# Don Sullivan's The perfect dog



## tgrsnpr

I just saw an infomerical on Don Sullivan's The Perfect Dog. I was wondering if anyone had gotten it, tried it, and got great results with their dog.


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## poodleholic

According to a poster on another forum, Don Sullivan bases his product on William Koehler, a traditional trainer (who is one of the trainers that advocates hanging dogs until they have "no fight left"). In addtion, there was allegedly a discrepancy between DS's TV show, and what he actually "used" on clients. He packed up and left town, and was able to disappear from the internet except for the current infomercial blitz. 


http://www.seefido.com/dog-discussi...?p=55126&sid=c376fc6b06c8df9de5c50268cb85ee59 

If you do an intensive search for DS, he does not exist except for the infomercial. I wouldn't be comfortable unless I could see the trainer's name in different places for achieving things in dog training, in addition to being known to the dog community, with references. DS has zip. I wouldn't waste MY money on this guy's product.


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## tgrsnpr

WOW. thanks a lot of telling me this. I never knew that before.


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## B-doggy

Actually, I just bought this system about a week ago, and we started training yesterday. The first part of watching the DVD I was thinking- this guy seems a little fake- like he's reading off a script. And it looks like he's yanking on that collar a little hard- I dont want to do that to my dog! But the more we watched him work with the dogs on the dvd, and the LOGIC behind his training, the more excited I was to try it. My boyfriend has a degree in Psychology, and I have a degree in Biology, so we are both educated on animal behaviours and different learning and survival mechanisms. Don Sullivan's method is NOT based on someone else's study, its based on science and how packs in the wild interact. 

The first day, actually, in the first 5 minutes he responded very very well- and now day 2 and my boyfriend and I are absolutely amazed that Bronx is doing so well- my boyfriend had him doing off leash commands in a park with distractions today, and he responded incredibly- he was happy that he was making us happy.

I understand where people have certain opinions based on what they think Don Sullivans method of training is, but until you watch the dvd and actually try it, you really can't have an informed opinion. I put the collar around my own leg first (and my boyfriend put it around his own neck first) because I wanted to make sure Bronx wasn't going to be hurt.

I'm not saying I love it-I love it, it absolutely works, Don Sullivan is a genius because its only Day 2- but YES my dog is responding to it fantastically and the $70 I paid for it is worth it, even if it just means I can walk my dog in the city without having a leash on him and without having to worry about him jumping at children or other dogs. If thats the ONLY thing I get out of this, I'm happy. But with Bronx responding so well to the few simple things we have him doing already, I feel like he's going to be that 'dream dog' everyone wants without losing his goofy lovable personality- he's still our sweet Bronx and isn't turning mopey or depressed or angry.

Just thought you should have an opinion from someone who is in the beginning stages of trying out this method! and not just hearsay


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## wvasko

B-doggy said:


> Actually, I just bought this system about a week ago, and we started training yesterday. The first part of watching the DVD I was thinking- this guy seems a little fake- like he's reading off a script. And it looks like he's yanking on that collar a little hard- I dont want to do that to my dog! But the more we watched him work with the dogs on the dvd, and the LOGIC behind his training, the more excited I was to try it.
> 
> The first day, actually, in the first 5 minutes he responded very very well- and now day 2 and my boyfriend and I are absolutely amazed that Bronx is doing so well- my boyfriend had him doing off leash commands in a park with distractions today, and he responded incredibly- he was happy that he was making us happy.
> 
> I understand where people have certain opinions based on what they think Don Sullivans method of training is, but until you watch the dvd and actually try it, you really can't have an informed opinion. I put the collar around my own leg first (and my boyfriend put it around his own neck first) because I wanted to make sure Bronx wasn't going to be hurt.
> 
> I'm not saying I love it-I love it, it absolutely works, Don Sullivan is a genius because its only Day 2- but YES my dog is responding to it fantastically and the $70 I paid for it is worth it, even if it just means I can walk my dog in the city without having a leash on him and without having to worry about him jumping at children or other dogs. If thats the ONLY thing I get out of this, I'm happy. But with Bronx responding so well to the few simple things we have him doing already, I feel like he's going to be that 'dream dog' everyone wants without losing his goofy lovable personality- he's still our sweet Bronx and isn't turning mopey or depressed or angry.
> 
> Just thought you should have an opinion from someone who is in the beginning stages of trying out this method! and not just hearsay


