On the other hand, like people's first backpack trip, perhaps a different trip a bit later, without mosquitoes, may be more successful. The fact that your dog does 10-mile day trips seems to me that just a little back-yard tent camping or car camping may get her "trained".

How much do you think dogs are bothered by mosquitoes? Obviously not as much as me! Perhaps I was worrying more than needed about mosquitoes on Lupe. She is actually quite entertained by snapping at flying bugs. What I found interesting is that swarms seemed to either pick her or me. When she was swarmed, less were on me and visa versa.

I did put my extra headnet on Lupe and she tolerated it but soon wanted to play with it- see if she could get it off not because she did not like it but because she was bored. When I was walking down by the American River I saw a fellow who had a net on his dog's head - looked like it was home-made and of stiffer netting and shaped like the "cone" that is used to keep dogs from licking wounds. He said he used it because of burrs. His dog loved to stick its head into grasses full of burrs. We spend nearly half an hour pulling burrs from Lupe every time she walks by the river.

I found going alone with a dog limited my activities and focus on the wilderness. She needed a nap after the hike in yet I wanted to go explore, off trail, in places that would hurt her paws. At this point, I do not trust her alone in the tent and if I tied her outside, she would have been swarmed by mosquitoes. When I was hiking I was so focused on her that I felt I missed scenery. And walking on a trail with a leash on the dog really impacted my footing. Hopefully as she gets more experienced I can worry and watch her less. I think it will work better with my husband along - he and the dog can stay in camp and fish and I can go exploring.

I am not yet in the "I love to backpack with my dog" mind-set.