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Mike I agree with you that this is not likely dominance aggression, but it still seems to me to be more likely rooted in Social for the reasons I stated before, as well as additional evidence provided by David’s second video. Off leash, in an open field, without a pillow, what I again see in this dog is social insecurity rather than fear, and I don’t think that diagnosing the dog as “insecure” as I did earlier encourages a physically punishing response. I see why diagnosing the dog as “dominant aggressive” could, in the minds of some unknowledgeable people, but if you read back through my post you’ll notice that the word used was “insecurity.”
I do agree with you that a diagnosis based on the first video is difficult, and I see how it easily could be either fear or insecurity. Other compounding factors which make the diagnosis difficult are (1) the dog appears to be in a cornered position, precluding one option from the fight/flight/freeze response, and (2) that the pup at 6 months is potentially experiencing a “fear period,” which is why I was curious to know what David and the pup’s experience was like during the secondary socialization window and his first fear period.
