6 Best Dog Shampoos & Conditioners For Havanese in 2024

Sean Green

Researched & Written by

Sean Green


At Pawster, we are committed to presenting the most accurate and up-to-date information to assist you in your pet care journey. When appropriate, we consult licensed and practicing veterinarians to fact-check our professionally written articles.

The adorable Havanese is one of the cutest breeds on the planet when they are properly groomed. However, as you might imagine, keeping their long silky locks in perfect condition is a full-time job, but you can make it easier by using the best shampoo for Havaneses on the market.

With that in mind, today we’re going to give you a whole heap of useful information that you can use to keep your pooch in tip-top shape. We’re going share bathing tips, grooming tips, and we’re going to answer some of the most commonly asked Havanese bathing questions that we receive from our readers.

The highlight of this article is the Havanese shampoo review section. We’ve spent a huge amount of time comparing and contrasting countless shampoos to find 6 that we think represent the best Havanese shampoos on the market in 2024.

Let’s get started.

Popular Types Of Havanese Shampoos

Before we start talking about specific products and the reasons behind why we are recommending them, it’s a good idea for us to quickly look at the kinds of issues Havaneses suffer from that can be solved with an appropriate shampoo.

Skin Care Shampoos

The Havanese is well known for suffering from a wide range of skin and coat issues. As such, the most important thing you should be looking out for in a good shampoo is the amount of skin care it provides.

Everything else should be a secondary consideration – it’s that important.

Luckily, there’s a huge range of skincare shampoos on the market. The Havanese isn’t the only breed in the world to suffer from these issues, and you’re not going to struggle to find countless products that claim to solve all your skin concerns.

However, as usual, it’s not quite that simple.

There’s a massive (and we mean massive) variation in the skincare properties of different shampoos. Even reputable brands have been known to overstate the healing properties of their products. It’s very, very hard to pick well when it comes to skin care – even for experts like us.

However, we’ve done the hard work here so you don’t have to. In our product review section at the end of this article, skin care has been our main concern when recommending products to you. They all represent the best of the best when it comes to caring for and protecting the skin of your pooch, and they’re all more than worthy of your consideration.

Soothing Shampoos

The adorable Havanese hates bathing as much as any other breed on the planet. The sound of rushing running water sends shivers down their spine as they remember the horrors of the bathtub from bathing sessions past. Naturally, shampoo manufacturers know about this, and many of them have capitalized on this very real issue that consumers (and their canines) suffer from.

In recent years dog shampoos have taken a leaf out of the human shampoo playbook and have started offering aromatherapy style treatments. These scented infusions are designed to calm and soothe your pooch while they’re in the tub in the exact same way you’re soothed when you smell the scents at a relaxing day spa.

It’s important for us to point out here that that efficacy of these products isn’t exactly universally accepted. It’s extremely hard to test in a scientific setting, and as far as we know, there have been no studies conducted on the subject.

All we have to go on here is our personal experience and anecdotal reviews. We’ve seen noticeable improvements in our own dogs when using high quality scented soothing shampoos – and countless online reviews anecdotally say the same. We wouldn’t recommend you go out looking for a soothing shampoo as a high priority – but if you need a tiebreaker between two products, this is a good one to look out for.

Note: Again, there’s a huge difference in the power of these products. Aromatherapy has become a bit of a buzzword in the shampoo industry recently, and many brands will state they have soothing properties – when in reality they just smell nice. We’ve picked a soothing shampoo as our overall recommendation later in this article, and if soothing aromatherapy is high on your wish list – it’s one to watch out for.

Natural Conditioners

It’s not just the skin of your Havanese that needs looking after, its coat needs some care and attention too. Almost every good shampoo on the market these days will have some kind of conditioner in them. The efficacy of these conditioners varies massively, and you really need to know the reputation of the brand you’re buying.

Ensure that you’re picking a product that uses natural compounds for conditioning your dog’s hair wherever possible. They are much gentler on your dog’s skin compared to the chemical compounds you can find in cheaper, lower quality products – and they get the job done just as well.

3 Tips On Maintaining The Perfect Havanese Coat

So now we know a little bit about the kinds of issues that the Havanese suffers from (and the properties you should be looking out for in a good shampoo to mitigate them). Let’s now take a look at a few grooming tips that’ll help you keep things looking better in-between bathing sessions.

Groom Them Regularly

There’s no getting around the fact that when you own a Havanese, a huge part of your life is going to revolve around grooming. The long coat of the breed is stunning when it’s kept in good condition – but it’s a nightmare if it gets out of hand.

The best way to keep on top of your grooming duties is to give your pooch a daily brushing as part of your normal routine. If you keep on top of it in this way, then you’re going to spend a maximum of 10 minutes a day grooming your pooch from start to finish (including clean up).

