Natural/safe Flea Remedies, Dog Breed Recommendations

Hi TJ. You should try Melaleuca's or Shaklee's housecleaning products. They are non-toxic and safe for people and pets.
Also, I strongly don't recommend getting a pug! We've had a pug/shih tzu mix for 5 years now. They are so noisy! They snort, snore and sneeze all day long! LOL! Also, he licks and chews on his feet constantly. His skin is really gross too...it gets infected easily and flakes off everywhere.
If my husband did not absolutely LOVE this dog, I would have already give him to another home WITHOUT kids and babies crawling all over the floors! :)
Good luck!
~M. O.

Dawn dish soap works great on animals - as we've all seen from the oil spills way-back-when; it kills the fleas, plus it is safe for the kiddos!

Dogs and cats like the taste of brewers yeast and fleas do not! Try to get some brewers yeast and start feeding it to your cat and that will take care of your pet.

For carpet we use solumel (which we shop for online) from an online membership based store we shop from. We have a long haired pound puppy (part golden/part ?) and he brought in fleas last year and the kids were getting bites. My hubby took pooch to the groomer for a trim, we bathed him in a melaleuca oil shampoo, and he cleaned the carpets (as described above). It has a strong smell but it is all natural, 100% safe and effective.

Hello, T J! I have 2 Boston Terriers and think they are the best dogs in the world.:) I have a 3 year old female and a 4 month old male (her son). The only negative thing I'd say about them is if they eat certain foods, man, can they clear the room. I wouldn't say their stomachs are sensitive, but I wouldn't feed a lot of table scraps. Their gas is noxious. I would be glad to answer any questions about them or Bostons in general that I can...from experience and some anecdotal...I'm by no means an expert.:) If you end up getting a Boston or two, we'd definitely be up for playdates.:)

As far as fleas go...we usually give our pets (2 cats, 2 dogs) Program, which is a pill the animal takes and it renders the fleas infertile. We like it because we aren't toxifying our whole house, there's no topical stuff on their fur (that can get on little hands), and it doesn't stink. If there's an existing flea problem, it will take much longer to see the effects of Program. In that case, Frontline and Advantage are good. I absolutely HATE fleas, though for some reason, they LOVE me, a lot. I always prefer natural, non-toxic methods of anything, but in my experience, they haven't worked in this regard. Short of bringing out the big guns of poison to fill the whole house (flea bombs, spray, professional extermination, etc.), the pills I mentioned have worked the best for us. I buy them from an online vet...much cheaper. Email me if you want the name. For good measure, I also use a natural flea-repellant bar soap that I got at Next To Nature or Target, can't remember. It's made with lavender, lemongrass, rosemary, olive oil, castor oil, sweet almond oil, and jojoba oil. Hmmm. Maybe I should use it myself.;) Anyway, it's called Bud's Suds.

I don't know if mamasource includes my profile or what, since I'm new to this, but here's a little about me (I haven't included in my past posts): I am a mostly SAH mom to a sweet 12 y.o. girl, an amazing 9 y.o. boy, and awesome 7 y.o. boy-girl twins. I've been married to my best friend and one of the smartest people I know for 18.5 years. When I'm not S-ingAH, I'm a birth doula, graphic designer, church babysitter, and concierge-for-hire.

K. J.:)

Sounds fun! We have a 2 1/2 year old girl, Emma as well as a cat and a dog. To get rid of the fleas or insure that we do not have them we were told to use Borax Laundry Soap. (you can get it at pretty much any grocery store.) You just sprinkle it on the carpets and or couches and let sit for 15 to 20 min and then vacuum it up. It works great. We also put Frontline on our pets monthly since we live on 5 acers and there is lots of grass and trees in our back yard.

Our dog is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and she is amazing. They are very much a family dog. They love people and need them around most of the day. They are smaller dogs and stay cute for ever. In my opinion... I can say all of them that I have met are wonderful with children too.

Good luck with everything!

