Last Updated: 17/02/2026
How Do Dogs Get Ticks?
Ticks are a year-round threat to Australian dogs, lurking in long grass and hitching rides on wildlife. Discover how these parasites find your pet, the dangers of paralysis ticks, and the simple steps you can take to provide the best possible protection.
Author: Dr Maree Monaghan BVSc (Hons)
Reading Time: 12 minutes - short read
While we often think of ticks as a "bush" problem, these crafty little hitchhikers are surprisingly common in suburban backyards and local dog parks across Australia. Whether it's the dangerous Paralysis Tick or the hardy Brown Dog Tick, these eight-legged parasites are experts at finding a host. Understanding their sneaky tactics - and how they navigate their way onto your dog's coat - is the first step in keeping your pet safe from discomfort and life-threatening toxins. Let's look at the "how" and "where" of tick encounters so you can stay one step ahead.
Key points:
The life threatening diseases that ticks can cause in dogs can be avoided by:
- Ensuring dogs are treated with effective tick control products regularly
- Checking dogs thoroughly every day for the presence of ticks
- Being prepared with the correct tools and knowledge to safely and effectively remove ticks from your dog
- Keeping your property free from long grass, overgrown plants and leaf litter and treating with pesticides when appropriate
In this article
- What do ticks look like?
- The tick lifecycle: from eggs to eight-legged adults
- Common types of ticks found in Australia
- Where do dogs get ticks? Common high-risk areas
- How to prevent ticks in your backyard and home
- Choosing the best tick protection for your dog
- How to perform a daily tick search on your pet
- Safe tick removal: a step-by-step guide
What do ticks look like?
Ticks are often mistakenly thought of as insects, however, they belong to the arachnid class along with spiders, scorpions and mites. Members of this family have eight legs, whereas insects have six. Insects also have a pair of antennae, three main body parts and sometimes have wings while arachnids have two main body parts and don't have wings or antennae.
The largest part of an adult tick's body is the abdomen which enlarges when the tick feeds on blood and has the eight legs attached to it. The "head" or "capitulum" consists of:
- Two "palps" - sensory organs for detecting the approach of a host
- Two "chelicerae" - knife-like structures for cutting through the host's skin
- One "hypostome" - shaped like a needle with barbs on the outside, the hypostome is inserted in the hole made by the chelicerae and used to suck blood. The barbs help anchor the hypostome in the host's skin and it is these which make ticks difficult to remove.
As you can see, ticks don't have a "head" in the traditional sense and so it is impossible to leave the "head" behind when a tick is removed.
The tick lifecycle: from eggs to eight-legged adults
The life cycle of a tick consists of four stages - egg, larva, nymph and adult.
Eggs: Depending on the species, female ticks lay 3,000 to 8,000 eggs over several days or weeks in vegetation and leaf litter.
Larvae: The larvae that hatch from these eggs can be distinguished from nymphs because they have six legs rather than eight.
Nymphs: After feeding on blood from a host, larval ticks moult and turn into eight legged nymphs that then moult after a blood meal to become male or female adult ticks. Larvae and nymphs are very small, about 0.5 -1.5 mm long, and are often called seed ticks or grass ticks.
Adults: Adult male ticks do attach to a host and have a small feed of blood, however, their main purpose is to find females to mate with. Females must have a large blood meal in order to lay eggs and will stay attached to the host for several days.
When feeding, ticks secrete saliva that has anaesthetic properties to decrease the amount of irritation to the host and the chances of the host rubbing or licking them off. Ticks feed on a variety of animals including mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians, however, most tick species have a preference for a particular type of host.
Larval, nymph and adult ticks find hosts by climbing up vegetation like long grass and waiting for a suitable host for them to attach to walk past. Ticks know when a host is nearby because they can sense the carbon dioxide that the host is exhaling as well as its body heat. When the host gets close enough, the tick uses its front legs to grab on and then crawls around looking for the best place to attach and start feeding.
Common types of ticks found in Australia
Where do dogs get ticks? Common high-risk areas
At home
Even in urban areas, wildlife and introduced pests like rats are an important source of tick infestations in dogs. Native wildlife, particularly bandicoots and possums, are the natural hosts of Eastern Paralysis Ticks and are able to carry multiple ticks without being affected by their toxin. Adult female ticks that enter your yard while they are feeding on wild animals will drop off and find a nice cosy place like a pile of leaf litter to lay their eggs.
