How do I check my dog's coat for ticks after a walk?

Rather than just looking, run both hands slowly over your dog's entire body, section by section, legs, back, belly, tail, applying gentle pressure so you can feel a small raised bump through the fur even in areas where it would be hard to spot visually.

Ticks favor warm, thin skinned, sheltered areas, so spend extra time checking inside and around the ears, along the neck and collar line, in the armpits and groin, and between the toes, all places that are easy to skip during a quick once over.

Checking within an hour or two of returning from grass, woodland, or brush covered areas catches a tick before it has had much time to attach fully, since a tick that has been feeding for a shorter time is generally easier and safer to remove than one left in place overnight.

For a breed with a dense or long coat where fingers alone can struggle to reach the skin, a fine toothed comb run through the fur first, followed by the hands on check, helps part thick fur out of the way and makes small bumps easier to feel against bare skin rather than getting lost in a heavy coat.

Keeping your dog's coat trimmed a little shorter during peak tick season, if appropriate for the breed, also makes hands on checks noticeably faster and more reliable than searching through a full, thick summer coat.