DogPoo: Barking Up The Right Tree

You know that sulfate-ridden, paraben-laden shampoo you've taken out of your shower caddy? If you're a dog owner, chances are that whatever your groomer's been using to wash your beloved pooch is even harsher than that. Dog shampoos typically include irritating deodorants and chemicals on top of some of the standard human-use ingredients — like sodium lauryl sulfate — that many of us try to avoid. It's enough to make you want to send their makers straight to the doghouse.

There are some natural and eco-friendly pet shampoos available, but most feel a bit utilitarian and quasi-medicinal. It’s a pleasant surprise then that one of the newest on the market — Eucalyptus & Tea Tree DogPoo — feels so luxurious that you might be tempted to use on it yourself. But restrain yourself ... particularly since John Masters Organics, which created the product, also has a full and fabulous line of natural hair and skincare products for us humans. (They’ve also got a New York salon in Soho that is so committed to natural beauty treatments that it doesn't offer services like perms and manicures, which require toxic chemicals. Unfortunately, your pet is out of luck when it comes to getting pampered there: It's for only for people.)

The dog shampoo, which is formulated to match the pH balance of a dog's coat, uses natural ingredients like calendula, thyme, citronella oil, sage and lavender to clean, soothe, and even kill fleas and ticks. The mixture smells terrific and the shampoo is EcoCert-approved and free of all parabens, petro-chemicals, and artificial colors and fragrances. No wonder this product, like the entire John Masters line, is endorsed by PETA.

And there's added incentive to use this shampoo: $1 from each bottle's sale goes to Animal Haven, a dog and cat shelter near the John Masters Salon. This no-kill shelter finds homes for cats and dogs in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut and also offers training classes and book readings. It feels more like a cozy living room than a cold adoption facility, and its pet-loving staff (who often take a mobile van around the Big Apple too) go out of their way to make sure the animals find good homes.

Essentially, DogPoo is the cat's meow.

John Masters Organics Eucalyptus & Tea Tree DogPoo. $20, www.johnmasters.com.