6 Best Dog Shampoos And Conditioners For French Bulldogs in 2024

Runner Up

4Legger Dog Shampoo

• Incredible scent
• Eco-friendly

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Best Overall

Buddy Wash Shampoo

• 2-in-1 shampoo
• Made in USA
• Affordable

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Puppy Shampoo

Natures Miracle Puppy Shampoo

• Gentle & Tearless
• Made in the USA

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The adorable face of the French Bulldog is something that instantly captures the hearts and minds of many people when they first lay their eyes on the breed. Keeping your pooch looking adorable (and smelling great) requires a little bit of work, and of course, one of the best shampoos for French Bulldogs on the market.

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If you’re an experienced Frenchie owner, or if you’re just doing your research into the breed for the first time – this is the article for you. Today we are going to cover just about everything there is to know about bathing, cleaning, and generally looking after the coat of your French Bulldog. We’re also going to talk quite a bit about which shampoos and conditioners you should be looking at in our review section, that provides several excellent product recommendations.

Let’s get started.

Popular Types Of French Bulldog Shampoos

Before we get into the reviews it’s a good idea for us to take a quick look at the different kinds of shampoo on the market. As you may already know, no two breeds of dog are exactly the same when it comes to coat care and cleanliness. Some breeds suffer from issues that require special attention, and other breeds have minimal special requirements but can cause quite a stink if not regularly bathed.

Tearless Shampoo

Remember when you were a child and your parents purchased “no tear” shampoo to make bath time a little less unpleasant for you?

Well, the same kind of shampoo exists for dogs too and it’s a particularly important feature for French Bulldog owners.

The reason it’s so important is that the creases on the front of your French Bulldog’s face are the perfect breeding ground for bacteria – and as such, they need to be cleaned well each and every bathing session. As you can imagine, your pooch isn’t going to be pleased about you cleaning their face so thoroughly – despite it being for their own good. We’re not saying that a tearless formula is going to make your pooch excited to jump in the bath – but it’s going to make things much more pleasant for them than it otherwise would be.

Waterless Shampoo

The importance of cleaning the creases of your French Bulldog cannot be overstated. It’s so important that we recommend you invest in a waterless shampoo to complement your standard shampoo. Waterless shampoos can be used without requiring a full bathing session – which means you can keep on top of the crease cleaning duties in-between the times that you give your pooch a proper bath.

Deodorizing

We’ve all walked into someone’s house at some point or another and been greeted with an overpowering stench of “dog”. It’s a very unpleasant smell, and it’s one that most canine owners don’t realize that they have until someone else points it out to them (because you get used to the smell).

Luckily French Bulldogs are not particularly prone to bad smells, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible for them to create a stink. Dogs will be dogs, and despite the small size of a Frenchie, it’s still possible for your pooch to cause quite a “nasal sensation”.

Deodorizing shampoos mitigate this issue, so you can rest assured that your home is going to smell lovely, instead of smelling like dog.

Sensitive Skin

French Bulldogs don’t really suffer from sensitive skin as a general rule of thumb, however, that doesn’t mean that they’re impervious to the condition. If your Frenchie has sensitive skin you should look into getting your hands on dedicated shampoo that is designed to irritate the skin as little as possible. They’re usually not much more expensive than standard shampoos, and they can save your pooch a whole heap of discomfort.

3 Tips On Maintaining The Perfect French Bulldog Coat

Keeping your pooch’s coat looking great isn’t all about bathing, grooming is required too (even with a low shedding short haired breed like the French Bulldog). Here are a few simple tips that you should take notice of to keep your Frenchie’s coat looking healthy and shiny.

