HA!
nice German!
Yeah an open mind is important in all things.....and every dog is different......my dog really needs the Alpha techniques ( for example) but she really needs, (as she is a nervous submissive \ potential aggressive dog) to sit with us on the sofa, to use every room in the house, to cuddle on the bed sometimes...and this combination rewards us with a best friend who is really in the family, but not so tough that she can treat us badly. From when she was a young dog I always gave her problems with her food. Continually patting her, moving her food bowl around, taking it away, pulling on her tail etc and now we have a 1 year old baby, who should know better....but when I´m not watching he will do all these things to her....and she has no problem with this. She knows that as a respected member she will be fed enough, but as a part of a family she must also tolerate stuff......
My philosophy is to mix it up and keep learning
Annie