Fab or flub? Wahl’s waterless shampoo claims to keep canines clean

File this week’s Fab or Flub under the subject “products that promise to make your life easier.”

After hearing the cries of what I can only assume are countless dog owners, Wahl (a brand known mostly for its hair clippers) has come out with dog shampoo that allows you to wash your dog without the need for a bathtub or water.

Marketed as 100 percent natural, Wahl’s No-Rinse Waterless Shampoo (available for $5.97 at Wal-Mart) is a shampoo for pets that are between shampoos. Have your dogs started to get a little smelly, but you just don’t have time to take them to the groomer or bathe them yourself? Then Wahl’s No-Rinse Waterless Shampoo might just be right for you.

With the perfect test subject waiting at home, I drove to Wal-Mart to pick up a bottle of the shampoo.

Turns out there are actually two versions of the product. One is an oatmeal formula that smells like coconut lime verbena and offers relief from itchy, dry skin. The other is a calming formula that smells like lavender chamomile and claims to clean, condition, detangle and moisturize.

Because my Pembroke Welsh corgi, Gizmo, suffers from dry skin, I decided to go with the first option. I hoped the shampoo would keep him clean and put an end to his itchiness.

First impression

When my mother first suggested I try Wahl’s No-Rinse Waterless Shampoo, I imagined it being packaged in an aerosol can like the dry shampoo I often use on my hair in between washes.

Turns out this product is nothing like dry shampoo. Instead, the shampoo is liquid and when pumped out of its plastic bottle, it turns to foam.

As I pumped the shampoo into my hand for the first time, I was immediately taken aback by how fragrant it was. It smelled exactly like my boyfriend’s Burberry cologne. While I thought this was pretty great, I could also see this potentially being a turnoff for pet owners who prefer something a little more subtle.

For those curious about how, exactly, you wash a dog without using water, I can say that at least based on the product’s directions, it is very easy.

With a handful of foam, I began massaging the shampoo into Gizmo’s dry coat. The directions say to be liberal with the product, so I kept pumping out more foam until I felt I had washed every square inch of his body.

To finish, I went over Gizmo’s coat with his FURminator to remove any additional dirt (this is suggested in the product’s directions), then let him run around to dry. By the end of the experience, I couldn’t quite tell if his coat looked any cleaner.

He did, however, smell fantastic.

Fab or flub?

Fab-ish. After allowing a day for Gizmo to dry completely, I was happy to see that his coat looked clean and shiny. In fact, it looked just as good as when I give him a regular washing in the bathtub.

He even still retained that great post-bath smell. In the end, the only gripe that I had with the product was that it did not ease Gizmo’s itching, as it claimed it could do. Despite this, I still think Wahl’s No-rinse Waterless Shampoo is a great product for pet parents to have on hand if needed.

This story was originally published May 22, 2015 at 2:42 PM with the headline "Fab or flub? Wahl’s waterless shampoo claims to keep canines clean."