Last Updated: 08/07/2026
How Do Dogs Get Ticks?
A vet’s guide to how dogs get ticks in Australia - the species to know, high-risk spots at home and away, and how to keep your yard tick-free.
Author: Dr Maree Monaghan BVSc (Hons)
Reading Time: 4 minutes - short read
Dogs get ticks by brushing past them in grass, shrubs or leaf litter - ticks can’t jump or fly, they simply wait on vegetation and climb aboard as your dog walks past.
This guide covers what ticks look like, the species you’ll find in Australia, and exactly where dogs pick them up. For the full picture on prevention, tick paralysis and safe removal, head to our ticks on dogs guide.
Key points:
- Ticks climb onto dogs from grass and vegetation - they can’t jump, fly or drop from trees
- Wildlife like possums and bandicoots ca carry ticks into suburban backyards
- The paralysis tick sticks mostly to the eastern coast; brown dog ticks and bush ticks are found more widely
- Daily checks and reliable prevention are your best defence - see our tick prevention and safe tick removal guides
What do ticks look like?
Ticks are arachnids, not insects and have eight legs instead of six, and no antennae or wings.
An adult tick’s abdomen, where all eight legs are attached, swells as it feeds. Its “head” (or capitulum) has sensory palps, cutting mouthparts called chelicerae, and a barbed hypostome that anchors it in place while it feeds, which is why ticks are so hard to remove.
The good news: a tick doesn’t have a separate head to leave behind, so a proper removal gets the whole thing out!
What is the tick lifecycle?
Ticks move through four stages - egg, larva, nymph and adult - feeding on a host at every stage but the egg.
Female ticks lay thousands of eggs in vegetation and leaf litter. Six-legged larvae hatch, moult into eight-legged nymphs after their first blood meal, then moult again into adults. Adult females need one large blood meal to lay eggs, so they’ll stay attached for days if undisturbed.
At every stage, ticks hunt the same way: climbing vegetation, sensing a host’s body heat and breath, then grabbing on with their front legs as it brushes past.
What types of ticks are found in Australia?
Three species affect Australian dogs, and where you live shapes your risk.
Paralysis tick: the most dangerous of the three, found within about 20km of the coast from north Queensland to Victoria (plus a southern cousin in Victoria and Tasmania). Paralysis ticks feed on almost any mammal, and their saliva contains a toxin that can cause life-threatening paralysis.
Brown dog tick: found Australia-wide, and can transmit Ehrlichiosis, a serious bacterial disease in dogs.
Bush tick: common in coastal Queensland, NSW, Victoria and WA. They don't cause paralysis, but can transmit Babesiosis and cause irritation at the bite site.
Where do dogs get ticks? Common high-risk areas
Dogs pick up ticks both at home and away - wildlife brings them into your yard, and they’re waiting on vegetation anywhere else.
At home: Even tidy suburban yards aren’t tick-free. Possums and bandicoots carry paralysis ticks without being affected themselves, and a feeding female will drop off to lay eggs in your leaf litter or garden beds.
Away from home: Ticks can’t travel far alone, but they’re expert hitchhikers. Parks and bush tracks are highest risk, though your dog could just as easily pick one up at a café or a friend’s place.
How to prevent ticks in your backyard and home
A tidy yard goes a long way toward cutting tick numbers at home.
Mow lawns and prune shrubs regularly, clear leaf litter and weeds, and create a plant-free buffer zone if your property backs onto bushland. A pest control treatment or DIY yard product can help too. When you’re out in tick territory, insect repellent containing picaridin, DEET or lemon eucalyptus oil is worth using - and check your own clothes afterwards.
Vet tip: Yard maintenance, prevention products and daily tick checks work best together — no single strategy is 100% effective alone. Our tick prevention guide breaks down which product suits your dog, and our safe tick removal guide covers what to do if you find one.
FAQs
Bottom line
Ticks are a fact of life for Australian dogs, in the suburbs and the bush alike — but knowing how and where they attach makes it much easier to stay ahead of them. Pair daily tick checks with good yard hygiene and reliable prevention, and check out our ticks on dogs guide for everything on paralysis, prevention and removal.
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History
Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space and we update our articles when new information becomes available.
Wed Jul 8 2026
Edited by Dr Belinda Stancombe BVSc (Hons)Dr Maree Monaghan BVSc (Hons)
Veterinarian
Dr. Maree graduated from the University of Queensland in 1990 with a Bachelor of Veterinary Science and has worked in a wide variety of practices around Australia and in Papua New Guinea. She has cared for all creatures great and small and has a particular interest in senior pets and horse nutrition
