Interestingly, and purely by chance, I recently read two books back to back that couldn't be more opposite.
One was Millan's 'Leader of the Pack'; the other Kerasote's 'Merle's Door'. There are only two times when Kerasote became more Millanish. The first he jerked Merle on a choke collar, the second time, a few years later, he zapped him with a shock collar and justified it with a professional's opinion that this kind of punishment is not long term damaging. Other than that, Merle enjoyed a life of almost complete freedom that is in stark contrast to Millan's dogs where every piss is by permission only.

Merle became a soul mate type friend for his owner. They had a once in a life time dog/human relationship, a deep cored understanding and love for one another I understand all so well and attempt to describe my book 'Dump Dog'. Was it Merle's retriever background, his hardwired, easy going demeanor regarding dogs, cats and especially humans that made an almost leash free existance possible? Or did he become that good natured dog as a result of his relationship with his owner; the way he was treated? Or a combination of both? And how can dog owners who live in urban and suburban areas with strict laws, which are most of North Americans, attain that?

Although neither book was one of my favorites, my nature and philosophy regarding dogs and relationships with them is certainly a lot more like Ted Kerasote (minus the shock collar even when things get tough) than Cesar Millan. I allow my dogs daily to explore off leash, control as little as possible in their lifes, and encourage the freedom to learn (which is not like free shaping). I tune into their world and am in bliss when they include me into activities that are important to them. I point out rabbit tracks for them, allow them to chase squirrels which they never get, and teach them to not chase deer by letting them observe and sniff where they've been. Not only do I feel that we are bonded at the deepest level because of that, I would also argue that unless a dog is allowed to be who he/she is meant to be, the bond between human and dog is superficial.

My personal challenge is to show/explain/teach and help owners to that relationship with their dog. One they will sadly miss out on if they strive for mindless obedience.
How can we make this possible for every dog owner? How can we teach people to teach their pooch to think and make good choices? How can we steer away from controlling every move, regardless if conditioned with a stick or a carrot? Positive reinforcement is still reinforcing behaviors we want, not necessarily the dog.
Where is the middle road between mindless obedience and treatment as an equal?

The more I work with dogs, the more my goal is to steer owners towards that ideal medium - and not only the ones that have a "nice" personality, but especially the ones where there is conflict, stress, fear and behavior problems.

There are a few books I really like(d) that address those topics. To share them I created a Top Ten Dog Book page on my website: www.dogsensecommunications.com/dog-books.html