I have 2 dogs and I also am a groomer,I use a Seresto collar for them. It's an 8 month collar for fleas,ticks,lice, and some types of mange. They are great for dogs that get wet alot also! If you do decide to take a chance and not put anything on your pup,they make an odorless spray by Ortho called Home Defense. It's around $10 for a gallon at WalMart and it kills fleas on contact. Hope this helps,your best bet is to use protection on your pup and you should be fine. The fleas and ticks are going to be worse than usual due to the overly warm winter. Remember if you get fleas on your pup and they come inside,the flea eggs hatch every 2 days,which becomes a nightmare fast. We hike with our dogs and they get into water and pretty much everything,and I haven't seen fleas or ticks for the last 2 years. Seresto is perfect for you, it will take you through the entire season.