Mal, Murphy, and I have a hot date to practice walking on a leash in a few minutes, so I need to make tonight’s dinner post snappy.
Dog owners: Any tips for us? Murphy does not get how to do it!
Dinner
Tonight’s dinner was yummy and it was mostly homemade! 
I had Tortilla Soup from a company called Frontier Soups. They sent me a few of their soups many months ago, but I haven’t had a chance to test them out them until now. The Tortilla Soup sounded like something I would really like, so it was up first.
The Frontier Soups are packaged dry mixes. They’re actually sort of gourmet-looking with fancy-schmancy packaging, but perfect for everyday use.
The soup mixes are super easy to make. The dry ingredients in the Tortilla Soup, for instance, were already measured, so all I had to add was add chicken broth and salsa. In about 40 minutes, I had a big pot of soup!
I liked the Tortilla Soup a lot! It had tons of flavor– even a little kick to it. It was also pretty hearty with lots of big chunks. My stomach was pleasantly satisfied by the end of the bowl. 
I ate some of my soup by scooping it up with tortilla chips. Delish!
M&M are waiting on me. It’s walk time!
See ya tomorrow!
{ 49 comments… read them below or add one }
Mmmm…love tortilla soup!
As for walking on a leash, don’t let him pull you and don’t let him lead the way. He should walk next to you (called heel) and if he tries to pull or go a different way, then stop walking. He’ll look at you like “whattaya doing??” and eventually get the picture that he needs to let you be in charge! It takes time and lots of practice. He’ll get it though
Have fun!
With my doggy, we would put him on the leash and do something to make him “follow” us – i.e. entice him with a treat, a stick, whatever to get him to walk continuously. You also have to be firm and pull the leash as needed.
That soup looks like the perfect convenient meal.
Boy, it’s been a while since I had to work on my dog walking on a leash. I guess the main thing is don’t hesitate to give a little tug now and then. if he has a harness, he isn’t going to be bothered by the pull. It also helps if he has something to walk towards. Maybe have Mal stand at the other end of a room with a treat and practice Murphy feeling the tension of a leash
Mmm love tortilla soup with chips! Pretty logical, right
I’ve seen those soup packages before but never bought them… They are very pretty haha
Wow, what a convient little package for soup!!!! I love tortilla soup! Put some avocado slices on it and I’m a happy camper.
Like the first poster said. You have to teach him that you are pack leader. Either you or Mal should do most of the teaching first so that he learns and then the other can join in.
Good luck with the training! We recently worked with a trainer who has us using a small spray water bottle on walks. If our dog pulls ahead or to the side we spray the side of her head and say “hey”. If she is walking too far behind, or just stopping and sitting (which she does quite often), we walk back towards her and then turn around and continue walking, basically dragging her along! When she is walking right next to us like she should be, she gets lots of praise and the occasional treat. It has worked REALLY well for our dog. She is much bigger than Murphy (a Golden Retriever) so I’m not too sure what would work best for him. Hope that helps! Good luck!
Carry a treat in your left hand near where you want him to walk, or since Murphy is so small, maybe a wooden spoon with some peanut butter on the end to coax him along at your heel. Good luck!
soup looks great!
good luck on your walk!
Oh my gosh – I almost bought this exact soup mix today! Glad to know you liked it, I’ll have to pick up a bag next time. Have a great night with M&M!
Tortilla soup is so delicious! I made some earlier this week, so quick and easy.
So I am most likely getting a pug puppy in about a month, eek!, have you found Murphy to be easy to train? The family I nannied for a few years back had a pug named Bernie that I fell in love with
That soup looks great!
Good luck on your walk! My best tip is to make him walk next to you. If he won’t, make him stop and try again. Practicing every single day is super important!
wow i’ve never heard of this soup mix, but i really like concept behind it!
glad to hear you liked it!
That soup looks great!
We have a verbal command for our dogs. When we say “heel!” they know to stop and then continue walking beside us. We have to remind them with gentle tugs sometimes and while tugging we say “heel!” You may want to bring treats in your pocket and give them to him when he walks along at your heel to motivate him. Most of all, be consistent!! Good luck!!
