Why fall is still tick season

It's tempting to relax on prevention once summer ends. The Companion Animal Parasite Council's 2026 forecast is one of the clearer signals that this instinct works against your dog. Blacklegged ticks, the species responsible for Lyme disease, are expanding well beyond their traditional Northeast and Upper Midwest range into states like Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, and West Virginia, with continued movement into the Northern Plains. Lone star ticks and brown dog ticks, tied to ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis, are expanding too, with sustained high risk across the Southeast, Southwest, and South Central states.

CAPC's forecasting model has held roughly 94% accuracy since 2012, so this isn't a vague warning — it's a specific, geography-level prediction. Reporting on the forecast, the American Veterinary Medical Association summarized CAPC's core point in a single line worth remembering: "ticks don't feed 365 days a year, but they do feed 12 months a year." Ticks go quiet in the coldest stretches, not on a fixed calendar date — and a mild fall week is exactly when an unprotected dog picks one up.

How fleas and ticks actually get on your dog

Ticks don't jump or fly — they climb onto tall grass, brush, or leaf litter and wait for a passing dog to brush against them, a behavior called questing. Fleas are more opportunistic, picking up a ride from infested soil, another animal, or a yard that already has an established population. Both prefer the same terrain your dog probably loves: woods, tall grass, brush lines, and shaded, humid spots.

Per the CDC, ticks most commonly attach around a dog's ears, eyelids, collar line, underarms, between the toes, and around the tail — all places worth knowing before you get to the checking section below.

What natural repellents actually do

Plant-based flea and tick products, including shampoos built around cedarwood, lemongrass, rosemary, and geranium oils, are a genuinely different approach from a synthetic pesticide — but "different" and "proven equally effective" aren't the same claim, and it's worth being honest about which one the evidence supports.

A research review from the Tisserand Institute, an organization dedicated to evidence-based aromatherapy research, found the picture is genuinely mixed. Some oils showed real promise: clove and cinnamon provided measurable protection beyond an hour in lotion formulations, and one study found Virginian cedarwood offered "useful repellency," though a separate study rated it less effective than oregano or clove. Geranium showed activity when a specific isolated compound was tested, rather than the whole oil. The review's own conclusion is worth quoting directly: inconsistent testing methods, missing controls, and a lack of standardized protocols "preclude a definitive statement that essential oils at specific concentrations and combinations are suitable for effective tick control."

None of this means a plant-based shampoo is pointless — a bath with active ingredients that fleas and ticks find unpleasant is a real, useful step, especially for a dog who's already scratching. It means the honest role for a product like this is one layer in a routine, not a stand-alone substitute for the prevention your vet would recommend for a dog with real exposure to ticks and fleas.

How to check your dog for ticks

The CDC's most consistent, low-effort recommendation is also its most useful one: check dogs who go outdoors for ticks daily, and remove any you find right away. A tick usually needs time attached to transmit disease, so catching one early meaningfully lowers the risk even after exposure has already happened.

Building a real prevention routine

CAPC's clearest recommendation is consistency, not any single product: "consistent, year-round use of products that kill and/or repel ticks and mosquitoes." A routine that actually holds up combines a few honest layers rather than betting everything on one.

Start with what your vet recommends for your dog's actual risk level — where you live, how much time your dog spends in brush or woods, and what CAPC's regional forecast says about your area. Layer a plant-based shampoo on top for the dogs already dealing with a flea or tick problem, or as a between-preventative bath that also takes care of skin and coat. Add a daily hands-on check as the layer that costs nothing and catches what everything else missed.

Real products to consider

Three honest pieces of a routine: a plant-based shampoo for the bath itself, a gentle follow-up shampoo for skin that's been irritated by scratching, and wipes for a quick check-and-clean after a walk through brush or grass.

The bath

PRIDE+GROOM THE FLEA+TICK Shampoo

$32.00 · 16 oz

A wet shampoo built around cedarwood, lemongrass, rosemary, and geranium oils in place of a conventional synthetic pesticide, kept to the same skin-first formulation as the rest of the PRIDE+GROOM line. Follow the label for frequency, and check with your vet if your dog is also on a prescribed preventative or has an active infestation.

Shop THE FLEA+TICK Shampoo — $32.00 →

For irritated skin

PRIDE+GROOM THE SENSITIVE ONE Dog Shampoo

From $20.00

A hypoallergenic, soothing shampoo for a dog whose skin is already irritated from scratching at fleas — a reasonable follow-up bath once the pest treatment is done, rather than repeating the flea shampoo more often than the label recommends.

Shop THE SENSITIVE ONE — From $20.00 →

For after the walk

PRIDE+GROOM THE SWIPE Pet Wipes

$22.00

A quick, gentle wipe-down after a walk through grass or brush doubles as a chance to run your hands over the coat and catch anything hitching a ride, without waiting for the next full bath.

Shop THE SWIPE Wipes — $22.00 →

Myths vs. facts

Frequently asked questions

If you only take three things from this