What can I wash my dog with?

There are, of course, lots of good choices of more natural products available at Holistic Pet Stores. The breed of dog, size of dog and any skin conditions will be determining factors in your choice of product. I have successfully used blue Dawn on my Bichon and it did an excellent whitening job. I did not use it often to avoid drying his skin, as would be the case with any shampoo.
Dawn is, after all, what they use on wildlife caught in oil spills.

ALWAYS use dog shampoo. Dog's have fur over their entire body and human shampoo is extremely drying. Dog shampoo costs about $3-5 and lasts for months. If you feel thats too expensive, you might reconsider if you're ready for the expenses that comes with properly caring for a dog. Oatmeal dog shampoo is usually preferred because it helps dogs with dry skin.

Oatmeal based shampoos are really great, dish soap surprisingly as well, and if you make an oatmeal bath mixing the dish soap and oatmeal together you can add an essential oil such as lavender or lemongrass. Summer is approaching and both oils repel insects to keep the bugs away. Plus your dog will smell great! Hope that helped a bit ;)

Just as you would look for a shampoo that helps maintain the pH balance of your own scalp, you should also concentrate on finding a shampoo with a pH balance that is specifically balanced for a dog's skin. Dog shampoos should be in the neutral range, around 7. Many shampoo manufacturers will include the pH level on the label, but at the very least, they will clearly state that the shampoo is pH-balanced for dogs.

Never use human shampoo on dogs

Yes, Dawn is safe to use on an occasional basis, but I would recommend a dog-specific shampoo for regular grooming. I would also recommend not using other brands of dish soap.

The vast majority of human shampoos are not safe for dogs; baby shampoo is the only one that can be used.

There are many types of dog shampoos. Unless your dog has a specific condition, a general purpose dog shampoo can be used. Oatmeal shampoos are good to use, or you can just pick a shampoo with a scent you like.

i typically use herbal essences for my dog because its cheaper but theres also specific conditioners from them to prevent against fleas and ticks with added fragrance which works pretty well.