I'm not going to get into the Don Sullivan routines because I am negative trainer myself only I use the dreaded pinch/prong. What I am going to get into the statement below

"I'm not saying I love it-I love it, it absolutely works, Don Sullivan is a genius because its only Day 2- but YES my dog is responding to it fantastically and the $70 I paid for it is worth it, *even if it just means I can walk my dog in the city without having a leash on him and without having to worry about him jumping at children or other dogs.* If thats the ONLY thing I get out of this, I'm happy. But with Bronx responding so well to the few simple things we have him doing already, I feel like he's going to be that 'dream dog' everyone wants without losing his goofy lovable personality- he's still our sweet Bronx and isn't turning mopey or depressed or angry"

Just do not walk your dog in city off leash as there is no dog in this world smarter than a 3 yr old child but they are a lot faster. You obviously can do whatever you want, it is your dog. Trust me on this Murphy's law can strike anywhere and the fact that you had to send out for the Don Sullivan DVD tells me you lack the experience to do off lead walking in a city. Not meant to offend.


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## B-doggy

And no offense taken- this is one of the reasons I find posting on forums challenging, is because I'm taken out of context. I should have been more clear- there are off-leash areas in my city in which I can walk him, separate from the fact that he's sometimes jumped at children while walking him on a leash. I have had dogs all my life, as had my boyfriend, so we are not inexperienced. And I have 2 small nephews and a niece, so I know how quick children are! I would never walk him without a leash in the city, not to mention thats against the law around here.

And the reason I "sent out" for Don Sullivan's DVD is because we saw the infomercial, looked at his site, decided that this was something we wanted to try because with a money-back guarantee, the worst that would happen is that we would learn better and be out $10 for S&H. It wouldn't be for everyone or their dog, but so far so good for our dog.


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## wvasko

Great, I just misunderstood your post. The big reason I did not get into Sullivan program is that with every training method that is thrown out on the forum there are some dogs that it was made for and is very successful. The fun is in the picking.


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## learner

hello folks.. I just wanted to chime in on this topic since I just received the course bout 3 days ago.

It's working for me. I used to walk my dog using the flat collar not wanting to hurt my dog, etc, etc, etc... I was very skeptical of using the command collar but the results are fantastic. My dog isn't pulling anymore and not sounding like he is gagging with the flat collar.. I also had a Halti and he still pulled. I just came back from a walk with my dog this morning and the whole family because I was confident he wasn't going to pull. I have a 3 year old yellow labrador, 75lbs. Believe me he can pull very hard. I got to admit he got excited with the whole family and pulled a couple of times right out the gate because he saw my soon to be 3 year old in his stroller.. A couple of corrections and bingo.. back to normal. 

I also tried treat training and could sometimes get my dog to sit but never could get him to go down.. Now I got him consistently doing sit and down without ANY treats which is awesome.

I'm excited to report that we have had much much better results using Don's training. And to be honest it all seemed like common sense after watching the DVDs. Well I hope all of you get great results with whatever training you're doing. 2 days vs 3 years of training is something I can't put a price on. 

Good luck to you all.

Just a "learner"


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## B-doggy

Well, the training was going great with our dog- but 3 days into the training and the collar broke! In the middle of a big park with lots of dogs around... I wasn't even correcting him, we were just walking and it broke. He was doing so well, it seems very unfair to put this training on hold, have him back on his Haltie, while we get them to send a new one. I was considering sending the whole thing back, but we had such good results in the first few days, I really want to stick it out. Just figured I should mention the bad with the good...


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## Talynn

Oh, no! Sorry to hear the collar broke; hope a new one comes quickly.

I just have this program, and I love it. Absolutely love it. I'd posted a while back about some problems we were having with Sadie, and I felt at my wit's end. This program worked amazingly for us. I was just looking back over the thread: I started it on Sept. 9th, sounding rather desperate (hehe)... the program came on the 10th, and by the 12th I was raving about what huge changes I had been able to make.

