We keep our dog in the back yard, but there are lots of flys trying to attack her. I wasnt sure if you could use bug repellent or not? Or if any of you know any household idems I could use to prevent flys from attacking my dog. Please Help!

Try adding a little garlic to your dogs food. It won't cure the problem but it will help. Somewhere on the forum is a thread on this subject and there were suggestions for homemade sprays. I think someone said that Avon's 'skin-so-soft' bath oil worked well when diluted and used in a spray? Can any of the more established members remember?

Stock Nutrition used to (probably still do) sell a product called "Dyna-Mite" which you can either use as a rinse after a bath or as a spray on in between. It says it repels all insects and mites naturally. I've read that Avon skin so soft was issued to US soldiers when posted somewhere "buggy" and if they showered with it every day it would repel insects including mossies - dont know if its suitable for dogs skin/coat though. Could well be worth getting for your next foreign holiday. Oil of citronella diluted - 1/2 teasp to a pint of water, shaken well and wiped over exposed skin and run through your hair with wetted fingers will keep insects at bay for a few hours, needs to be re-applied fairly frequently though and is probabl ok for dogs - we used it on horses succesfully for summer flies.