I've grown much less patient over the years with dominant mammals. I tend to identify them early and make my corrections robust. Have you read Adam's Task by Vicki Hearne? It's an interesting book about communication in animal training. Her mentor was William Koehler who almost single handedly put K9 on the map in North America. He did all the early Disney stuff too. Maybe I've mentioned her before, I don't remember. Adam's Task opened my mind. I've read it more than a dozen times carefully. Each time I walk away with more. Not an apolitical read.

Another interesting book, but not nearly as challenging as Adam's Task is
Monty Roberts book called The Man Who Listens to Horses. This book makes a good read irrespective of your interest in the language of training. This is a heart warming story of a great man doing great things in the world.

I wouldn't trust Dempsey as far as I could throw him by his tail.