Dogs tend to roam in the very places where ticks thrive. Being that dogs are low to the ground and like to explore tall grass, leaf litter, brush, and water edges with their noses, they can easily pick up hitchhiking ticks. Ticks can easily cling to fur.

While on walks or hiking, dogs do not stay in the center of a cleared path with their owners, so they are more likely to brush up against vegetation. If a dog is let loose to run in the woods or grassy fields, they increase their risk of encountering a tick.

So, when at all possible, keep your dog on trails or the middle of a path avoiding brush and tall grass.

When looking at your property to create safe recreational spaces for the humans in your household, be sure to figure your pets into the overall plan. Make your yard unfriendly to ticks by removing brush and leaf litter, mowing the lawn, and trimming overhanging bushes.

If you create a tick-safe zone for your pets, you are increasing your defenses against ticks – both for your pets and for your family.

A crucial element of building tick-safe zones is a fence. A fence separating your manicured grounds from other tick habitats will greatly assist in keeping your dog out of the high risk tick habitats on your property – which goes a long way in maintaining as tick-free a home as possible. The two basic options for fencing are physical and invisible fencing. An advantage to a physical fence is that it also keeps young children out of tick habitat.

Do something to keep your pets out of tick habitats. When possible, avoid tick-prone habitats like tall grasses, wooded areas and marshes, and make your yard unfriendly to ticks.

Whether at home or away, these ticks can not only bite (and possibly infect) the animal, they can hang on until they get back into the house and attach to you or a family member. So, before allowing your pet to re-enter your car or house, perform a tick check.

If any being in your household is going to come into contact with ticks, it will be your dog or your cat. They are lower to the ground, and tend to stray into tick habitats indiscriminately. Dogs and cats also have fur – sometimes very long fur – that can cause ticks to roam rather than bite the animal right away. And, ticks that are scurrying around on your pets will gladly jump onto you or your family members if given the opportunity.

Be sure to brush and thoroughly check your pet – just before going inside, if possible – and wash your hands with soap and water after grooming the animal.

Watch the video below to learn how to safely remove a tick from your pet.