Something black on dogs skin

Question
Well recently my dog has been itching her lower back area and neck region alot so i ran my hands through her fur and felt a bump . On seperating the fur i saw they were tiny black dots which protruded outwards and im not sure what they are. I was going to remove them because i thought they might be ticks but im not sure and dont wanna hurt my dog. Also can you please tell me how to get rid of and prevent ticks and fleas at home and on my digs skin
PS she is about 8 yrs old and a female
Thank you SOO much!

Answer
Without seeing the dog I cannot make a diagnosis.  If it is black skin and the dog has fleas, that may be dead skin.  That would be called seborrhea from a flea allergy. Your vet would need to make the actual diagnosis and institute treatment. Your best treatment for fleas is Confortis, which is a tablet.  There are topical formulations for fleas and ticks, like Revolution or Frontline.