Recently, my precious friend and dachshund, Fritz, was infested by a very small, yet hard to get rid of tick. The frustrating part was, no matter what I tried, that tick would not get off of my dog.

First, I used the most common method known in Oklahoma called "burning it off" with a match. The tick did not cooperate. Unable to pull it off with tweezers after touching the tick with the blown out hot end of the match.

Second, I tried applying hot wax on the tick only, then pull off with tweezers. That did not work either.

Third, I tried the method of squeezing its body with the tweezers until it opens its mouth, then yank it off. The tick would not cooperate even with blood spouting from its body. Very gross and this was last resort. This very small tick would not get off my dog. It would not die.

We finally asked a friend that we had not asked (all others said to do the "burn off" method) and our friend asked, "Have you tried putting dish soap on the tick and letting the dish soap dry? Two applications should force the tick to drop off the dog. The dish soap won't harm Fritz." My husband and I looked at this friend surprised, admitted we had not tried this more humane method and gratefully thanked our friend for his advice. Boy, did we feel guilty and ignorant about not knowing this method.

We waisted zero time applying the dish soap we used to wash our dishes on the very small tick that was still on Fritz. I was very liberal about applying the first amount (two drops) on top of the tick. I waited till the dish soap dried, then applied two more drops on that tick. Then we waited.

At first nothing seemed to happen, as if the tick was laughing at us for even trying this dish soap method, still adhered to my dog's sensitive under belly area. Within 24 hours, however, the tick was gone, had fallen off naturally, and a healthy scab was where the tick had been. We were ecstatic. We could tell Fritz felt better for it being gone too.

When the scab fell off a week later, there was no scar, no sign that the very small tick had been on my dog. I was relieved and a believer in this dish soap method. Our friend was right, it was easiest way to remove ticks from dogs.

Since removing that very small tick, 6 others of assorted sizes have tried to stay on Fritz, but the dish soap has continued to save my dog from having ticks on his body. Fritz is the happiest of all to be tick free. Hooray for dish soap!