This seems like a huge amount of hassle, but it’s the only way you’re going to keep things looking picture perfect. It’s also a time-saving tip because the tangling and matting that occurs when you don’t keep up with your grooming duties have a compound effect. The longer you leave it, the harder the tangling is to remove.

Groom Them From A Young Age

As we’ve just explained, grooming is going to be a regular part of your life when you own a Havanese.

Needless to say, it’s going to make things much more difficult for you if your pooch dislikes being groomed – so it’s super important that you get them used to the idea from a very young age.

When you first bring your pooch home, you should start grooming them from day one. Usually, it’s a good idea to give them a groom with your hand the first few days instead of using the brush immediately. Try and train them to stay still while you stroke them with your hand, and reward them well for good behavior.

Once you’re able to hand groom them without issue, introduce the grooming brush, and reward them for good behavior again. Finally, you should try touching sensitive areas like their feet and tail, when they let you do it without causing a fuss – more treats are in order.

By getting your pooch used to the fact that grooming is a part of their life from day one – you’re going to make the rest of your grooming duties easier for the entire lifetime of your pooch.

Get Good Grooming Gear

We’d argue that when you have a pooch like the Havanese then there are not many items in your home that you’re going to use more than your grooming gear. Every day you’re going to be breaking out the brush to give your pooch a good once over from head to tail – so it makes sense to get good quality equipment.

This isn’t an essential tip, and it’s perfectly possible to have a good grooming experience with mid-range products that have a mid-range price tag.

However, the difference between “average” products and premium products in terms of performance is stark. They are much easier to handle, they’re much more comfortable for your pooch, and they’ll let you get the job done quicker (including clean up). Considering the fact that you’re probably never going to need to replace your grooming gear, it makes sense to pay an extra $10 or $20 to get the good stuff.

Keep An Eye Out For Skin Issues

Because of the super sensitive skin of our Havaneses, you should conduct a quick skin check a part of your daily grooming routine. Skin issues can appear overnight, and if you treat them before they become a bigger problem you can save your pooch a whole heap of discomfort.

If you notice skin issues when grooming your pooch, check for potential allergens or outside influences (and remove them). If the issues persist, then contact your vet, they could be an indication of something more severe.

Overall Best Shampoo for Havanese

Buddy Wash Relaxing Green Tea & Bergamot Dog Shampoo & Conditioner

So, now it’s time for the part you’ve all been waiting for – our Havanese shampoo review section.

We like to start off these review sections with a little disclaimer about our impartiality. We’re not affiliated with any brand in particular, and we’re not biased towards promoting any specific kind of shampoo over another kind. These recommendations are our honest opinions on what we think are the best shampoos for Havaneses on the market right now.

We found quite a few excellent products that we’re going to mention today, but one stood out above almost all the rest – the Relaxing Green Tea & Bergamot Dog Shampoo & Conditioner by Buddy Wash.

This is an excellent product that’s made to the highest possible quality from cosmetic grade ingredients. Buddy Wash are well known in the industry for creating premium products without the premium price tag – and consumers love them too based on anecdotal reviews.

This is an all-natural product that doesn’t use harmful compounds like soap or alcohol in its formula. Coconut extract and other natural deodorizers make up the bulk of the cleaning power here, and they’ll leave you with a pooch almost entirely free from the stinky bacteria that create the infamous dog smell we all love to hate.

The conditioner in this product is of exceptional quality and uses natural infusions of sage, chamomile, and rosemary to nourish each individual strand of hair on your dog’s body. It works well to prevent tangling and matting, reduces shedding, and it gives a stunning glossy shine to your pooch that can rival some dedicated leave in conditioners.

The main thing we liked about the conditioner in this product was the skin care compounds that are in the formula. There’s a huge amount of aloe vera in the bottle that works hand in hand with several other natural infusions (in lesser quantities) that create a complete care package that other products struggle to compete with. This stuff will prevent issues from appearing with its moisturizing properties, and it’ll treat any redness or damage that has already appeared on your dog by promoting a speedy and healthy recovery.

We love the scented infusions in this product that provide soothing effects. The combination of lavender and mint (which are two of the best compounds for aromatherapy) work very well together and they will leave your pooch a little more relaxed in the tub than they currently are.

Disclaimer: What we said earlier about not overpromising the benefits of scented infusions still applies. This will probably make a noticeable difference to your dog’s bath time behavior – but it’s not a magic bullet.

The best thing about this product is the price. All this premium performance comes in a 16oz bottle that costs around $7. It’s honestly one of the best value for money products on the market right now.

It’s an awesome product with a feature list that was practically custom made for Havaneses, and it’s cheap too.

What more could you want?