Hi,

For fleas use boric acid crystal products like Flea Busters on the carpet/floors. Sprinkle it on, use a broom to sweep it in and wait at least 30 minutes before letting kids or pets in the area, there is a small amount of dust from the sweeping that needs time to settle. Don't vacuum few a days but after that do want you usually do. Most of these say to reapply once a year but even in Houston, TX I only had to do every three years. There are some natural food additives like brewer's yeast and garlic mixtures that can be found at natural pet stores that are supposed to help repel fleas. I haven't used them but I hear mixed reviews on them and often people complain that their dog smells like garlic all the time. If you choose to use a tea tree oil product like some others have mentioned than I would recommend staying away from the cheap ones. The Melaluca company sells good quality tea tree oil but it is more expensive. If you have questions as to the technical details of why to avoid the cheaper ones let me know. Also, bear in mind that animals react differently to essential oils than people so be careful with any essential oils on your pets. Hydrosols are much safer than the oils when to comes to animals. I can refer you to a great person on the hydrosols if you wish as well. (I am an animal massage therapist with a background as a zoo keeper and vet tech, so I get these types of questions alot since I have experience in both realms of care.)

If the fleas get really bad then you can use a topical flea treatment like Revolution, Advantage or Frontline, their not natural but they are safety tested at huge doses, like 400 times the regular dose. I personally use Revolution when I need to because it soaks into the pet's blood stream and doesn't stay on the skin (oil on the skin) where my kid can get repeated very very small doses. Again, they are all safe but the Revolution just makes me feel less bad about using none natural remedies. The Revolution is more expensive and can usually only be found at veterinarians' offices, requires an exam because it kills lots of things like ticks, fleas, ear mites, heartworms and some intestinal worms. The exam is necessary due to the fact that it kills heartworms, very bad to have a bunch of heartworms dying all at once without anyone knowing it. Around here heartworms are less of an issue than other parts of the country so some vets do and some vets don't heartworm test before prescribing Revolution. Other moms have mentioned Program and some benefits of Frontline. My best advice if you have to go this route is to talk to your vet and determine which product is best for your pet and your family. You can also search for holistic veterinarians who may be able to offer you more options.

As far as the dog breed goes, stay away from the squished nose dogs if your husband can't stand snoring, including boston terriers. Most dogs snore some but the more squished the nose the worse the snoring in general. If your husband can get over the snoring I would go for the boston of all the breeds you listed, but if he can't then no boston terrier. Any of the terriers can be too high-strung to have kids around so you want to be sure that you can meet the parents and see how they behave around your kids. Too high-strung or too nervous and I would stay away. Terrier energy is great for kids but only if the dog also has patience and can calm themselves down if things start getting wild. I don't have one but I like corgis around kids, have you considered them? Or mini labradoodles? (We are a big dog family, our dog is an English Mastiff/Irish Wolfhound cross.) Good luck on your search for the perfect dog for your family.

S.

PetCo has a product that is over the counter. It is in a bright pink package called "BioSpot" by Farnam Hills, I think. Anyways, it is about $12 for 3 months supply, so very inexpensive. It is natural and it works. It is a once monthly spot treatment applied to the back of your cat's neck. I put some on my cat once and she licked it off and I freaked out thinking she was going to die from ingesting the pesticides, but I called the 800# and went to the website and they said it wouldn't hurt her. And it didn't. I used it while my son was a crawler. No need to treat your carpet. It stops the life cycle of the flea. Actually, once the life cycle was stopped, I didn't have to continue treating my cat, but I did keep her indoors and away from the possibility of re-infestation. But it is inexpensive, no prescription from a vet required, and it really does work. Do you live in Central Oregon? If you do, you shouldn't have a flea problem like in the valley. Unless you moved over here with them. Once you stop the life cycle you shouldn't have to continue to worry about it. Fleas don't thrive on this side of the mountains... there isn't enough grass (which is where fleas like to breed). At least that's what I've been told. I am personally allergic to fleas, so I have a zero tolerance policy with them! ;) I haven't had to re-treat my cats for 2 years, so the Bio Spot worked and moving back on this side of the mountains has kept us from needing to worry about fleas. I hate those things!!! Good luck!
As far as a dog goes, I would keep checking your local shelters for one that seems to be a right fit for your family. You and your family can spend time getting to know a dog before you take it home. Just choosing a breed doesn't always mean that particular dog is going to have a personality that blends with everyone else's. It is a one-on-one process and if you invest the time into finding the right fit, you will be happy in the end. I can say from experience- Jack Russels need A LOT of attention. The energy level is out of this world and young ones tend to be VERY destructive. Many small breeds are biters....especially biters of children. Find a rescue animal (that you can spend time with all of you together) that loves every member of the family and you will be rewarded with a dog's lifetime of gratitude and love.

