Dog Health Supply Reviews

4-Legger Organic Dog Shampoo – So Fresh and So Clean!

Our Golden Retriever Harley enjoying a good dog bathing!
Written by Kevin Sando

Far too many of us know the heartbreak of losing a pet to cancer; but could you imagine finding out that you yourself have cancer on the very same day? This is the heartbreaking situation that Melissa from 4-Legger found herself in just 2 years ago.4-Legger Dog Shampoo Logo

After the diagnosis, in a quest to live a more natural life, Melissa and her family began to take a closer look at the food and products they put into and onto their bodies. What they found was that many products – whether labeled “natural” or not – contained ingredients that left them scratching their heads. This was especially true of pet products, whose ingredient and labeling requirements are largely unregulated.

Harley with a Dog Towel after a bath at PetSaver SuperStore in Rochester, NY

We know Harley, stuff on the label can make us want to hide under a towel too!

They worked hard to remove these potentially harmful products from their lives, vowing to live a healthier life one day at a time. After a tough battle, Melissa’s cancer went into remission. With a renewed sense of purpose, her natural journey inspired her to co-found a company where pet parents can really trust the quality and claims of it’s products-4-Legger !

Visit MyDogLikes for the most comprehensive Dog Shampoo reviews on the web. Today we are taking a look at 4-Legger's Organic dog shampoo!

4-Legger – A Brand with a Purpose

4-Legger believes that the “4-Leggers” in our home are just as much a part of our family as anyone else – we couldn’t agree more! With this philosophy they have put together a team with diverse backgrounds to bring to market pet products whose safety and quality can be counted on.

Harley getting a Dog Kiss for good behavior in the dog bath!

When 4-Legger reached out with their inspiring story and mission, we were very excited to learn more. They were kind enough to send us a bottle of their first product: an organic dog shampoo to test out with Harley and Charlie. 


UPDATE: (Click here for our 4-Legger Lavender Shampoo Review)

4-Legger’s All Natural Dog Shampoo

After first learning about all the ingredients that should be avoided in human or animal shampoo, the 4-Legger team set out to work with veterinarians, doctors, groomers, herbal experts, and pet shampoo manufacturers to develop their own formulation. Curious what you will and will not find in their dog shampoo’s? Click here for an exhaustive list!

Bathing Harley with our new lemongrass shampoo.

In short, 4-Legger’s products can be honestly described as natural and organic – with no greenwashing!

What in the World is Greenwashing?

Don’t worry, this was a new term to us as well. Greenwashing is a form of marketing to make products appear to be more natural or environmentally friendly than they actually are. This can be achieved through creative advertising and believe it or not, there are NO pet industry regulations for what can be labeled as “natural” and “organic”.

With 4-Legger, however you can rest assured since their shampoo is USDA certified to food grade standards, it truly is organic.

4-Legger Aloe and Lemongrass Organic Dog Shampoo

MyDogLikes reviews 4-Legger's Organic Dog Shampoo.Lets take a quick look at the ingredients of 4-Legger shampoo:

  • Saponified organic oils of coconut, olive, and jojoba
  • Natural essential oil blend of rosemary and lemongrass – Lemongrass has antibacterial properties and can even provide a boost to the immune system. You may also recall that it has natural flea and tick repellant properties as well.
  • Rosemary extract
  • Organic aloe vera

Everything looks good here! But you don’t have to take our word for it. 4-Legger wants everyone to start taking ingredient labels more seriously – so if you have any questions for them go ahead and ask!

Splish-Splash Harley’s Taking a Bath

Harley putting up with a dog bath at the self wash station.

Harley has been looking a bit scraggly lately (don’t tell him we said that!), so we headed on over to the self wash station at our local PetSaver Superstore to give 4-Legger a try!

Click Here for our Tips on Bathing a Dog!

First things first, you will note that this shampoo is much less viscous than most – so be careful not to tip it over! They recommend giving it a good shake before using to assure a nice even suspension. Because this shampoo is a little bit runnier than others we have tried, we found it easiest to squirt a slow steady stream right onto Harley’s fur so we didn’t lose any down the drain!

MyDogLikes tests out 4-Legger organic Dog Shampoo!

We were really amazed at the lathering action of this shampoo. When you are trying to get all spots on a big, hairy beast like Harley, it is nice to be able to know where you have already reached. 4-Legger produced more lather than any other dog shampoo I can remember-ensuring full body coverage! 

Getting Harley all sudsy for our 4-Legger organic dog shampoo review!So much lather, we were able to make a full body faux-hawk!

Harley sporting a dog mohawk during his 4-Legger dog bath!

The more we lathered Harley up, the more the scent from the natural oils filled the room. While baths are not typically known for their relaxing moments, a busy dog parent has to take the relaxing moments as they come and it was easy to pretend that essential oils were being diffused around the room! The scent of the shampoo can best be described as a spicy lemon drop and I loved how it enveloped the room with its simple and clean smelling aroma! 

Harley sporting a Dog Mohawk during a bathing session!