I won't rehash the whole thread, since I did go on and on about the success there  If you care to have a look, it's here:
http://www.dogforums.com/3-dog-training-forum/35483-opinions-fear-aggression-self.html
(The meat of the "turnaround" is on page two)

Anyway, of course I know that different things work for different dogs (and people) but I was, and continue to be, very happy with what this allowed us to do. I can't speak for Sullivan's history or anything else. I only know that - for us - it WORKED.


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## Delyla

Hello,

I rescued a Vizsla puppy in September and I have been using DS system to train him. Things are going very well. When it came to teaching him to not pull on the leash, the infomercial was accurate. Teaching this to my puppy took only about 5 minutes. He put up a small fight, but after the initial training session, he no longer pulls...period. Sit also went very well. My pup had it in about 5-10 minutes.

Down did not go as smoothly for me and my pup. Apparently when a dog lies down, he/she is giving the signal of submissiveness. When it comes to strong willed dogs, teaching them the down command can be challenging. In my case, with my particular dog, it was. It took about 4 days, but now I have a dog that goes down when ever I ask regardless of distraction. Since learning the down command he seems to realize that I am the one in charge and he is much more relaxed in general. Our bond has grown much stronger and I can tell that my pup now respects me as a leader. I am SO glad I did not give up when he resisted.

We are currently working on come. My pup had this one understood in about 5 minutes too. We are slowing adding distraction and more distance between us. It is going very well and I am confident that I will soon have a dog that will come to me when called no matter what distractions are present.

I personally love DS's system. However, I would not say that it is right for everyone. The system itself is nothing fancy. There are 2 DVDs that are jam packed with tons of useful and clearly explained training techniques all in individual segments. Every possible area of training that you may need for your dog is covered. I really don't think anything is left out. In addition to the DVDs, the system comes with 3 training lines and a corrective collar. The collar is basically a modified pinch/prong collar. It works in the same way as a prong collar but delivers a pinch that is significantly less intense. Also it seems to me that it is more comfortable for dogs to wear than a traditional prong collar. 

I had to use a prong collar with my pup when teaching him down, because DS collar did not give an intense enough correction to make my dog respond. He would rather get the pinch from DSs collar than have to lie down. (Using a prong collar is advised in DS's DVD when dealing with a very strong willed or aggressive dog.) After a few days I was able to revert back to DS's collar and now my pup follows the down command, every time, with no corrective collar on at all. The system is working as just as explained in the DVD. Even in regards to my strong willed dog, there were no surprises. The DVDs make very clear what to expect and do whether your dog is submissive or dominate minded. 

I love this system. After watching the DVDs multiple times, I can say that, in my opinion, DS's philosophy behind dog training makes perfect sense. I have followed the system as closely as possible and I am getting great results with my pup. I believe he will soon be responsive to all commands off leash and under distraction. As a result, he will be able to live a life free of leashes and confinement. I will be able to take him with me wherever I go and trust him to respond when necessary so he will be safe. In the long run he will spend less time getting in trouble or being punished/confined and more time as a happy dog who can run free, play and not be left behind at home. 

That being said, I would lonely recommend the system to people who are...

1) Willing to use a corrective collar
2) Willing to use punishment and praise consistently and fairly - no treats in training - making sure the dog understands what you expect before using corrections - always start off with soft corrections and work up slowly - never give a correction that is stronger than your dog requires - praising freely when dog responds correctly - never using the corrective collar spontaneously or outside of the specific limits/guidance of the training system
3) Able to incorporate training into daily routine-not just a daily session
4) Able to follow the directions of the DVD to a T
5) Willing and able to exercise the dog everyday in addition to training and play

(DS absolutely does use LOTS of praise in his system. He also insists that dogs should never be drilled unnecessarily or over long periods of time. DS insists that dogs are are allowed frequent play periods between short training sessions. Once a dog correctly demonstrates a command 3 times in a row the training session is over. Sessions are never to exceed 45 minutes.)

This system works for me and my dog. We are getting great results. I do understand that it won't be for everyone. How you train your dog is a personal decision.


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