| Re: fleas
How old is the dog? Have you seen your own vet with him since getting the dog? Is he current on shots? Where did you get the dog and how did it get fleas?
Depending on the age of the dog and the area of the country where you live (are fleas an everyday occurence or less common in a dry climate...) and how infested the dog is with fleas (if you haven't noticed many of them this sounds like a light infestation, but take it seriously anyway) you might be able to get away with treating the dog several times, buying a flea medication, and using borax in combination with vacuuming.
We had a light infestation and live in an area where fleas are not common. They are usually only found in shelters, kennels, and animals that go out of the area and bring fleas back. And our dog was already 12 months old.
First you need to consult a vet to find out how to treat your dog / pup based on age.
Most likely, with anything other than a very young pup, you would need to give the dog a flea bath with special shampoo. Don't skimp and buy something at Walmart. Call a vet and get something from them (~$10). Follow the directions on how often to bathe the dog so that you kill all forms of the life cycle as they appear. While you are at the vet you can ask them which medication would be better for your dog, Advantage (advantix if you live East, Midwest, anywhere that ticks are a problem...lyme disease) or Frontline. Again, this has to be done after consulting with a vet due to age and size of the dog. It can be purchased from the vet or bought at a store like Petco or Petsmart (~$45 for a 4-month supply, you need to use all of it for this long to kill the flea life cycle and be sure the dog does not become re-infested). After the dog is flea-bathed apply the medication following all directions. Mark a calender on the dates when you need to re-apply the medication. I also wrote the dates I gave it on the box, just in case.
Lastly if you want to try some low toxicity ways of getting the fleas out of the house itself you can buy a couple of boxes of borax (~$5) in the laundry aisle of the grocery store. Buy a package or two of vacuum bags and a cheap flea collar in while you're there as well. With the first application you sprinkle the borax liberally on all upholstered furniture and floors. Wait 30 minutes. While you're waiting put the flea collar in the area where the vac bags are in the vacuum cleaner. Don't put it in the paper vacuum bag but just in the same part of the vacuum that the bag goes into. Vacuum well. Immediately dispose of the vacuum bag, outside in a plastic garbage bag that you have tied off to close. Now go back in the house and sprinkle the borax liberally again. Wait about 6-8 hours and vac. Dispose of bag immediately. Sprinkle the borax again, this time just a dusting. Wait 24 hours and vac. Dispose of bag. Do a light sprinkle again and wait 2-3 days. Vac and dispose. Do this every 2-3 days for two weeks and you should get anything that is living in the house. You need to do this every 2-3 days to catch any new eggs that have been layed by an adult that may have been missed. The borax dries out the outer layer (exoskeleton) of the flea, thus killing it. And borax is fairly non-toxic. Avoid making a lot of dust with it as you spread it and you'll be fine.
You must treat both the dog and the house to be effective. If you still find fleas after 1 month you will have to take more drastic measures. I'm sure someone who lives in a flea-prone area will write with other suggestions as well. | 