You can also bring ticks on to your property if you are unlucky enough to pick up a tick when walking through long grass or in the bush. This can lead to your property becoming infested with ticks that will attach to your dog to feed on blood.
Although most ticks prefer to live outdoors, the Brown Dog Tick can complete its entire life cycle indoors. Tick infestations can occur in houses, kennels, outbuildings and sheds in hiding places such as around windows and doors, in floor boards, in seams of cushions and mattresses and in carpets. This is why it is so important to ensure even indoor dogs are protected against ticks.
Away from home
Ticks are not able to move very far on their own as they can only crawl around on their short legs, however, they can be transported just about anywhere by one of the hosts that they have chosen to feed from. This means that, theoretically, your dog can pick up a tick in any location in ticks' geographic range. The most likely places are those that have vegetation for the ticks to climb up such as parks and bushland, however, your dog can still be unlucky enough to pick up a tick sitting in a cafe or during a visit to a friend's house.
How to prevent ticks in your backyard and home
You can decrease the chances of a tick infestation on your property by:
- Mowing lawns and pruning and shrubs regularly
- Removing weeds and leaf litter
- Creating a plant free buffer zone between your yard and the bush if your property adjoins bushland.
- Having your property treated by a pest control company or using a "do it yourself" tick control product in your yard.
- Using insect repellents containing picaridin, DEET or lemon eucalyptus on yourself and your clothes before going into areas where there are ticks.
- Checking yourself and your clothes for ticks after being in tick areas. Ticks on clothing can be killed by placing clothes in a hot dryer for 20 minutes.
Choosing the best tick protection for your dog
The good news is that there are many safe and effective products available to protect your dog from ticks and the diseases that they carry. Many of these products also protect against other parasites such as fleas, heartworm, and intestinal worms.
- Topical/Spot on Treatments: The majority of these products need to be applied every two weeks with the exception of Bravecto Spot On which is applied every 6 months
- Chewables: Bravecto Chews are the longest acting in this group and are generally given every three months. Other products in this group are given once per month.
- Collars: Tick collars vary as to the length of time they are effective, however, most collars protect for a minimum of six weeks.
- Sprays: These can be purchased as "ready to use" products or concentrates that are diluted before use.
- Shampoos: Tick and flea shampoos usually only kill brown dog ticks and do not have a lasting effect.
The best way to ensure your dog is getting the best possible tick protection is to ask your vet which products they recommend based on the risk in your area.
It is very important to note that NO product is 100% effective in stopping your dog being bitten by a tick. Checking your dog for ticks every day, particularly after they have been outdoors, is crucial for protecting your dog against tick paralysis and tick borne diseases.
How to perform a daily tick search on your pet
A tick-search involves "walking" your fingers through your dog's coat and checking their skin for any lumps, bumps or "craters". If you feel a lump or a crater, part the hair so you can see if it looks like a tick or a "crater" in the skin where a tick has been feeding and has since dropped off.
Most ticks attach around the head and neck, although they can be found anywhere on the body. Check the entire body especially the nooks and crannies inside the ears and the mouth, between toes, under collars and around the genitals. Keeping your dog's coat short in Spring and Summer is a good way to make tick searching a lot easier.
Safe tick removal: a step-by-step guide
If you do find a tick on your dog, you will need to remove it using tweezers or a tick removal tool.
Using tweezers
- Spread the fur and locate the tick
- Grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible taking care not to pinch your dog's skin
- Pull steadily upwards
Using a tick removal tool
- Choose the most suitable hook for the size of the tick
- Holding it vertical to the tick, hook the flat forked part under the tick, between it and your dog's skin
- When the tick is firmly held, rotate the twister several times
- The tick will release its hold without pulling
Put the tick in a sealed container with some isopropyl alcohol (this will kill the tick) in case you need to have the species of tick identified by your vet. If you live in an area where there are paralysis ticks, contact your vet for advice about what to do next.
Learn more about How to remove Ticks from Dogs.
FAQs
Tick prevention is a vital part of being a pet parent in Australia. By combining a reliable preventative treatment with daily tick searches and a bit of backyard maintenance, you can significantly reduce the risk of tick-borne diseases and paralysis. Remember, no product is a complete "force field," so staying vigilant with those daily pats and checks is the best way to ensure your dog stays happy, healthy, and ready for their next adventure.
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History
Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space and we update our articles when new information becomes available.
Tue 17 Feb 2026
Edited by Dr Gillian Hill 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
