Dawn: it's not just for wildlife anymore!

Who would have thought that Dawn Dishwashing Liquid makes an excellent shampoo for flea control.

The oils in it will suffocate the fleas, keeps the eggs from sticking to the hair follicles, and also keeps your dog’s skin/fur from drying out. When using it, just make sure to soap up the dog’s neck first and this has to be done quickly, otherwise the fleas will swarm to the dog’s face and crawl in theirs ears, and nose to hide. You will notice many fleas crawling around their eyes when you bathe them if your dog is heavily infested with fleas. The trick is to completely soap them up, and then keep them saturated for at least 5 minutes. Rinse well, and most of them will be gone, or go away soon. You may have to follow up in a week or so to get rid of any remaining stragglers.

Dawn does little to prevent fleas from coming back however. To stick with a non chemical approach Mix 2 drops of oil of lavender and two drops of oil of cedarwood, easily found in natural health stores, to 600ML (roughly 2 1/2 cups of warm water) shake and spray down your dog being cautious to avoid the eyes. I usually spray a small amount in my hand to treat the face and rub it in carefully. For more about flea and tick control check this site.