What is a natural tick deterrent for dogs?

Essential oils have been used for centuries as natural remedies for various ailments in humans and animals. Rose geranium is a sweet, yet strong smelling, essential oil. Because ticks live off their sense of smell, and they evidently do not like the scent of rose geranium, this essential oil works wonders to keep ticks away from you and your dog while being all natural. Make your own tick repellent spray using distilled water, drops of rose geranium essential oil and either vodka or witch hazel to disperse the oil throughout the water. Discuss the dosage with your vet before trying this repellent. Rose geranium is one of the most popular essential oils for repelling ticks. Lavender, citronella, eucalyptus, and lemongrass are also used in the same way. Citrus is a natural repellent for many insects. Citrus works against ticks too. Boil the peels of lemons and oranges, then let them cool at room temperature in the water for 24 hours. Once your mixture is cool, the natural citrus oil will seep from the fruit rinds and into your water. This water can be strained and poured into a spray bottle. Your citrus spray can be used on your dog’s fur and around your house, in doorways, and in your yard. Lemon juice can also be added to a spray bottle with witch hazel to ward off ticks as well. Apple cider vinegar is an easy-to-use natural tick repellant. You can add a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar per quart of water to your dog’s water bowl to keep ticks away from your dog. Apple cider vinegar can also be mixed with water to make a tick repellant spray. Mix ½ apple cider vinegar to ½ water and mix before spraying your dog’s coat. This simple spray can be applied once every morning before heading outside to keep ticks off your dog.