If you mean for prevention, my parents swear by K9 Advantix II. We couldn't use it in the spring because we had a cat and it is fatal to cats. Not sure if you need control over an infestation though.
Never really had an issue with fleas, don't treat routinely so would very rarely use stronghold spot on.
Garlic is also a great flea repellent - tho you have to user carefully in dogs as some can react to it.
We also don't have a flea problem. Maybe an odd rabbit or hedgehog flea in Summer, but they don't survive for long. I believe the problem can be much greater if you also have cats. If you are worried about using strong chemicals, have a read up on Diatomaceous Earth. This seems to have gained a dedicated following.
My daughter lives in a high flea area and has a chi that is allergic to fleas but loves to be out running in the yard and in the woods. She makes up a dip using Dawn dish detergent, vinegar and water. Elvis gets dipped after his last time outside every evening. It does well on a daily basis, but has no residual action.
All flea treatment works differently on dogs what's ok for one dog might not work for another dog, its trial & error until you find a treatment that works & suit your dog best
Some breeds more than others have a genetic predisposition to adverse drug reactions The most serious adverse drug reactions involve several antiparasitic agents (ivermectin, milbemycin and related drugs, (e.g. Advocate, Advantage) Products containing Ivermectin have a genetic variation and Ivermectin can cause severe reactions. http://vcpl.vetmed.wsu.edu/affected-breeds http://vcpl.vetmed.wsu.edu/
