The OP seems to like this thread of mine and suggested I post a link here. 
While more about general teachers and lessons in rewilding, I mention how some of my best friends and mentors throughout my life have been canines. They're people too, just like us, and I wish other humans could see that. All you have to do is watch them to know they're people.
A couple years ago, I lost some friends I didn't mention in that thread; it still hurts a bit to talk about it. They were a Pomeranian and a Yorkie who were like my brothers for 9 years, the prior had a heart attack and the latter had a stroke. Order of death flipped around though. The night the Pom went, just four days after the Yorkie, I was so devastated I broke my damn hand punching a brick wall. I feel so much guilt in my heart for not being around enough when I had the chance.
This girl I'm friend with now is amazing. Sometimes I feel guilty, like I'm giving her the affection I should've given my brothers, but usually I feel like they've blessed me with a second chance to learn through her. I don't try to observe another species, I try to observe as them. When a canine cousin's ears perk up and they start sniffing the air, I follow suit, hearing and smelling what my human ears can and also watching for what they may not see. We work together to guard our family.
I think that's the biggest problem with dog "training"; rather than speaking with the dog and truly listening to what they have to say, humans nowadays expect them to just drop whatever they're doing and plop on their ass on command. I'm not even sure slave-owners expected such obedience out of human slaves. If a dog doesn't "listen", try listening to them. Watching them. What do they see, what do they smell, what do they hear beside "come! COME!"? The ears and noses of most carnivorans are way better than ours. If we listen to each other, we can better help each other.
Just my two cents.
