I don't agree with a lot of what CM thinks or does but one thing I have mentioned over and over again that is a plus for him is what he does with humans. He should be called the human whisperer.
The hardest part of his job is the same as other trainers. Getting the human to decide what is or is not acceptable in their dog. That one simple step of getting your back up and deciding this behavior is no longer tolerated, regardless of whether you use correction or treats. Simply saying I will no longer accept this is a herculean task. Once that is established he has helped most by getting the human to remember a job or task they had where they were in charge, whether it was responsibility for an office party or responsiblity for the production of a crew of say 5 people. Remember that mindset and what you did to accomplish your goals. I've seen it happen, as if it were, indeed, magic. The person stands up straighter and breathes differently. And the tone of their voice changes to one of clarity and confidence, all visual and audible cues the dog picks up on (sorry for the dangling participle). Those things alone, regardless of how you train the command, make a difference in how the dog listens to you. Most dogs will follow if someone will lead and the lead need not be by physical force. Simply assemble your dignity and lead, which can be the hardest thing. I see the same principle when I lead a crew of co-workers. They will respect someone who makes a decision now, good or bad, and expects it to be done.
Granted, it's easier to make the transition if you've had some leadership experience in your life to model what you do with dogs. And vice versa.
Even those people who say that they don't particularly lead dogs are, in fact, doing so. A rose by any other name would still smell as sweet (thanks, Shakespeare). And even if a human isn't actively leading, then another dog is, mainly because most dogs will follow, which is part of the mechanics of society being from the bottom up, rather than the top on down.
To that point, there are some dogs, like some humans, who will simply go their own way, regardless of how many treats or collar pops or whatever that you can do. And we must accept those inevitabilities, too. And it isn't that such a dog is so "alpha," they simply don't follow any plan but their own, especially if they don't have any compelling reason to follow your plan.
The way you treat your dog in this life determines your place in heaven. - chukchi proverb
