She's very stubborn when there aren't treats involved though, that's why I decided to ask RTF their take on using or not using them. I am afraid the treats are causing her to always expect something in return, but I think she just isn't ready to hear the commands without the treats yet.
We sometimes fall into the trap of using treats as bribes; it shouldn't be that way, use the treat only as a reward for good performance, not as an inducement. There is also a danger in using a treat as a lure; once you've done so it can always be seen as a lure and the dog follows your hand even when you don't want him to.
I have a neighbour with a Springer that's considerably brighter than he is. When they stop at the gate for a chat, "Ben" immediately starts barking and yipping making any conversation difficult, and won't shut up until he gets a treat. He's trained his owner a treat (groan). This all started out as a clumsy effort at treat training a 'sit' command with the treat as a lure.
When I get the behaviour wanted using treats, I start pushing the boundaries by delaying the reward on a variable schedule, starting with just a few seconds and gradually moving to a minute or more but mixing it up as we go along. That way Fido gets a reward not merely for doing the right thing, but
continuing to do it. If I don't do that the dog thinks all he's got to do is bounce his bum off the ground, and "Where's my treat then, I did what you asked?"
Eug
PS. Always treat train a dog when it's hungry, not one with a full tummy.