With my two Bostons, they were both different in terms of walking on a leash. The Brat likes to lead the way and pull so I’m not afraid to gently yank on the leash to get her to slow down. Our boy Boston HATED being in his harness on a leash. He would just stand there while I pulled him along – he didn’t really understand the whole walking concept. We started him with little walks and now he’s used to it. Murphy will get it!! Oh, I’m sure you’ve thought of this already, but harness are the best for little dogs – they have a smaller trachea so collars can actually be VERY bad for them. Good luck
That soup mix looks great! I would echo everyone in that consistency is the most important thing with teaching a dog to walk on a leash! Whatever method you choose, stick with it! Good luck!
this looks pretty good for coming from a mix, i’m impressed!!!
good luck with the dog walking, i still can’t get lucy to not pull on the least most of the time (talk about bicep work – she’s 50 lbs!) so i prob dont have many tips for you :/
i love tortilla soup! costco used to sell a bulk mix you added stuff too that i made all the time as a kid.
Those little soup packets are SUCH a good idea!! The soup looks delicious
My dog is almost 5 and he still can’t walk normally on a leash half of the time
I LUV that soup! It’s one of my favorites! My dog is 9 years old “Shiner”. We practiced A LOT with leash walking. It just takes time. My dog is a big Lab, so he was a little harder to control. Hopefully it will be easier with Murphy since he’s a smaller dog
I have had that same tortilla soup mix in my pantry for almost a year and been wondering how it would turn out! I love Max n Ermas tortilla soup!
Checkout The Dog Whisperer on National Geographic channel. Cesar Millan is incredible and just watching the show can give you ways to work with Murphy. Soup looks awesome too! I love chicken tortilla soup!:)
You should purchase a Gentle Leader Head Collar. They have worked wonders for every dog owner I’ve ever known who had trouble with their dog walking on the leash
You don’t need to use it forever, just until they get the hang of it.
the soup packaging is very impressive!!! and for a dried mix, the ingredients look very fresh and colorful.
good luck with the puppy walking!!! im sure murphy will soon learn how to walk on the leash, it just takes time!
Hey Tina!
We did 2 puppy classes when Baylee was a pup and it was SO helpful! I’d recommend it if you get the chance because we learned almost as much as she did, since we were first time dog owners!
For the leash…they recommend first to just let Murphy drag the leash around for awhile so he gets used to the feel of having something attached to his collar. Once he gets used to that or after a bit, hold the leash but go where he wants to go….just kind of follow him around holding the leash, again so he gets used to it. Otherwise he’ll have leash resistance and will just fight it. Once he gets used to that feeling, THEN you can work with walking techniques.
For walking, the best is to hold a treat or put peanut butter on a spoon since he’s smaller and hold it next to you and give one every few steps so he “gets it” and you’re luring him at first.
oh i’ve got TONS of advice for you – i had a personal trainer and went to obedience school with my dog so if you have anything specific just email me….what’s his problem? is he biting the leash? hiding between your legs? putting all four paws down and refusing to walk? i’ve seen it all!!!
wow! that soup looks wicked yummy and super easy to make!
jenna
very lightweight leash… no longer than 6′. I use 4′ with my puppies… use eye contact… hand signals…use key words only, not a conversation… keep him on the left… … best thing you can do is to enroll in a “puppy socialization” class… Should cover leash training,,, and non leash training…also manners, sit come stay… exposure to other dogs and people…Sounds elementary but it is one of the best things you can do for you and your puppy. Mal should come with you. Good luck!
I have two BIG dogs. My first dog I found and because of abuse she at first would NOT walk on leashes. She would buck and freak out. We bought a retractable leash and she was totally fine, and then we transitioned to a short leash. Our other dog, a purebred, will walk on a short leash. But we’re bad – we don’t enforce heel. Our dogs are great and respectful, that just wasn’t important to us. In my opinion, practice is the key.
M&M…I thought you meant M&Ms were waiting for you. I was gonna say I know the feeling as I’ve been craving chocolate in the last few days grrr!
This is definitely the season for soup!
I’ve always wanted to make Tortilla Soup. Also its the title of one of my favorite obscure chick flicks. For my family dog, they had to buy something called Gentle Leader Headcollar because Marty (our golden retriever) would always pull and tug on the leash and drag us everywhere. It works perfectly and doesn’t hurt the dog because only a little bit of pressure is applied to the dog’s muzzle and no pressure is applied to the dog’s throat.
