That was not snide - it just was some constructive criticism. If you ask for advice you really need to be prepared to accept it when you get some! Doberluv is a very well respected trainer and member of this board and she was only asking questions any good trainer would ask. Please try not to be oversensitive if people have questions about your methods - trust me we've all been disagreed with but she was not being nasty.
Now, back to your questions (if you are still reading this post...lol) You have the right idea, but please let me just offer an alternative opinion on `dominance'. Dominance theory is
way overdone in the dog world. Dogs are rarely, if ever, trying to be dominant, and many things that are just normal doggy behaviour are mistaken for such.
Just as examples (not saying your dog does these things) barking, getting up on the lounge, disobeying your commands - these are NOT dominance behaviours, but doggy behaviours. Dogs are opportunists and will behave in a way that works the best for them. Therefore barking could be because they are bored and it's fun to bark. Getting up on the lounge could be because it's just more comfortable than on the floor. Not obeying you could mean that the command hasn't been taught thoroughly enough. Dominance is rare in dogs and especially puppies, so I would forget about that right away!
In terms of trying to stave off behaviours before they evolve - again, you have the right idea, but you need to be selective in what you're trying to guard against. Dogs need to be able to drink when they are thirsty - water should be readily available at all times and they should not have to earn it. Food, toys, coming inside, getting up on the bed - these are things for which it is appropriate to ask for a sit. Staving off things like jumping up or not coming when called - good idea, and it's always best to start early with dogs because then they will learn lifetime habits and good manners - but you need to be careful that in the process of trying to train a well-behaved dog, that you don't end up with one who is totally unsure of itself and what it is allowed and not allowed to do. Having an aggressive dog before has probably made you understandably wary, but remember that this is a different puppy and you need to work with this puppy and what it is actually doing, not what it might possibly do one day.
Until you see a sign of aggression I think you should forget about that, too. Until your puppy shows you that it is going to resource guard or bite (in a way that is not puppy mouthiness) then you are best off to treat it like any new puppy and teach basic commands such as sit, down, drop it, leave it and come (especially that one). Don't forget that nurture has as much if not more to do with how your dog turns out than it's inherent nature - so rather than trying to stop it from doing the wrong thing, you would be better to teach it to do the right thing.
Set it up for success, as it were, rather than expecting it to fail.
Good luck - it's always nice to see someone really trying to do the best thing for their dog.