• Brush Regularly – Just because your Frenchie has short hair and doesn’t shed doesn’t mean that you can get away without giving them a good brushing once in a while. Brushing your dog’s coat helps distribute the natural essential oils produced by their skin evenly. There’s no product on the market that’s better for your dog’s coat than the stuff that they produce themselves – and if you get yourself a special massaging brush they might even enjoy the process too!
• Keep An Eye Out For Dandruff – Just like humans, dogs can get dandruff too – and it can cause a whole heap of issues. When you’re grooming your pooch make sure you do a quick little inspection.
  Doggy dandruff looks pretty much identical to human dandruff (flaky dry skin) which makes it easy to spot. If you locate dandruff then you should take a look at a some of the dedicated doggy dandruff shampoos on the market which will usually quickly clear the problem up. If after conducting the recommended treatment schedule on the bottle and the dandruff hasn’t gone away – book an appointment with the vet (because it could be a more serious issue, or it could require prescription medicated shampoo).
• Give Their Natural Oils A Little Helping Hand – We’ve just talked about the natural oils that your pooch produces that keeps their coat looking great – and it’s very important that you give your pooch all they need to produce them efficiently. Look out for specialist foods (or treats) that contain vitamins, minerals, and oils that are designed to promote healthy glossy coats.

Best Shampoo for French Bulldogs

Our 2024 Picks: Best Shampoo for French Bulldogs
	Buddy Wash Original Lavender & Mint Dog Shampoo & Conditioner Soap-free shampoo Coconut-based liquid is completely alcohol-free Price: $0.43/oz	CHECK PRICE
	4-Legger’s Organic, Hypo-Allergenic, Lemongrass Made with lemongrass Holistic, essential oil blend gently cleans the skin Price:  $0.93/oz	CHECK PRICE
	Nature’s Miracle Supreme Odor Control Gentle, tearless, no dyes or perfumes Made in the USA Price:  $0.33/oz	CHECK PRICE
	Earthbath Oatmeal & Aloe Dog & Cat Shampoo Soap-free shampoo with oatmeal Vanilla and almond scent Price:  $0.53/oz	CHECK PRICE
	Burt’s Bees Oatmeal Shampoo With Colloidal Oat Flour Colloidal oat flour helps itchiness 97% natural, made cruelty-free Price:  $0.31/oz	CHECK PRICE
	Douxo Chlorhexidine PS Dog & Cat Shampoo Lipacid helps restore the skin barrier Deposits long-lasting film Price:  $1.53/oz	CHECK PRICE

Buddy Wash Original Lavender & Mint Dog Shampoo & Conditioner

Overall Best Beagle Shampoo: Ok, so now we know a little bit about what kinds of shampoo are best for French Bulldogs, and we have more of an idea about grooming tips that will help your pooch look (and smell) better for longer. It’s time for us to get into the product recommendation section of this article.

We’ve looked all over the internet (and in stores) to find the best and worst shampoos for French Bulldogs. Because Frenchie’s have very few breed specific needs it was hard for us to narrow down the options to one overall recommendation. We are going to list a few of the runners up in the sections below, but in our opinion, at the moment, the best shampoo for French Bulldogs is Buddy Wash’s Original Lavender & Mint Dog Shampoo & Conditioner.

This shampoo ticks all the boxes you could ever want to be ticked, but the thing that made this product our overall pick is the lavender and mint infusion that is packed into this shampoo in generous quantities. Lavender and mint are both natural relaxants, which in theory will make your pooch a little less stressed during bath time. This is important for any dog, but with the reasonably invasive (and intensive) cleaning that is required in the creases of your French Bulldog’s face – it’s a game changer.

It’s not just the aromatherapy that this product provides that we like, it’s also a great all-rounder. All of the ingredients used in the product are made in the USA and are cosmetic grade ingredients (that have not been tested on animals). There’s a huge amount of aloe vera included in the formula that helps soothe any irritated or sore skin (which we love to see) and the pure botanical extracts are all natural without any chemical additives.

This is a soap-free formula, which is a statement that can set off alarm bells for some people.

Despite the claims that manufacturers put on the bottle, there’s no beating the cleaning power of good old soap. However, soap can dry your dog’s skin and cause annoying and often painful irritations – so manufacturers went looking for a solution.

And they found one.

The combination of natural ingredients used in this formula (including chamomile, sage, and green tea) work in perfect harmony with one another to leave your pooch as clean as they would be after a bathing session with a soap-based product (almost) without any of the downsides. It creates a thick rich lather, and the anti-bacterial properties of the natural ingredients (mainly the green tea) ensure that all the stinky little microbes that make your pooch smelly have a really bad time. There’s even a natural deodorizer included in the formula (wheat protein) that ensures that your pooch stays smelling better for longer between bathing sessions.

