I'm so very sorry to hear of your brother-in-law's Doberman. Here in northern NY state, we are infested with deer ticks. All you have to do is touch the grass, and your hand is full of ticks. That's how bad it is.
The shame of it is that we just can't let our yorkies run in the grass. They are confined to our deck and daily walks on paved roads. I wish there was another way.
Thanks for the heads up. We can never let our guard down.