Hi TJ,
I see you have lots of advice on this, but there is a website I discovered for looking at breeds of dogs. I just type in best breed of dog for children and up pops lots of websites. I just saw something on a dog called puggles and they look so cute. We would like to add to our family too, but we have to wait till we move. Good luck

Another natural way to go to keep fleas off your dogs is give them garlic/yeast tablets. I used to get them at Coastal farm in a huge container. My dogs always thought they were treats so I had no problem getting them to take them. The fleas do not like the taste of the garlic in the animals blood, not sure what the yeast does but the fleas dont like it. Another way to go is get some AVON skin SO SOFT Body Oil and spray your pets down and you can put it on the kids too. No bug likes that stuff. If all else fails the frontine works wonders too!!!

Dont know about terriers but pugs I havent met one that doesnt snore. I do now if you have a pee spot and you cannot get rid of the smell you can use alot of white vinegar on it. It ill bubble up.. But after you steam clean it the pee smell will go away. The vinegar smell will go away dont worry.

Well, I've had miniature schnauzers for many years, and they are the absolute best small dog I've ever met, and I've met quite a few. The females are protective and motherly towards children, obedient, and guess what??? They don't shed, AND they produce less dander, which attracts nasty bugs. They also don't produce a "doggy" odor. I can't recommend them enough, and they seem to come in all kinds of colors these days (although salt and pepper have got to be my favorite).

I use something called solumel which I get from a friend of mine; it is a solution of pine and tea tree oil, it's completely safe for kids and pets, you get it concentrated, dilute it in a spray bottle with water, and spray it on the carpet to discourage fleas, spiders, and any kind of nasty bug. It can also clean urine up out of the carpet, and is a natural deodorizer. I believe the same company also makes a dog shampoo and dog vitamins, but you'd have to ask my friend to make sure. Her name is Jana, and you can e-mail her at ____@____.com anytime. She would love to help you.

S.

I know the perfect thing for your carpet! It is called Flee Go. They sell it at our organic pet shop here where I live, so you could find it in a shop like that near you, or online. It is a white powder that you sprinkle on your carpet and leave it for 7 days then vacuum it. It is safe for children, and safe for anyone. It was the only thing that worked for us, and we tried many things! It is about $20. As far as your pets go, we use Frontline, but I do not think it is natural. Good luck, J.

Hi - It sounds like you have had quite a few suggestions. My Cairn Terrier has a flea allergy (when she gets bitten it is extra bad reaction), so we've tried a lot of different things. Tea tree and Cedar oils do work well, but again if your dog has skin allergies be careful with them. I will admit I was VERY resistant to putting chemicals on our dogs, but after a trip to the emergency vet at midnight for a cortisone shot and a justified reprimand from the vet (because Sadie was so positively miserable), we decided to use Frontline. It really does work and it stops the production of fleas by killing the eggs, so you don't need to worry about cleaning the carpet and bedding as diligently or constantly bathe you pets in other stuff to get rid of the fleas. How I finally rationalized it is that although I was putting chemicals on our dogs, I wasn't using a bunch of other products (natural or other wise) around the house to take care of the problem. One piece of advice, DO NOT put it on after a bath, wait at least several hours if not a day later (that was another trip to the emergency vet because we put it on right after a bath and she reacted badly).