At only around $7 for a 16oz bottle, it’s great value for money, and the long-lasting powerful formula means that you’re going to need to use less shampoo compared to other brands. It’s cheap, it’s effective, it’s gentle on your dog’s skin, and it’ll leave them with a healthy shiny coat that smells great…

What more could you want?

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

Runner Up: We mentioned earlier that it was difficult for us to choose the overall best French Bulldog shampoo that we selected as our recommendation above – and we weren’t lying.

It was a toss-up between the Buddy Wash product above, and the awesome 4-Legger Organic, Hypo-Allergenic, Lemongrass & Aloe Dog Shampoo we’re about to talk about.

This is an all natural shampoo that has none of the nasty stuff you want to be keeping away from your dog’s skin (like the artificial chemicals you’ll find in lower quality cheaper products). Instead, this product relies on the power of lemongrass to keep your pooch smelling and looking great. Lemongrass isn’t cheap compared to some other natural ingredients you’ll find in dog shampoos – but its cleaning power is almost unbeatable. It has antibacterial and antifungal properties, it’s a great deodorizer, and it’s a natural pest repellent (which will make your pooch seem less attractive to fleas and ticks).

It’s a hypoallergenic product that will be perfect for any dog with sensitive skin or allergies, and the natural oils inside the formula will help condition your dog’s coat and keep it super shiny in-between washes.

The main thing that “lets this product down” compared to the shampoo we chose as our overall pick is the price – it’s twice as expensive (more or less). However, when it comes to dog shampoos you really get what you pay for, and this super concentrated formula will almost certainly last longer than the Buddy Wash product we recommended above.

If you can afford the 4 -Legger product, it’s more than worthy of your consideration.

If not, stick to our overall recommendation instead.

Nature’s Miracle Supreme Odor Control Natural Puppy Shampoo & Conditioner

Best French Bulldog Puppy Shampoo: French Bulldogs are pint-sized pooches when fully grown, so the super small puppies of the breed need extra special care and attention. There are several good French Bulldog puppy shampoos on the market, but the one that really caught our attention was Nature’s Miracle’s Supreme Odor Control Natural Puppy Shampoo & Conditioner.

This product has been designed from the ground up to be the perfect shampoo and conditioner for young puppies of all shapes and sizes (including pint-sized). It’s a completely soap-free shampoo that relies on natural oils and infusions to provide the cleaning power required to keep a mucky pup who’s exploring the world for the first time looking and smelling great.

It’s a completely tear-free formula, which is super important for French Bulldogs and the crease cleaning requirements of the breed. The 4 in 1 nature of this product allows you to clean and condition your dog’s coat at the same time (while also protecting against pests and nourishing their young sensitive skin too).

There’s no hugely powerful scent in this product, which is both good and bad. It’s good because the lack of scent is partially what allows this to be a tearless shampoo (which is super important for a puppy French Bulldog), but it’s bad because there are minimal relaxing therapeutic properties in the shampoo (like you’d find in our overall recommendation).

That being said, this is a well-rounded excellent shampoo for puppy French Bulldogs. If you’re lucky enough to own one of these young bundles of joy, this shampoo should be at the very top of your shortlist.

3 More Top Rated Dog Shampoos for French Bulldogs

If the picks above don’t take your fancy, then here are 3 other excellent dog shampoos for French Bulldogs that are more than worthy of your consideration.

Earthbath Oatmeal & Aloe Dog & Cat Shampoo

Earthbath is well known within the industry for creating some of the best natural products on the market that don’t use artificial chemicals or compounds. This product has been specifically designed for dogs that have dry or itchy skin, and if your Frenchie has any kind of dermatological issues – this should be a product you strongly consider.

It’s a soothing formula that reduces irritation and discomfort felt by skin issues, but it’s powerful enough to keep your pooch smelling great for days on end. Despite the power of this natural formula, it’s completely compatible with many topical treatments (and pest repellents), but always be sure to read the label and double check before using the product.

