I don't think his ears are sensitive--he seems to like it when I tug lightly on them. Basically I think it was the dominance issue (he doesn't realize that all humans are alpha; he just recently began to see me that way) coupled with him feeling scared and vulnerable. He doesn't seem to be that well socialized; I don't think he "got out much" with his former owners. I think it's just going to take some time and training, but he may just have to be muzzled for these kinds of appointments.

Luckily, he seems to like other dogs, so that's an issue we don't need to deal with. He looks with interest at other dogs his size and has been friendly to the ones that he meets. When big dogs bark at him he whines and picks up his pace--I think it hurts his feelings. Poor pooch!