You know your stuff coc. I can tell by everything you have said in this post.
I had a cattle dog. He was out of control when i got him from the family who had him.
I worked very hard to get him under my control from age 1 to 2. It was a lot of work but well worth it. His life was saved and he is now with a family and very happy. He was a litter runt and the MOST stubborn animal I've met that wasn't an alpha. He nipped me a few times in the first month. I 'bit' him back. I could tell he had been hit.
A friend, whose dad was retired search and rescue, taught me a dominance technique: you face the dog, grab his skin folds on the chest really fast and lift until the back legs begin to come up. Then you drop the dog, somewhat gently, and wait. bobby, the cattle dog, would go into a learned defense mode. he ran around the room in circles (i believed he'd learned this to avoid beatings) and wouldn't stop unless I'd gently catch him by holding his chest (which was pounding) and rubbing and murmuring to him. Essentially, i would sooth him. I only did this technique with him maybe 6 times when it was warranted. It was clear to me he'd not been disciplined properly. I tended to do low-level dominance (like bumping him if he got in my way). He accepted my dominance gradually. I did the 'iron fist in a velvet glove' with him. I interacted with the dog, all day, every day, for 16 hours a day. I was strict but fair. Tough but gentle. He was/is an amazing animal. I still miss him and have nearly accepted that my role in his life was to make him fit for human and dog company.
Quick story: after I'd had him about 1 month he trusted me enough to let me touch him. I was rubbing him near where his shoulder came up near his spine and felt something strange. i began to check it out. He had crusty scarring that was nearly healed (it was very hard to see-u know what their coats are like). He reacted by going completely tense and he started to growl (not a normal one either-it was one of the most chilling vocalizations i have ever heard). I instantly knew that the painful memory of how he got the scar was right there in the room and that if i didn't respond correctly i could get mauled and killed. i grabbed his collar with lightning speed and said to him with complete faith and honesty: "no one will ever hurt you like that again." He went completely calm, back to normal and he never went to that place again. It was one of the most surreal experiences of my life. It was like seeing a 'kill' switch go 'off'.
When i gave him up it was like losing a son and brother at the same time. But i had to. Those dogs are the number one bite dog in OZ. They are everywhere down there and now here. They are fantastic dogs but need experienced and/or highly intuitive owners. I am a mix of both.
Thank you for listening.