A far as dog breeds, get what works for you and your lifestyle and be honest with yourselves. Do lots of research both on dogs and the breeder if you go that route. It sounds like a pain, but the more questions you ask people and research you do, the better decision you can make. One thing I always suggest is go to the dog park and see what kinds of dogs you like and see how their owners and dogs interact. It is a great way to ask people about their dog and breed and see what they are like, but remember some dogs are good representations of their breed and some aren't. I volunteered in a shelter and it broke my heart to see great dogs surrendered because the people didn't know what to expect when they got it or it didn't fit their expectations or lifestyle.
Hope that helps some! T.

I have always used Advantage on my pets up here. It is the only thing I have found to really work along with Sevin. Yup, tomato power. I always sprinkle a little in the grass by the door where the pets go in and out. In CA we had a really bad problem with ticks and fleas and this was the only thing I found that would work without killing your pet with cems. The reaction ticks have is just falling right off. fleas xcan't stand it either. I have tried other flea stuff and always gone back to the Advantage. I buy one tube of extra large dog for my 65 pound dog and put a couple of drops right on the top of mycats head with the same tube to save me money and put the rest of the tube on the dog by following dirrections. I usually give the dog bath first. Good luck, C.

Believe it or not Tea tree oil (also called melaluca oil) works great as a bug repelant. Just add 1/2 tsp to the dog shampoo bottle and shake it in. Be sure to bathe them about every 10-12 days. And it should work really well. Also if you put some in yours and your kids shampoo bottles they will NEVER get head lice! Totally not joking.

Boston terriers are great dogs for kids! Just as pitbulls are (they're in the same family). Just try to keep the babes away from the food dish when the dog is eating they can get territorial and nip. Most importantly remember that they are dogs...not humans and need to be treated as such.

spray your cat every 3-4 days with avon skin so soft oil. fleas/bugs won't even jump on the animal.

I can tell you what I used and recomend highly and that is "Brewers yeast" I used it both on my cats and also gave it in tablet form he was 5 years for the cats and dogs just put it in the food. the realy neat thing about this is that it keeps the fleas from getting on them and so no bites no scratching or no alergic reactions any more on my son he was also alergic to ant and spider bites it keept them also at bay please try it it works soo good cost littel keeps your pets happy. T.

Hello T J,

I read through a few of the responses before mine, and I only found one that recommended the same product that we use. It is called REVOLUTION, and you can only get it at the vet after an exam is done, unless your pet is current. My vet told me that it is organic, and it is COMPLETELY HARMLESS to humans, which is a concern for us since we have a 2 year old that loves our cats. I don't know of any good carpet preparations, since we've never actually had an infestation of fleas, but I can tell you that after about 1 week, revolution kills all parasites, including fleas, ticks, worms, you name it, and there will be no host for the bugs in the carpet to live on, so my guess is that they die too. I have yet to see a bug on my animals, and I've never been bitten by one either. This stuff is AWESOME! It costs about $15 per dose, which lasts a month. The only possible drawback is that if you have a lot of pets, it can be spendy. I highly recommend this product! Hope this helps. I don't have any advice on dogs...sorry!

K.

Frontline is the only thing I have used and I have 4 kids! Having worked in the Vet buss for 12 years, it's the safest out there. Just make sure that the little ones don't mess with the cat/dog right after you put it on, the spot needs times to dry...
As far as the pug, almost all pugs have some type breathing troubles because of the pushed in face, and I haven't been around to many that are good around little ones that are rolling around the floor, and trying to walk and things, same thing with the Boston... I have seen two that have been really good around little ones and the other where not nice to the little ones that lived in the same house.
Sorry was going to write more, but babies are up and calling
best of luck.. on one thing you can use on the floor is garlic powder, and the vaccume it up, live in on the floor for about 15mins first. It will kill the fleas, but if you stay with the Frontline you shouldn't really need to use the garlic, tea tree works ok, I havne't had much luck with it for fleas just head lice.

Hi TJ,
Why don't you try my EM1, Effective Microorganisms.
It's totally safe and natural, a solution of beneficial natural occurring microbes. It helps with flees and you can clean carpets with it - easy to use and inexpensive.
My ph ###-###-#### E. (____@____.com)
You will love it

Hi TJ,

We have always used Frontline because it gets the fleas and their eggs, plus ticks and lice, and as far as I know, so long as you don't touch the spot between their shoulders where you put it right away, it's safe.