4-Legger Hypo-Allergenic, Lemongrass & Aloe Dog Shampoo 

Runner Up – We loved the product from Buddy Wash above, but it had some tough competition. The awesome Organic, Hypo-Allergenic, Lemongrass & Aloe Dog Shampoo from 4-Legger is an excellent alternative option that deserves just as much consideration as the product above.

We love 4-Legger. They’re a brand that focuses on creating a small number of high-quality products instead of creating a large product range. They’re an eco-friendly company (which is quite an understatement), and this product is cruelty-free, soap-free, alcohol-free, vegan, and 100% organic.

Fact: This product has been officially examined by the USDA – they rated it “Organic to exceptional standards”

The primary deodorizing compound in this product is lemongrass. This is an all natural wonder material that kills microbes, fungal spores, and protects against pests all at the same time. It’ll leave your pooch smelling better than ever between bathing sessions and the stink creating bacteria will have nowhere to hide. We also love how luxurious the lather that product creates feels – which is something that low-quality non-soap based shampoos struggle with.

The conditioner in this product is equally as good as the conditioner in the Buddy Wash product above (it’s potentially better). The perfect combination of essential oils, extracts, and natural vitamins work in perfect harmony to nourish and enhance your dog’s coat and it will leave it with a glossy shine.

Like the Buddy Wash product above, the conditioner in this product protects and nourishes your dog’s skin as well as its coat. There’s a huge amount of aloe vera in the formula (you can almost smell it) which is exactly what our little Havaneses need. It’ll soothe and promote recovery of any skin issues that are currently present while preventing new occurrences from rearing their head.

Unfortunately, this product doesn’t have any soothing aromatherapy style properties that we can tell you about. Lemongrass smells great, and you’re going to want to sniff and cuddle your dog for hours after they get out of the bath – but it’s not going to do anything to make their bathing experience better.

To be totally honest, the only reason this product wasn’t our overall pick is the fact it’s much more expensive than the Buddy Wash product above. At around $15 it’s more or less twice the price, which is admittedly quite an increase.

There’s one slight saving grace here for 4-legger, this is a super concentrated product, and you’re going to need less of it to get the same amount of coverage as all the other products on this page. To be honest, the concentrated nature of this shampoo doesn’t make up for the difference in price – but it certainly helps.

If you’ve got the budget for it, this is a great product, from a great brand – and it’s more than worthy of your consideration.

Natures Miracle Supreme Odor Control Natural Puppy Shampoo & Conditioner

Best Havanese Puppy Shampoo – Looking after the delicate skin of the Havanese is tough when they are adults – but it’s even more difficult when they’re puppies. We found several good products we’d be happy recommending here today, but we think the best Havanese puppy shampoo on the market right now is the Supreme Odor Control Natural Puppy Shampoo & Conditioner By Nature’s Miracle.

The main selling point for us with this product is how gentle it is. It’s a completely tearless formula, and if it gets in your dog’s eyes – it’s not going to hurt at all. There’s no scented aromatherapy (probably because it’s tearless) and the cleaning and conditioning power are quite impressive considering how gentle this stuff is.

3 More Top Rated Dog Shampoos For Havaneses

Here are 3 other products we came across during our research that are worthy of a very quick shout out.

Burt’s Bees Oatmeal Shampoo with Colloidal Oat Flour & Honey for Dogs

This is the cheapest product that we’re comfortable recommending. It’s about $5 for a 16oz bottle, and considering the price point it’s sold at – it has incredible performance. The oatmeal and oat flour deodorize well, and the honey infusion in the conditioner nourishes your dog’s coat acceptably too.

Douxo Chlorhexidine PS Dog & Cat Shampoo

This is the number one non-prescription medicated shampoo on the market right now. If your pooch has a serious skin issue that isn’t going away with normal shampoo – try this stuff. If it doesn’t solve your dog’s problems, you need to book an appointment with the vet.

Zesty Paws Oatmeal Anti-Itch Dog Shampoo with Aloe Vera & Vitamin E

This is a great all-rounder that uses oatmeal as a deodorizer (which is super powerful yet natural and gentle). It’s got loads of aloe vera in the formula to protect and soothe skin, and the anti-itch compounds will help your pooch resist any itchiness caused by skin issues that they may be suffering from.

5 Tips On Bathing Your Havanese

So now we know about 6 of the best Havanese shampoos on the market. In the section below we’re going to give you a few handy hints and tips that you can use to make bathing your pooch with a product from the list above a little bit quicker and easier for the both of you.

Don’t Bathe Them Too Often

This was more of a problem 5 or 10 years ago than it is today because shampoos were much less natural. However, with the super delicate skin of the Havanese, it’s really important that you’re not too frequent with your bathing.

Even with super gentle, supernatural shampoos you should never bathe your pooch more than once a week at most. Ideally, you’ll bathe your pooch once every 2 weeks to be on the safe side.

