Cleanning your dog isn't Ruff...

So I made some dog shampoo!

I have had multiple people ask if my soap is safe to use on dogs.  Here's the answer.  Probably.  However, I tell them I can't recommend using my soaps on dogs.  I fragrance my soaps fairly heavily and I don't think that's good for dogs.  So I did some research, found a recipe that I actually had all the ingredients to and made it.  That's not all!  I happened to have bought (months ago) these cute little dog bone silicone molds and I thought this would be the perfect time to use them.  What do you think?

This whole thing took about 3 days to make because I had to make the bones first, and then I made the soap and put them on top.  Not only that, it took me 2 days to make the bones because the mold only has 6 cavities.  I made six bones one night, then six more bones the next night.  THEN the next night I made the soap and place them on top.  I had to blend it better than normal because it had to be thick enough so support the bones.  I was a little afraid they might since through but they didn't.  I'm so pleased with how they turned out.

Now, since I didn't come up with the recipe on my own, I don't mind sharing this one.  If you're a soapmaker you can figure this out on your own. 

25% olive oil
25% coconut oil
30% tallow
15% shea butter
5% castor oil

Now for the record, I have always only made vegetarian soaps so I did substitute the tallow for palm oil.  I made a 2 pound batch, as I always do, and ended up with 10 bars.  I also left it unscented.  I know that most pet shampoos have some kind of fragrance in it but let's be real for a minute.  Dogs don't care what their hair smells like and they're better off without it, especially around sensitive areas like their ears or stomach.  If you absolutely HAVE to fragrance it then might I suggest just a few drops of lavender essential oil. 

It was fun making this and I plan to make more soaps with decorations on top. 

I'm super proud of this batch!