As far as on your carpet, I'm not sure. We always used Frontline, and never had any problems with anything on furniture or carpet, but call the vet you plan on using and ask what's safe. Something that's eco-friendly should be safe for people. When I called for estimates for black ants, the company I decided to go with used eco-friendly products that were so safe, that no one had to leave the house when they sprayed--usually, everyone has to clear out for the whole day when you get your house sprayed for pests, but I didn't even have to so much as take the bird or fish out of the house.

On pugs, I don't know much about them, but all the ones I've met have had that heavy breathing thing because of their smooshy noses, but the doggy could always sleep somewhere else at night if snoring is a problem....? And I have no experience with Boston Terriers, sorry.

Whatever doggy you go with, good luck and congrats! :o)

K. W

P.S. We have a collie, and he is THE best dog. He'll try and herd the kids if they are running(it's instinct--he can't help it), but if they plan on running outside, which is rare, we just put him inside the back gate.

He is the second collie we've had, and they were both absolutely fantastic dogs. The other we rehomed due to having no fence. I highly suggest a fence for them, as whenever they see squirrels, cats, etc that run, they will chase it.

Now, we adopted Levi because the woman who had him before did in-home daycare, and she said he would jump on the kids and knock them down, and of course, he proved her absolutely right by knocking my then 5 yr. old into a wall when he said "hello" to her, but that was the result of bad training on his former human's part. If you do not let a dog jump up on you, they won't do it. he's much better now, but forgets himself every once in awhile when he's excited--we just use the kneee approach, and he gets off. But, they will grow rather large, so if you adopt a collie, adopt as a puppy, or adopt a well behaved one. Levi is THE BEST, despite his jumping up thing, and Duchess was as well. They are smart, easy to train, very loyal, friendly, and very mellow despite the herding instinct, and great with other animals as well, as long as they are properly socialized(every dog needs to be properly socialized with people and other animals).

Borax powder bleach...safe for everyone...cleans up and kills fleas like crazy!

Hi T J
I too have small kids, 3 of them, my oldest is only 3 and my youngest is just barely 4 months. I also have a large dog with very fluffy fur that comes from the great white pyranese side of him and can harbor lots of fleas, but he has none, and all I give him is a large size crushed or chopped up garlic clove with a can of moist dog food once a month, the clove is only large because Leo our dog is so big. Now the garlic, it seeps out of his skin badly enough to where the fleas and worms can't stand it, but we don't smell a thing. As for the carpets all I can suggest, if it's a must, get them cleaned. At this time till our youngest is strongly walking he'll be an outside dog which can make things worse for Leo when it comes to the fleas tics and worms, and this will be the first time he's only an outside dog, so I'm still waiting to see if just this remedy is still enough, so I or my husband have been brushing his fur almost as often as we can, and will be keeping an eye on him. I hope that what has worked for me works well for you too.

Right before I had my Daughter in October I lost 2 of my "other children".. my 2 golden retrievers....

When I decided to have a child I ALWAYS wanted her to grow up with a dog.. and when both my goldens died unexpectedly.. i was heartbroken...

The dilema.. was...... what to do??? Get a new puppy while pregnant?.. or wait until the child is potty trained...

Well.. my decision was to get the puppy.. so it worked out the puppy is 4 months older than my daughter. Daughter is now 5 months.. and pup is 9 months.. they are ALREADY best of friends and it is the COOLEST thing to see them interact...AND PLAY TOGETHER!!!!

I would HIGHLY and completely recommend a Golden Retriever dog...I had my other 2 Goldens for 11 years.. and they were THE BEST DOGS...very loyal.. EXCELLENT with kids... protective... and oh so kind....
The pup I have now.. couldn't be ANY better with the baby.. although she is a baby herself.. she is still so gentle around the baby girl... NO REGRETS getting the pup!

They are one of THE BEST breeds to have around children from what I have read.. and witnessed..

