# Don Sullivan "The perfect dog system" ??



## Fred Poe (Apr 19, 2008)

Hi list,
I happened to catch an infomercial on TV today. For 2 payments of 29.95 I can have the perfect dog with the help of his dvds and training collar. Seems to good to be true,,, has anyone tried this? Our Buddy likes to chase cars, bikes, dogs, trucks , etc that is in his regular walks daily. Would like to know if this dvd is for real and works? 
TIA 
Fred


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## CookieTN (Sep 14, 2008)

I don't know...personally, I do not agree with his methods. I've never actually seen his TV show or his commercial, but a friend told me that at the bottom of the commercial it says "may not work on naturally aggressive breeds like Pit Bulls". Why, that jack







, Pit Bulls are NOT untrainable. I'll try not to get started on that...
In my mind, he's in the same place as Cesar Millan. And if you don't know where Cesar Millan is in my mind, I'll tell you...I don't agree with his methods either.
It's not that I hate, or even dislike, either guy, I just don't like their methods.
There are several helpful articles in this link that use methods which I advocate:
http://www.flyingdogpress.com/artlibreg.htm


P.S. And his methods heavily involve the dominance theory, which was proven outdated a long time ago. I'm not a believer in the dominance theory.
Honestly, looking at the guy's website, I'm constantly rolling my eyes.








If you want to try it, no hard feelings from me. I just personally wouldn't even think of trying it.


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## angelas (Aug 23, 2003)

I got his "training system" on VHS about a decade ago.

After watching it, its not worth the price, and I am glad i got it for free.

He is very much into the negative reinforcement training.


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## DianaM (Jan 5, 2006)

> Quote:Buddy likes to chase cars, bikes, dogs, trucks , etc that is in his regular walks daily


Do you keep him on a leash? If not, put him on one. If so, what collar do you use? Have you considered a Gentle Leader headcollar or an Easy Walk harness or a prong collar? What have you done to actively teach him that staying by you is a great thing (hot dogs rain from the sky, games are played, etc)? Have you signed up for any training classes? If you've only had one, you clearly need more, and if you've had one, sign up NOW for some *good* classes. Post your location and we can help you find classes.

Forget about "the perfect dog." There is NO SUCH THING as the perfect kid, husband, wife, nor dog. We all have our flaws and oopsies, we all make mistakes, but we all desire to do things right, whether it's our perception of right or someone else's who we respect. A dog will naturally want to do things that feel good as opposed to doing things that don't feel good. A good trainer will teach you how to implement that information into building a great relationship with your dog. Your dog is most likely a great dog, you just need to learn how to communicate with him. 

I also suggest reading more posts on this forum and asking some specific questions. Beware of ANY program that promises a quick fix. There is no such thing as a quick fix when it comes to living beings that is beneficial for BOTH parties. I'll bet his training collar is an electric collar and though it is a wonderful tool with excellent uses, it is also EXTREMELY easy to misuse which can and will cause harm to your dog; physically, mentally, or both. Motivational, positive training with well timed and well executed corrections tends to work the best but it's also what takes more time and patience. The work you put into your dog from the beginning though does build a very solid, strong foundation of trust and respect which makes training easier over time. Your dog will know the rules, you'll know your dog, you'll each know what to expect of each other and how to work with each other, and then while neither of you will be perfect, you'll have the best relationship and you'll both be pretty good buddies.


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## Fred Poe (Apr 19, 2008)

Yes, he is leash walked at least five times a day. We have a no pull harness he wears when he goes for walks.He is excellent when walking along ...until a motorcycle, loud car or truck, bicycle or another dog is on his route. Then he will lunge forward and bark sharply. 
We have taken him to classes and they had graduated him... fine he was sort of okay and did his tricks, but it was outside "his territory" . and forget anyone stopping to ask for directions or remark on "what a beautiful dog" they quickly change their mind when Buddy has his say. 
The program I was questioning used a collar that had rubber links and leads, not prongs, or electric shock , along with two training dvds. When you saw the change in the dogs, it was remarkable , that is why I was wondering if anyone had tried his system. 
We have looked into a personal trainer but the cost was quite beyond our budget and we have been trying all we can to train him to be the wonderful dog we know he can be. 
We are located in RI.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

"His territory" is your territory and if I were in your shoes, I would step up your role as his leader. When he lunges, barks, redirect his attention back to you, and praise him when he does so. Put him in a sit or down position to distract him from whatever he is reacting to.
Do you practice NILIF(nothing in life is free)? 
I would stay in regular obedience classes, go with advanced ob or get into agility, your money would be better spent. 
This is a listing of certified pet dog trainers in RI:
http://www.ccpdt.org/rstr/RI.html


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## Timber1 (May 19, 2007)

A load of crap. Every dog is different and so should the animal's training methods. 

You will get more good advice from this board then ever from stupid promos.


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## DianaM (Jan 5, 2006)

Fred, find a new obedience class and stick to it. Forget the "graduation" nonsense- you're there until you and your dog operate well. I will probably be in classes until my dog's too old to get off his bed but that's because every time he is there he comes out of it a little more well mannered, my skills come out a little more sharpened, our bond gets a little stronger, and he is a LOT MORE TIRED! I find that walks do nothing for my dog but get him jazzed up for more so if we walk, it's to go to the park to play fetch where he can run like a greyhound. We also do a lot of mental work. Five walks a day is probably not enough for your dog.

What do you do for mental workouts? What about intense exercises? You do not need a personal trainer but you do need one who is well versed in behavior, the psychology of training, and sees through these "miracle" tactics. Finally, the training work you did IN class needs to be repeated OUTSIDE of class. Dogs do not generalize well and this is the problem I have as well. All the work and stuff I do in class I need to repeat in daily life scenarios outside of class so my dog learns manners don't drop just because class is over. Work on this, and you'll make more progress than with the snake-oil salesmen.


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