Groom Before Bathing

Grooming before bathing is something that many dog owners dislike the thought of. It seems like wasted time considering you’re going to get them all soapy and tangled in the bath anyway.

However grooming before bathing will save you time over the long run, and it’ll prevent skin issues from harming your pooch.

When you get a clump of matted or tangled hair wet it becomes much more difficult to detangle. You’re going to spend much more time removing matting after the bathing session than you will spend doing it beforehand. This alone should be reason enough for you to break out the brush before bathing your pooch.

However, the main reason you should be grooming before bathing is due to the fact that matted hair is like a sponge when it comes to water retention. Unless you use a doggy hairdryer you’re never going to be able to completely dry matted hair by hand. This hair remains moist and gets warm due to your dog’s body heat – which is the perfect breeding ground for bacteria who cause your pooch to stink.

Grooming your pooch before bathing eliminates this issue entirely.

Bathe Them In The Sink

When you put a dog the size of a Havanese in a bathtub you’re essentially putting them in a huge prison. It’s at least 3 times their height, and your pooch knows that without your help they are going to have a very hard time escaping from it. When you combine this with the fact that they don’t fully understand the situation that they’re in – it’s easy to see why it can cause your dog some stress.

Instead of bathing your pooch in the bathtub, we recommend that you bathe them in the sink instead. It’s better suited to the size of your pooch, and they know that they’re not trapped inside unable to escape.

Never try this in a sink that has curved sides as it’s very difficult for your pooch to stand on and will almost certainly cause an accident. Instead, take your pooch down to the kitchen sink and bathe them in there instead.

Note: This should only be attempted if you have a sink that’s a suitable size. If your pooch won’t quite fit in your kitchen sink, then you’ve got no choice but to use the bathtub.

Put A Towel Down Before Bathing

It’s difficult for your pooch to maintain their balance on the slippery surface of a bathtub. The ceramic or plastic that it’s made from is a highly unnatural material that the paws of a dog are not designed to deal with.

Your dog probably isn’t slipping and sliding around in the tub, but maintaining balance requires concentration, which adds stress to an already stressful situation.

There’s a super simple way to resolve this – put a towel down.

The grip the towel provides removes all of the balance and stability issues instantly, and you’re going to have a happier, safer pooch because of it.

Rinse Your Pooch Properly

Dog shampoos are designed to be applied to your dog before being removed. If any product remains on your pooch after you take them out of the tub it can cause skin issues to occur.

Go over your pooch deliberately when rinsing them after bathing, don’t just eyeball it and assume that you’ve got it all.

Go from top to bottom, head to tail. Rinse them well and completely saturate their hair. When that’s done, go over them again with a light rinse to check that you’ve gotten every last drop of shampoo off of them.

We can’t overstate how important this is. Even the slightest bit of shampoo can cause issues with the super delicate skin of the Havanese.

FAQ Regarding Bathing a Havanese

For the final section of this article, we are going to be answering a couple of frequently asked questions about bathing a Havanese that we get sent from our readers on a regular basis.

How Can I Stop The Hair Of My Havanese Blocking My Drain?

The huge long hairs of the Havanese are some of the worst in the entire canine kingdom when it comes to causing blockages. They have a seemingly uncanny ability to get tangled and knotted around everything and anything they come into contact with. If you don’t find a way to stop them from getting into your plumbing system – then you’re going to have a whole heap of hassle to deal with sooner or later.

Luckily for you, we’ve got a super simple way of stopping this from becoming an issue.

Steel wool.

Put some steel wool in the plug hole before you start bathing your pooch and almost every single hair that falls off of their body during grooming is going to get caught before it enters your pipes.

We can guarantee that you’re going to be shocked by how much hair this simple solution catches in a single bathing session.

Can I Use A Hairdryer On My Havanese?

Many people like to blow dry their Havanese to get them in the best possible condition. While it is possible to dry your pooch this way, it’s certainly not required. You can easily use a combination of towel drying, shaking, and grooming to get a similar effect.

If you are going to use a hairdryer, then make sure you’re using one designed for dogs. Human hairdryers are too hot for their delicate skin, and you can very easily accidentally burn your pooch.

Conclusion

So there you have it, that’s all there is to know about bathing and grooming the adorable Havanese.

If you incorporate some (or preferably all) of the tips that we’ve shared with you today into your routine then we’re sure that both you and your pooch are going to have a better grooming and bathing experience.

We strongly recommend you pick any of the 6 products that we’ve mentioned here today when you’re next shopping around for a Havanese shampoo. We put a lot of effort into making these entirely impartial recommendations, and they genuinely represent some of the best products on the market that cater to the needs of the breed right now.

They’re all more than worthy of your consideration, and we think that you’re going to be pleased with any of them.

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