The American dog tick is named for its distribution - only in north America, and its preference to feed on dogs. Ticks are parasites, that burrow their mouthparts into their host to feed on their blood.
Coloring is brown, with gray markings.
The markings can vary from the picture, depending on the tick's sex. These ticks aren't a house pest, and can't complete their life indoors. Outdoors, these pests sometimes wait on grasses to latch onto a host animal. These ticks can usually be carefully removed without complications, but if undetected and allowed to feed, can cause serious problems or death. Though uncommon, this and many other parasitic pests can be a carrier of disease.