Who does a dog tick bite? - briefly
A tick that attaches to a dog feeds on the dog’s blood. If the parasite later contacts a person, it can also bite humans.
Who does a dog tick bite? - in detail
The dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis) primarily targets mammals, with dogs being the most common host. Adult females attach to canines to obtain a blood meal necessary for egg development. In addition to dogs, the tick frequently bites other domesticated animals such as cats, cattle, and horses, especially when these species share outdoor environments.
Humans are also regular victims. The tick’s questing behavior brings it into contact with people walking through grassy or wooded areas where it waits for a host. Human bites often occur on the lower extremities—ankles, calves, and feet—because the tick climbs vegetation at ground level.
Wild mammals serve as secondary hosts throughout the tick’s life cycle. Rodents, rabbits, squirrels, and raccoons provide blood meals for larval and nymph stages. These wildlife reservoirs sustain tick populations and facilitate the spread of pathogens.
Key points:
- Primary domestic hosts: dogs, cats, livestock.
- Secondary domestic hosts: horses, other pets.
- Human exposure: frequent in rural and suburban habitats with tall grass or leaf litter.
- Wildlife hosts: rodents, lagomorphs, small carnivores, which support immature stages.
Understanding the range of potential hosts helps in implementing targeted control measures, such as regular canine tick prevention, habitat management to reduce tick density, and personal protective practices for people in tick‑infested areas.