I've had several years where I had too many dogs to afford Frontline or pills. For less than $15.00 you can buy the best flea shampoo, Sulfodene Medicated Shampoo & conditioner for dogs. It is marketed for dry, itchy skin but it kills fleas instantly and won't dry your dog out like human soaps. Still out of the $15.00 buy the big box of Borax as the other writer said. It,s a great bug killer for yor carpet that is not toxic. It's great for ants. It is the same ingredient as Terro, an ant killer and at a fraction of the cost. Just make a little paste with it and put on a little square of cardoard or a cotton ball and place them around. This year we have more ticks than fleas and I tried Sergents Gold flea and tick squeeze on for $9.00 for 4 months. None of these other topical over the counter things worked this well.