Harley thinks smelling like a spicy lemon drop is better than some of the yucky perfumes in other shampoos!

After letting the shampoo sit for a moment, we also found that it rinsed out very easily. Hair like Harley’s which is dense and thick often requires several passes with a pressurized water stream as well as some hand scrubbing to remove all the suds. With 4-Legger it only took one pass with the hose and there was no oily or greasy residue left behind! 

Giving Harley a dog bath at PetSaver SuperStore near Rochester, NYHarley graciously lending his services for our official MyDogLikes Dog Shampoo Reviews

The end result was a clean and fluffy puppy. While typical shampoos can strip dogs of their natural oils, this product harnesses the power of natural cleaning agents to leave fur soft and shiny, and skin irritant free. Dogs work hard to make sure they get nice and smelly but you will be left with a clean, neutral (and not heavily perfumed) pup!

Harley feeling So Fresh So Clean after his bath with 4-Legger Dog Shampoo

Looking for more reasons to switch to 4-Legger?

10 reasons to use 4-Legger Dog Shampoo!

Why MyDogLikes 4-Legger’s Organic Dog Shampoo

It is so nice to find a company whose values align closely to our own. We are always striving to live more naturally and 4-Legger is going to help us to do just that. Their dog shampoo is not only all natural and organic, but hypoallergenic as well.

Harley has sensitive and itchy skin which is often aggravated by the chemicals or perfumes that can be found in typical shampoos. Not only did Harley get sudsy and clean, but this shampoo rinsed so easily, cutting significant time off of our rinsing process! While we loved the scent of the shampoo during bath time, Harley was left smelling fresh and neutral after his bath (and not heavily perfumed). Most importantly, his skin was not at all irritated and the scratching and discomfort that he typically experiences post bath was non-existent!

Want to Give 4-Legger Dog Shampoo a try?


About the author

Kevin Sando

Kevin is a mechanical engineer with a degree from the Rochester Institute of Technology. He has move than a decade experience in new product design, prototyping and early stage manufacturing. Pairing this background with his love of dogs, gives him a unique perspective to evaluate the design and execution of new and interesting pet products.

68 Comments

  • My dog has sensitive skin so I love that your 4-legger organic dog shampoo provides relief from dry itchy skin and is also a natural insect repellant. Would love to try it.

  • I have a female pitbull she is mostly white. Most people know Pits have very sensitive skin. I love that the Shampoo is organic. its soothing and remoisturizes.

  • My three dogs don’t have skin problems but I really like that this is organic; they get into enough toxic stuff without my putting chemicals on their collective skin.

  • YES! I love your product and not just for the giveaway- Our senior dog is dying of cancer right now and we’re just starting to realize how many unhealthy ingredients our pets are exposed to. We have two other dogs as well, so I’ll be looking into this in the future. Thanks!

    • We are so sorry to hear about your dog. Sometimes its in these moments when we have the greatest clarity. I often think about the choices that we made for our family dog growing up. It wasn’t because we didn’t want what was best for her, we just didnt know that what we were exposing her to was potentially unhealthy for her. Good luck on your healthy journey. We hope that this website will be a great resource for you!

  • The goldens I have right now don’t have terribly sensitive skin, but ones I’ve had in the past have, so I like to be cautious with what they’re exposed to anyway. I like that this 4-Legger product has real essential oils in it.

  • My dogs don’t seem to have sensitive or easily irritated skin, but they they do get dirty/stinky and need baths frequently in the summer. I love that this won’t irritate or dry out their skin and that it helps to naturally repel fleas and ticks.

  • Neither of my dogs have sensitive skin, but I do worry about bathing them as it strips away their natural skin and hair oils. It sounds like this would prevent that.

  • My big girl does have sensative skin. I love that Lemongrass is known to boost the immune system while providing antibacterial properties. It also acts as a natural insect repellant. We have combined it with rosemary oil which will help with dry and flaky skin.

  • I haven’t found a dog shampoo yet that I like. We have had our boy 3 years and no luck! Would love to try this one.

  • My dog has reactions to fleas and has to get an allergy shot regularly. Her shin is often irritated and could use an organic shampoo.

  • although our dogs don’t have irritations, I haven’t found a product to remove the funk smell, you know…wet dog smell….I loved the look on your pups face in these pics as well!

  • I like that it is organic made in the USA , the lemongrass is a plus, I like the smell & benefits it provides.

  • Aloha Friend! My 9 yrs. old “Mixed Terrier” Maggie seems to scratch some, so I like to use shampoos & organics that are better for her. I have not used this line of Shampoo before. I actually just found you today on here! I sure would love to get the chance for my Maggie to try it! Thank-you!

  • Ooh, so very intrigued! You remind me that Admiral needs a bath badly, and I can so relate to some of your bath struggles, even though he has shorter hair. I love 4Leggers natural approach… It’s something I am striving towards for both myself and the dogs, so I definitely like that! My dog doesn’t have particularly sensitive skin, but I don’t want to put unnecessary stress on it. Great review again, guys!

