There is basically no region of the country that can be considered free of tick borne diseases. These diseases can have a serious impact on your dogs life, and being aware that they exist can help you detect symptoms early and get treatment when it will be most effective.
Ticks are active during the entire year in winter-free regions and will appear in colder areas as soon as the ground thaws. Never assume its too early or too cold to find ticks on your dog. Our Pip even got one from somewhere when there was 2 feet of snow on the ground. Check your dog over after every outing, even if its only been to the backyard. Catching ticks before they attach to the pet is much easier than prying them off later.
Most people probably think that ticks are insects, but they are actually a member of the spider family. An adult tick has 8 lets, just like a spider, and feeds on the blood of living animals. However, while spiders will form egg cases for reproduction, the female tick itself sometimes forms the egg case in some tick species, the eggs mature inside the swollen body of the female, which eventually bursts to release hundreds of tick nymphs, while other species simply lay the eggs on the ground. These tiny ticks have only 6 legs and generally feed on smaller animals like mice and shrews until they mature.
Ticks feed by inserting their mouthparts into the flesh of their host and drawing blood out. An anticoagulant is used to keep the food supply flowing, and the bite itself causes extreme irritation including itching and oozing of clear liquid.