The lovely vanilla and almond scent this shampoo leaves behind is soothing and pleasant, and at around $8 for a long lasting bottle – it’s great value for money too.

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

This is one of the most economical products on the market, which makes it great for Frenchie owners on a budget (around $5 for a 16oz bottle). Despite the low price, this is an excellent shampoo that will keep your pooch happy, clean, and smelling great – it’s just got a few less “bells and whistles” compared to some other more expensive products.

The gentle formula is probably not suitable for super stinky dogs, but as Frenchies aren’t known for odor issues – this shouldn’t be a problem. It uses oat flour and honey as the two main active ingredients (both of which are all natural) and they work hand in hand to moisturize your dog’s skin while enhancing the shine of its coat at the same time.

The green tea extract in this product is something that’s great to see at this price point, it’s known for its antibacterial properties – but it also helps the hair follicles of your pooch create the oils that keep their coat shiny and healthy too.

Douxo Chlorhexidine PS Dog & Cat Shampoo

Our final product recommendation today is also the most expensive product we’re going to be reviewing – but it serves a very special purpose. This is a soothing antiseptic shampoo that has been specifically designed for use with dogs that have severe skin conditions.

There’s a bunch of chemicals inside this product that we’re not going to bother naming (because if they meant anything to you, you wouldn’t be reading this article). All you need to know is that it will control bacteria growth, kill fungal infections, and reduce inflammation. Other compounds inside will reduce redness and itching, and the shampoo itself will deposit a film of material on your dog’s coat. This film is long lasting and provides relief from redness and soreness for several days after application.

There’s no getting around the price of this product, it’s much more expensive than all the other shampoos that we’ve talked about today. However, if your dog is really suffering from skin issues, there’s no better shampoo on the market that’s available without a prescription, and if it sounds like the kind of thing your pooch would benefit from, you should make every effort to switch to this shampoo as soon as possible.

A Few Tips On Bathing Your French Bulldog

So now we know which shampoos you should be looking at to keep your dog’s coat happier and healthier than ever. In this section, we are going to talk a little bit about best practices for bathing your pooch in general (alongside a few essential breed-specific tips).

Clean The Creases

We’re willing to bet that the adorable creased face of your Frenchie was one of the first things that attracted you to the breed. The distinctive adorable nature of these rolls of skin makes our little bundles of joy almost too cute to be real…

However, these creases require constant care and attention – they are the perfect breeding grounds for bacteria. When you’re bathing your pooch, ensure that you get inside each and every crease and give it a proper clean. Run your finger with a little soap on it a few times through each crease to ensure you really get inside where all the smelly bacteria like to live. Make this a methodical process, and intentionally go one by one into each and every crease on their face – don’t simply give them all a general rub and assume that you’ve “probably got them all”.

Do your best to ensure that you don’t get any soap into your dog’s eyes because for obvious reasons it’s not going to be pleasant for them. There’s no getting around the fact that your Frenchie isn’t going to enjoy this – but it’s absolutely essential if you want a healthy pooch that smells great.

Dry The Creases

Once you’ve cleaned the creases it’s of the utmost importance that you dry them properly. They’re slightly sealed, they’re warm, and if you don’t dry them properly after bathing – they are moist too. As we mentioned above this combination makes the creases quite literally the perfect breeding grounds for bacteria. The bacteria that grow there will inevitably cause your pooch to stink, and if neglected over the long run they can cause infection or more serious skin issues too.

Get a towel after bathing and go through each individual crease with a single finger inside of it. Don’t rub too hard or fast, keep things gentle and pleasant for your pooch.

And of course, remember to keep telling them what a good boy or girl they are the entire time you’re doing it.

Invest In Doggie Wet Wipes

We can imagine that you’re sensing a pattern forming by this point in the article. Almost all of the breed specific bathing advice that applies to French Bulldogs revolves around the care and attention their creases need. We mentioned waterless shampoo earlier in the article as a way to keep on top of the crease cleaning, but another great alternative is doggie wet wipes.

As you might have guessed from the name, these products are specifically designed wet wipes that have been custom made for use with dogs. They are a great way to comfortably clean the creases in-between full bathing sessions.

