Let's face it– even if your pup rarely sets a paw outside the doggy door, an occasional bath is a necessity. What's great, is there are multiple natural and inexpensive methods for washing your dog that all beat buying the chemical laden commercial shampoos.

Just like you and me, your dog's skin is sensitive and can be easily irritated. Some commercial dog shampoos contain chemicals that will dry out your dog's skin, cause eye damage,  and even diarrhea. Not cool. Do you need anymore of a reason to take an extra ten minutes to mix up your own homemade dog shampoo? We think not.

Some helpful tips for keeping your dog bath green:

Turn off the Water: Once you have your pup nice and wet, turn the water off and start lathering. Only turn it back on once your are ready for rinsing.

Less is More: Rather than dumping a bunch of soap onto your dog, slowly add the shampoo so you don't end up washing too much excess away. Not only will this save on water and time, it will decrease the likeliness of you leaving any residue behind that may irritate the skin.

Towel & Air Dry: It's tempting to pull out the blow dryer to speed up the drying process, but while the fur is drying, so is your dog's skin. This will end up irritating the skin and making your pup uncomfortable. So pull out the towel and give your dog a good rub down.

How to Make Homemade Dog Shampoo:

There are a lot of different natural, homemade dog shampoo recipes out there, so we chose our favorite one to share with you. Let's get started!

Supplies You Need:

• 1 Cup warm water
• 1 Cup apple cider vinegar (organic)
• 1 Cup natural liquid dish-washing soap (Avoid strongly scented soaps.)
• 2 oz glycerine
• 1 empty container (Great opportunity to use a leftover mason jar!)

Step 1:

This is the easy part! Pour all the ingredients into your empty container, starting with the dish-washing soap. Then put the lid on and shake the container gently to mix it all up.

Step 2:

This is the fun part! Grab your pup and let's start washing. Begin by getting your dog nice and wet and poor a little shampoo over the fur at a time. Use your hands to start lathering. Once your pup feels nice and clean, give a good rinse and pat down with a towel.

Warning: At any point during the washing  experience, your dog may vigorously shake off…don't say we didn't warn you!

We want to hear how this recipe worked for your precious pup! Plus, if you have your own homemade dog shampoo recipe please share in the comments below.