Brown Dog Tick

The brown dog tick, Rhipicephalus sanguineus, also called the kennel tick, is a reddish-brown hard tick found nearly worldwide, closely associated with domestic dogs as its preferred host. Adults measure roughly 2 to 3 millimeters long, and unlike most ticks, it is capable of completing its entire life cycle indoors, allowing it to establish persistent infestations in homes and kennels rather than depending on outdoor vegetation. It is one of the most significant tick vectors of canine disease worldwide, transmitting pathogens including Ehrlichia canis and Babesia canis, and can also affect human health.