Flea & tick prevention for young puppies

A 4-month-old puppy is old enough for several treatments, but you're right to be cautious — minimum age and weight thresholds vary a lot between products, and using the wrong one on a young dog is a real risk. The most effective prevention depends on the dog's size and weight, your local tick risk, and whether you prefer a spot-on, collar, or oral treatment. Some widely sold products are significantly less effective than others, so it's worth getting this right. To point you in the best direction: is your Bernese a boy or girl, roughly how much do they weigh right now, and are you in a rural or semi-rural area where ticks are a regular concern?

18kg at 4 months is a solid Berner — and Surrey Hills is genuinely high-risk tick territory, so you're right to prioritise this. At her age and weight, oral treatments like NexGard and Bravecto are not yet licensed for puppies under 8 weeks, but at 4 months she clears that threshold easily. However, those require a vet prescription. For something you can get without a prescription and use immediately, Frontline Plus Spot-On is a strong choice — it's licensed from 8 weeks, covers fleas and ticks, and at her weight you'd use the large dog pipette. It's well-established, widely trusted, and appropriate for her age. What I'd also say is: given where you walk, check her after every woodland or long-grass outing regardless of which product you use — no topical treatment is 100% repellent.

It is — it's a pipette you part the fur between the shoulder blades and squeeze directly onto the skin. The trick with wriggly puppies is to do it right after a calm moment, like when she's settled after a walk. It dries within about 24 hours and you ideally avoid bathing her in that window. Apply once a month, and importantly: don't apply it to wet fur or right after a bath, as absorption is reduced. One thing to know — Frontline Plus contains fipronil and (S)-methoprene, which together tackle both adult fleas and their eggs. That dual action is what makes it worth choosing over plain Frontline.

Yes — a tick twister or tick removal tool is worth keeping in your kit. Even with Frontline Plus, ticks can still attach before the product kills them, so removing any you find promptly reduces the risk of disease transmission. Ticks need to be attached for several hours to transmit Lyme disease, so a quick check after walks matters. Run your fingers through her coat around her neck, ears, between the toes, and under her armpits — those are the spots ticks favour. Beyond that, you're well set up. Frontline Plus monthly, physical checks after walks, and a tick remover on hand covers the main bases for where you are.