GOOD LUCK TO YOU!!!

:)

Yes I have three Boston Terriers and they are great with my son (20 mo) The snoring goes along with short-muzzled breeds, I have one Boston that snores really bad and the other two not so much, if you found a longer-muzzled Boston you might be ok on the snoring.

Have you ever heard of Melaluca products? They are all a green product and will not harm you child. You would also as a customer be able to refer others and earn a residual income by what you buy and use. The products are great and easy to use, they also cost less than what you can buy in the local stores. If you would like more information please e-mail me ____@____.com

boston terriers are the best i have 2 myself they are great family dogs some do tend to snore especially the shorter nosed ones but i would recommend them to anyone who wants a great family dog they are very devoted to their families i have a 2 yr. old nephew who plays with them all the time and they are super gental with him
i also have 2 older kids of my own (teenagers)

Eucalyptus oil on the outside or the collar, depending on size of dog, maybe ONLY A DROP OR TWO applied WITH YOUR FINGER and use a cotton ball to apply a drop or two on legs of sofa and around the house. on dog beds. can stain a carpet so be careful. can cause dogs an allergy if you use too much on dog. fleas hate it. You could also try cedar oil instead.
as for pugs and bostons. they snore and snort. it's part of the breed and you won't find one that won't. it is part of their anatomy with their breathing passages so small and scrunched. I would recommend a medium size dog for younger children of a non aggressive breed. I breed brittanys, but they might be too much energy for you since you are busy with your babies. cockers are great, but not until you have more time and children are older. you have enough to do without the grooming and cockers can be upset with children sometimes. go to akc.org and research the breeds. no pitbulls or stafforshire terriers for kids. They are gentle babies and wonderful, but it only takes one minute for that one dog to change. "if it has teeth, it can bite". regardless of breed. Sheltie is another grooming issue, and they tend to bark more. I would think your best would be the Jack Russell. do your research. you will find the right breed. when you find the right type of dog (akc group listings) then you will know it. try a rescue dog and of course, protect the dog you get from the child too. have fun and kiss the babies.

Hi,

Frontline is definetly affective but do we really know how safe it is? I do use it on my dgos but their outside pets. I use tea tree oil for many different things. It cures many skin rashes for animals and people. I'll bath the animals with it to help deter fleas. I also keep it in a spray bottle of water and spray it daily in my childrens hair and it deters head lice! I keep a bottle of it a the barn for my horses, it kills fungus, which occurs on animals during the wet, cold months where I live. You can buy tea tree oil at any Walmart, Grocery outlet or pharmacy...in the vitamin section for under $4.00... Check it out.

G. D

Natures mirical is a safe and great product for cleaning up cat/dog messes. As for a product for fleas just put the kind that goes on the neck, there are a few good ones that you get from the vet. Just put it on after the little ones go to bed so it has time to absorb with no little hands rubbing on it. As for pugs yes they snore and most will with age. puppys don't always however they will as they grow. It is a nose thing. All pups can and will grow with kids it depends on how you raise them together. I have taught dog obediance for over 15 years and I have also raised both 2 and 4 legged kids. Our rule was all 4 on the floor, that ment no one could pick up the puppy. you could sit down and have pup sit on your lap, again no one could pick up the pup. If you are looking for a small dog the sturdy type is a good choice for kids. No poms or small poodles, nothing high mantanice is also good. Cockers are a love(I still own them after years of showing) however lots of work in grooming same with any other dog that has to be groomed. Corgies are a great little dog with a simple coat that needs brushing yet small and very sturdy. Smart and easy to train and loves to do, walk and play as well as sleep.
Hope that helps some and sorry about any miss spellings.
H.
fell free to pick my brain if you want more ideas.
____@____.com

We have two bostons and my husband's parents have two also, they are very family friendly dogs. We have a 10 month old daughter and all four of the dogs are very patient and gentle with her (even when she does like all kids and pokes or pinches). I will warn you - bostons are addicting and some do snore! They also have a fairly high activity level. Be sure to purchase one from a loving, knowledgable breeder or you may consider looking into adopting a rescued boston.