Bug spray

I would not use a bug spray on my dog.  Besides flies, what are you concerned about?  Most dogs have more fly protection than we do with all the fur.  I would enjoy the time at the fair with them and not worry.

ORIGINAL: Indy05

I would not use a bug spray on my dog.  Besides flies, what are you concerned about?  Most dogs have more fly protection than we do with all the fur.  I would enjoy the time at the fair with them and not worry.

You've never seen a dog with its ears chewed up by flies have you?  Yes, they have hair, but they can still be bitten by flies. 
I can't think of the names of the products, but a feed store or tack shop should have some good ones for horses and dogs.

If you want a safe spray that will keep all kinds of flying pest off your dog, use Avon Skin-so-soft oil (the concentrated oil). This was taught to me by a horse rescue person and it works great. It's non-toxic to your pet and it doesn't take much at all. It's so safe, we used it on the exotic animals at the facility where I worked.
 
Dilute the concentrated oil 1:32 (1oz to 32oz) into a spray mister bottle and lightly spray your dog(s). Just a light mist will do the trick.

ColleenC, I have seen dogs with chewed up ears from flies, and they were dogs that were always left outside and were uncared for by their owners.  The poster who asked is going twice a week and commented on "nasty little bugs" which sounds like more than flies.
 
The amount of fur the dogs have make a difference as well.

I forgot about Skin-so-Soft!  We used to use that all the time when I was little with the horses, dogs, and on us.  I need to get some of that now.

[link>http://www.ecoblends.com/home.asp]Lewey's Eco-Blends[/link] (link) insect repellent works great, made from 100% natural oils.  A friend gave me a great tip yesterday.  She is a wilderness guide/instructor/rescue person and takes her yellow lab out into the woods all the time.  She said she just rolled some of this stuff onto a bandana and put the bandana around her dog's neck and the bugs & nasty bitey flies buzzed around but did not land.  I am going to try this myself, as we're always hiking through the woods.

Ooh, thanks!  That looks good!

I have never had success with skin so soft.

What I am trying this year is a product made by Pet Botanics "Cedar Spray".  I only started using it so I don't have any great comments yet[]  I mist a bit on the Newf's before going out in the kennel for the day. 

I picked the cedar spray up as I have talked to many hunters/fishermen who take cedar boughs and put in with their fishing/hunting clothes, they swear by cedar oil.  These men camp in the wilderness for weeks at a time and have tried everything going...most of them tried skin so soft and did not find it useful at all...but, that may just be the way it mixes with their own scent.  I remember my brother used skin so soft on a fishing trip and it was attracting the flies and bugs! 

TAOof GoldyShep, if this doesn't work 100% I think I may try the Lewey's that you suggested.  So far so good with the cedar spray tho.[]

Thanks for the cedar oil tip! []

We have horses and unfortunately have to deal with flies constantly. I used to use Eqyss' Marigold Spray, which is an all natural fly spray (can be sprayed every where including the face). It did work pretty well for us, it actually smells pretty good, it isn't greasy, and didn't attract dirt. The only gripes I had was like most natural things it's effectiveness did fade as the day went on and the cost. lease keep in mind I was using this on horses; a lot of the more potent sprays don't last all day and I was having to spray 4 full sized horses so I did go through a lot of it (a bottle would probably last a dog or two a very long time).

Here's a link [linkhttp://www.eqyss.com/pet_marigold_spray.asp]http://www.eqyss.com/pet_marigold_spray.asp[/link]. If you'd like to pick some up feed stores, tack stores, and Tractor Supply would be a good place to check (it will probably be labeled for horses but it's the same stuff). I would watch the price, the link I've provided shows a bottle sized for dogs, the horse sized bottle is twice as big and might be slightly more or even the same price. Eqyss in general has an excellent line of products, they're very popular in the horse world. Good luck!

Pom Pilot: I don't know if you checked out the link to Lewey's but they make a large spray bottle for horses, in case you're interested.  I haven't tried it so I can't give any feedback.
 
Here is a quote from their website (which is acting strange at the moment):
Eco-Blends Equine will provide your horses with safe and natural protection from 22 different types of biting insects. While also soothing and nourishing their skin. ? This amazing product lasts up to 4 full days without constant reapplication. ? Rest easy knowing that your beloved horses will have the benefits of 5 essential oils, that will not only protect them from disease carrying pests but also will provide an anti-inflammatory, antibiotic, anti-fungal, and antibacterial.

I've been using "tomb Stone" by Great LIfe..  it sais it creates an environment hostile to fleas but i have not seen anything even close to landing on them either.  greatlife4pets.com
it has aloe vera, lavender, cedarwood, Borates/limestone,springwater... *organic ingredients...

I just ordered a natural insect repellant called Neem "Protect" spray from Ark Naturals. Neem has all sorts of health benefits (can be taken internally) and is a natural insecticide. The spray above also has citronella.

http://www.arknaturals.com/products/index.cfm?fuseaction=DisplayProductPage&Product_ID=11

I've been meaning to come back to this thread to agree with Luvntzus in regard to Neem as an insect repellent.  We've been using the spray for a few years now and it has been very effective (I think maybe a little more so than Lewey's).  It can be ordered through many retailers online but I've also seen it in the pet section of the health food store.  Neem (from Neem tree) seems to have a million uses and benefits, for animals and humans.