Again, we want to point out that doggie wet wipes are not a substitute for regular bathing and should only be used as a supplement to a regular bathing schedule.

Note: Never, ever, ever use human wet wipes on a dog. A dog’s skin has different properties to human skin and the PH level in the chemicals in human wet wipes will potentially harm your pooch.

Use Luke Warm Water

Just because you like a nice warm shower in the morning doesn’t mean that your dog does. As we’ve mentioned elsewhere in this article, the way a dog’s skin works (and the things that it is sensitive to) is very different from what us humans are used to. Their skin is much more sensitive to temperature, and it’s much easier to burn their skin than it is yours. You should never use any water that is warmer than lukewarm if you’re unsure if the water is too hot – then it probably is, always err on the side of caution and go colder instead of hotter whenever in doubt.

Bathe Them In The Sink

This is a tip that’s only really applicable to small dogs like French Bulldogs, but it’s an important one. The big cavernous space of your shower or bathtub is an unnatural and scary place for a pint-size pooch like the French Bulldog. They can feel trapped and claustrophobic inside, and when this is combined with the sound of rushing water it can all be a little bit too much for them.

Putting your pooch in the sink will make them feel much more comfortable (as it’s much smaller and potentially less enclosed). And as an added bonus it’s easier on your back too as you don’t have to bend over to reach your pooch while you’re bathing them.

Rinse Your Pooch, And Then Rinse Them Again

It’s important to rinse any pooch properly after applying shampoo, but it’s perhaps a little more important than usual with a French Bulldog. Leaving any trace of shampoo in your dog’s coat can cause irritation and skin issues – which is obviously not ideal. However, this problem is compounded when it is left in a soft moist place (like their creases) and makes the potential consequences of improper rinsing even worse.

Your pooch isn’t going to like being rinsed, and it’s easy to see why some dog owners don’t rinse their four-legged friend as much as they probably should after applying shampoo – but it’s no excuse really.

Ensure you rinse all the shampoo off before you take them out the tub.

FAQ Regarding Bathing a French Bulldog

In the final section of this article, we are going to answer a few frequently asked questions that we receive from readers (on a regular basis) regarding the best bathing practices for French Bulldogs.

• How Important Is It To Clean Between The Creases? – As a French Bulldog owner, your life now revolves around cleaning the creases on your pooch. There’s no overstating how important this is, they need to be cleaned regularly, and they need to be cleaned well. You’re almost guaranteed to have a stinky pooch (even after bathing) if you skip the crease cleaning duties you signed up for when you decided to invite the breed into your home.
• Is There Any Way To Make The Crease Cleaning More Pleasant For My French Bulldog? – We wish there was a magic tip we could give you that would make your Frenchie enjoy having their creases cleaned – but sadly it doesn’t exist. That being said there are a couple of things you can do that will perhaps make the process a little less stressful.

We’ve mentioned the benefits of tearless French Bulldog shampoo already, but product wise – it’s the best thing you can get your hands on. Some shampoos have natural scents that relax your pooch during bathing time (like lavender) and while their efficacy is hotly debated in the industry – there is a significant amount of anecdotal evidence that suggests they work to a certain extent.

The other way you can make your crease cleaning sessions a little more pleasant for your pooch is to start the cleaning routine when your pooch is still a puppy. This will hopefully get them a little more used to the process (and a little more comfortable with it) which will make them a more cooperative and a little less annoyed when it’s time to clean the creases.

Conclusion

So there you have it, that’s all there is to know about bathing a French Bulldog. Luckily these pint-sized pooches are a reasonably easy breed to look after, and the only thing you really need to worry about that’s different from most other breeds is caring for their creases properly.

Any of the shampoos that we have recommended today are more than worthy of your consideration, they beat off some seriously stiff competition to be mentioned in this article. We’d be comfortable using any of them on our own dogs – which is something we don’t say lightly.

If you’re still unsure of which one to go for, our overall pick (Buddy Wash) is genuinely an excellent product – and we’d be shocked if you had anything negative to say after using it whatsoever.