    • Abbie, we feel the same! Good luck on your healthy living journey (it really is a journey). I hope 4Legger is part of that journey. Good luck in the giveaway!

  • Skipper has sensitive skin and dry skin. In reading the review I like that it is chemical free! Our dogs do not need things with chemicals in it!

  • My dog has itchy skin all the time and I loves that this shampoo is natural and organic which is great since she has allergies plus it is also less likely to irritate her skin.

  • I have a Pekinese…They are known for dry itchy skin. We haven’t had many problems until lately. I am lost as to what to do…..shampoos galore…and nothing….Each time they promise results….HELP !!

    • I would definitely recommend trying this shampoo. Its one of the only that didnt make irritation on the skin worse. Plus, it rinses easily from the coat which is great for dogs with a dense coat!

  • Elmo says [to his 2-Legger] he’ll only have sensitive , irritated skin if he doesn’t get (or win) 4-Legger Organic Shampoo & he really wants to be “So Fresh, So Clean !!

  • My wheatens have itchy dry skin so I think this should help.
    I like the fact that it is organic,and will not strip any natural oils
    from their beautiful fur coats. 🙂

  • I love that it is organic. My dogs both suffer from dry skin with certain shampoos so I always have to be careful.

  • My Jack Russells are short haired and they seem to get itchy at different times of the year. This would be great to keep them smelling fresh!

  • My old guy Buggz who is a 13 yr old Shi-itzu just had a bath and boy did it dry his skin! itchy, itchy, itchy! It’s so hard to find a shampoo that is all natural and soothing!
    Is this how we enter the contest??

  • I recently had my dog to the vet because he was scratching so much. The vet said although we found no fleas, there was traces they had been there. She thought maybe my dog was having an allergic reaction to having been bit. This shampoo sounds wonderful because it helps to repel fleas and ticks. 🙂 Perfect for my fur man!

  • Both of my dogs suffer from dry skin, my shepherd in particular gets very flaky dried skin(sometimes very oily) on his back from seborrhea and also suffers from ringworm on his groin area. I would use this is on my dogs since it is all natural and has no harmful chemicals.

  • i like that is has aloe and the lemongrass helps with fleas, ticks. it will help with scratching and any skin irritations. will also help with dry skin issues. my girls hate baths but this shampoo will be good for their skin as an all yr round shampoo. winter for dry skin, summer, fleas and ticks. my girls do not have sensitive skin but i like the ingredients in this shampoo. the coconut oils will add luster to their coats and keep the hair and skin healthy.

  • My dog has severe allergies and is always itchy. So I like that it is supposed to help relieve dry itchy skin. I also like that it is made in the USA.

  • There’s nothing synthetic or artificial. That sums it up best about what I like best about 4-Legger Organic Shampoo.

  • One of my dogs has very dry & sensitive skin so I love that it has antibacterial properties and the rosemary oil for the dryness. My other dog has none of those problems but the I like the fact that the shampoo has made with human grade ingredients.

  • Apollo has sensitive skin from horrible mange that he suffered from as a puppy. He even has some parts where his fur never really grew back, despite changing his food multiple times. I like the natural ingredients that are used and I would like to try this for my pup.

  • My Sadie, sounds nuts…has sensitive skin in the cooler weather. During the summer….everything is fine…but when the weather gets cooler we have a little skin troubles.

  • Being made in the USA with nothing that could harm my babies is perfect.thanks so very much for sharing.

  • My dogs have dry skin so this would be great! I love that it’s organic. I don’t like to use products that aren’t organic on my dogs

  • I have two sweet girls that have very sensitive skin they are very itchy and flakey this would be a amazing product for both Daisy & Lilly I love the fact that. Natural essential oil blend of rosemary and lemongrass – Lemongrass has antibacterial properties and can even provide a boost to the immune system. You may also recall that it has natural flea and tick repellant properties as well.

  • Our female puppy had problems with her immune system, which caused mild to severe folliculitus (patches of baldness). Although her vet placed her on oral meds, shampoo with 100% natural ingredients has been one of the most effective parts of her healing. I would like to try this shampoo on her, as she has been very vivacious, healthy, and furry (yay!) since we began her vet-prescribed weekly shampoo.

  • Both of my dogs have mild problems with dry skin. One of them, Scout, has itchiness along with dryness. I like that the 4-Paws shampoo only has 6 ingredients and that it can help with dry/itchy skin. I think it would really help both my pups.

  • My dog is a senior who gets mysterious itchy skin sometimes. I only use natural chemical free shampoos like this on him. This reminds me that he needs a bath!

  • My sweet little puppy Maisie always seems to be getting into some kind of mess which has lead to us bathing her pretty frequently and my boyfriend and I have been having a hard time finding a shampoo that we feel good about using since so many dog shampoos have unnecessary, harmful ingredients but this is one I know we could trust and she would love!

  • The fact that it is non-toxic and nothing artificial is awesome.I have tried almost all shampoos for my pup’s but none of them really help much with the itchy dry skin.Would love to give this a try.