I know a few people already mentioned this, but I just have to say that the Gentle Leader is the best invention ever! I have a 90 lb chocolate lab who could easily pull me right over. The Gentle Leader has made a 100% difference in his walking skills. I don’t know if this type of leash is okay to use on a little dog, but it has definitely worked wonders with my big pup
I see those soup mixes all the time but never tried them. That one looks good, esp in combo with blue corn chips:)
It’s the start of soup season, and I couldn’t be happier! This one looks tasty.
I had fun reading through all of the suggestions for leash training. We adopted our dog at 3 years old, and I don’t think she was ever taught not to pull. She’s not terrible on the leash, but when she sees something fun (i.e. a squirrel or another dog), she pulls will all of her strength! I hope Murphy did well with his lesson
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I love soup season!!
it’s my favorite! I’m not into packaged soups like this but this does look good.
good luck training murphy!
Our pup was terrified of the leash and would not walk when it was on – she wanted to stop and put her tail between her legs until we took it off then she would walk. We finally just left it on here for a full day around the house until she got used to it. She pulls like crazy, but isn’t scared anymore.
That looks SOOOO good.. I want that soup!! This is the best season for soup
Yay for soup season, and this definitely looks like a winner, I love those soup mixes I always buy things like that, but I’ve never seen that brand, it looks really great.
i would suggest only positive reinforcement- no pulling on the leash or squirt bottles. murphy is so young and impressionable right now (ha!) that you want to associate positive things with the leash so he learns to like it. so when he does something good, like walks forward, doesn’t pull, whatever, have a little party for him- lots of “good boys!” and a treat. also, if you guys have been just picking him up and carrying him since he’s small, I would avoid that.
lots of practice (and patience!) and he’ll eventually get it. good luck!!
Ditto erin’s excellent advice. Nothing wrong with a squirt bottle for certain dogs, but I don’t get the feeling that’s what Murphy needs. And for those that suggested a Gentle Leader…not so sure that would work on a pug, would it? The smushy nose and all?
If I understand it, anyway, Murphy isn’t pulling on the leash, he just doesn’t get the whole walking on leash idea? If so, I recommend small treats and lots of praise as you teach him to walk beside you. Tell him when he’s doing something right, so he knows what you’re expecting. In the puppy class at my dog training club, they use the peanut butter on the end of wooden spoon trick, that someone already suggested. Then you just gradually wean off of that and give him a little treat every so often to encourage him to walk with you. Eventually you wean the treats out once he understands the behavior you’re looking for.
Good luck and have fun!
That soup brings back memories. I can just imagine watching a good film in the dark while drinking hot soup…
Have a good walk and a great day!
thats my kind of meal… super easy!
The soup looks great! I found some packages like that at the local farmer’s market, but I’m saving them for when the weather gets colder!
As for the leash … I would have treats on hand and try to stress what you’re looking for while you’re walking Murphy. It’s really hard for dogs to get and ours still don’t do it right BUT we live on an acreage, so they’re rarely walked on a leash. I have bigger dogs, so I could keep a treat in my hand and hold it just at my thigh and that’s where the dog would walk. My husband and I also make sure that they stop and sit before crossing a road, or turning onto a different street. If all else fails, you could always try taking him to a puppy training class. They might have suggestions, too.
Hope you find lots of suggestions that work!
These look awesome! Gourmet and easy is my favorite
I LOVE Tortilla Soup! It is so good but usually takes awhile to make from scratch, I make mine with chicken too, yummy, however your version looked really good. =) Laura
Looks tasty! i’ve had a bag mix like that before and it was actually really good!! i’ll have to try the one you got from frontier.
Go to dog training. We did some training at home with our dog, but dog training made a world of difference. You also can’t expect a dog to be trainable until they are 4-5months old. Even then they still have short attention spans. I know you are specifically asking about leash training, but in general dog training overall is totally worth it. Our dog is now completely off leash trained and will come, sit, stay, stand, and lay down by hand signals alone, and I NEVER thought he would be that well trained.