I will just give you the combination that I use, which is very similar to your 'option 1', for your consideration. As I am in NC, I do treat year round.
I use Frontline Plus for flea/tick. (While I know many people say that this is no longer 'effective' in their location, I personally have not experienced that. Perhaps it's because I live in a very rural area, and the fleas & ticks don't get exposed to enough of it to develop any sort of resistance?) I like the fact that ticks don't have to bite in order to be killed. We really don't have a flea problem (never actually seen one), but 10 wooded acres lend itself to being a 'tick farm'. In the 11 years I've lived here, with either 3 or 4 dogs the entire time, I have only had to remove 4 or 5 ticks total that had attached to a dog. So, that's my endorsement for FL+. (I do admit to not liking the oily spot on their back the day after treatment, but I apply it at bedtime & usually in 24 hours it's gone)
Rather than Heartgard, I use Interceptor for heartworm. It also controls round, hook & whip worm. There is also an Interceptor + that adds praziquantel to cover tape worms as well (I don't bother with that one because, as I already mentioned, fleas aren't a problem for us) Because it's not ivermectin based, I don't have to worry about any possibility of MDR1 sensitivity.
So, there's my 2 cents.
I use Frontline Plus for flea/tick. (While I know many people say that this is no longer 'effective' in their location, I personally have not experienced that. Perhaps it's because I live in a very rural area, and the fleas & ticks don't get exposed to enough of it to develop any sort of resistance?) I like the fact that ticks don't have to bite in order to be killed. We really don't have a flea problem (never actually seen one), but 10 wooded acres lend itself to being a 'tick farm'. In the 11 years I've lived here, with either 3 or 4 dogs the entire time, I have only had to remove 4 or 5 ticks total that had attached to a dog. So, that's my endorsement for FL+. (I do admit to not liking the oily spot on their back the day after treatment, but I apply it at bedtime & usually in 24 hours it's gone)
Rather than Heartgard, I use Interceptor for heartworm. It also controls round, hook & whip worm. There is also an Interceptor + that adds praziquantel to cover tape worms as well (I don't bother with that one because, as I already mentioned, fleas aren't a problem for us) Because it's not ivermectin based, I don't have to worry about any possibility of MDR1 sensitivity.
So, there's my 2 cents.