@Background Pony #2C14  
Ehm, that’s exactly the point I think.  
“Its a thing of his a very specific person” precisely because he was raised by ponies.  
Spike would be a very different dragon if he hadn’t.  
Going from what we know so far about dragons, if he had been raised as one he would be a selfish jerk like them as well, but he’d ALSO not get intimidated by an a-hole’s threats like Fancypants’s. So yeah, it HAS to do with how he was raised.
 
The “age thing” also matters though, since chances are even a “wild” baby dragon would probably be intimidated by creatures larger than itself, even if it would probably still act more defiant than Spike (who knows), but would no longer be scared of creatures that become smaller and smaller for him as he ages.

@Background Pony #1B06  
not really, it’s a thing of his a very pacific person, he wouldn’t want to harm anyone, so he doesn’t see humself as dangerous. It’s a thing of characterness, it doesn’t have anyhing to do with an age thing.

What always confuses me about the antrho AU, is how hard it is to tell Spike’s actual age category. I mean, is he supposed to be at the teen age or fully grown? And on either case, why is he made to be so scared? Even if he’s supposed to be at the teen stage, what can they do to him? He’d just roast them all if they really tried to chase/punish him.
 
That’s the one and only thing that bothers me about Spike being raised by ponies. That unlike “wild” teen dragons, Spike can actually be intimidated by them despite the obvious racial advantage. Its one thing he doesn’t see himself as “superior” to ponies like other dragons do, but to actually be intimidated by their threats? Only made sense as a child.

Trolly Pants

Ooh, got ’em.