I can't say much about the other issues you mention, but I do have some experience with clicker training. It is wonderful! I adopted Oreo when she was 1 1/2 years old, and up to that point she had been pretty much an outside dog with no training. The trainer at the San Diego Humane Society is a big advocate of clicker training, and Oreo and I took her classes. What a difference it made in Oreo! I believe that the positive reinforcement training really taught Oreo that she could trust me, and we really bonded. I was very suprised at how fast she learned, too, especially for a grown dog who had learned so many bad habits. Oreo was very motivated to learn, and I think that is one of the advantages of clicker training...the dogs love it! Here are a few web sites that give great information.

For books, videos, and links:
http://www.sdhumane.org/petownerhelp/resources.cfm
For an overview from the SD Humane Society and articles from their excellent trainer:
http://www.sdhumane.org/petownerhelp/training.cfm

I hope that these URLs work and that you enjoy clicker training as much as I did!