Flea and tick control is available from your vet and a Pet Med store. The spot treatments are put onto the skin between the shoulder blades and disperse through the epiderms, never entering the bloodstream. There are sever types, effective from one to three months.
Most spot treatments repel ticks. Ticks carry Rocky Mountain spotted fever, ehrlicha, and Lyme disease. Because they can be very small and almost impossible to find on long-haired dogs, the only sure way to control them is with meds. Removing them with tweezers is the only safe method. If the head is embedded in the skin and won't come out, that's OK. Watch the spot to make sure abscess doesn't form; but usually the head falls off.
If your dog starts scratching, consider the possibility of fleas. You may not see fleas, but little specks of "dirt" in your dog's coat may be flea feces. Treat all animals in your house at the same time; if there is one flea, there could be hundreds.
