very often) I like to use the Nature's Specialties Oatmeal Conditioner; I scrub it in real good. It is amazing on smells, way better than any of their formulas for actually getting rid of smell. I use this on dogs that have rolled in fish, even dogs that were skunked -- gets the smell out completely. Nature's Specialties makes some awesome shampoos, and most of them are all natural.

Kelco also makes some great shampoos, I love their Aloe shampoo and their Apple and Oats Conditioner. Their Ultra Silk conditioner works GREAT.

Quote Originally Posted by mike001
My vet and the breeder warned me about bathing too often though, it dries their coat and could lead to skin problems. They recommend 3-4 baths /yr.
This is a pretty old-fashioned outlook on bathing -- most high quality shampoos these days put back just as much as they take out. I agree with them if you're using coal tar however -- coal tar is very harsh on the skin, not recommended unless the dog has skin issues (and particular skin issues at that -- it is only useful for the moistury type of problems -- think greasy cocker spaniel -- and works wonders on elephant skin -- as opposed to dry skin and dry dandruff/flaking problems, in which case sulphur is the best choice).