Yes i sure would. If they are being hard-headed, and stubborn, they need to be taught. It will not hurt to pop (hit) them. I have cats, and even if they are being stubborn, and won't listen. I will pop them lightly. Animals need discipline, as do children, but its' in a different way. I mean i would never hit my kids, but i might pop their bottom very lightly. You must teach animals discipline when they are young, as you must do with children.

Since dogs lack the mental agility that humans have, with regards to decisions on being stubborn...my answer is yes, and NO. I've swatted a few dogs on the butt a few times, but more often, I'll give them a finger poke than a swat, to get their attention back on ME. Dogs don't have the ability to think as we do and so their reasons for not doing something or for continuing to do something we've indicated clearly that they should stop (or do) are not for the same reasons a human would ignore another human. Nonetheless, if I've asked my dog to do (or stop doing) something, I want, expect the dog to listen! They are easily distracted. Sounds, sights and more than anything else (that might not be clear to US) what they SMELL often dictates their level of focus on what WE want them to do! Yelling or hitting a dog or puppy (or really any animal), especially if you are angry, annoyed, or mildly upset, serve more to frighten the dog than to correct or redirect it in any useful manner. A frightened dog, is no longer working WITH YOU on anything. They are afraid and can only focus on getting away from what is scaring them. Horses and other animals being trained, are pretty much the same, with the only difference being that a horse, may well become so fearful that you can easily get hurt by them trying to get away. Other animals, such as an exotic, (I've worked with Cheetahs before) are VERY LIKELY to strike out at you, they especially do not understand human behaviors of ire and are more likely to become immediately aggressive. Working with Dogs and Horses for over 30 years has taught me that I'm a lot more likely to get what I want (focus and subsequent correct behavioral responses) if I REDIRECT the dog to doing something it can successfully do as fast as possible. Then, I can immediately reward the dog for doing the "right behavior" and refocus the dog's attention back on what I wanted in the first place! A poke, or saying "HEY!" in a sharp tone of voice, usually brings them back. Of course, if the behavior you are asking for is one you are in the middle of teaching the animal to do, then you need to realize that the animal may not yet be fully clear on what, exactly, you want them to do! Likewise, a training session that lasts too long, will usually sour the animal a bit and needs to be ended with a quick successful behavior so that you end on a positive note. On the other hand...Hannah will come up to me sometimes, usually in the morning while I'm drinking my coffee...all wiggly and wagging, and I'll ask her.. "Do you want a good beating?" She hypes up a bit more and swings her butt in my direction... why YES! She does want a good beating! And then I scratch, rub, and pop her on the butt for several minutes as she wiggles about, making little noises of pleasure, wagging and prancing in place. I can "pound" on her butt for this, much harder than I would ever "hit" or swat her for something and she LOVES IT... It's all in the attitude...If I've said her name in a warning tone of voice (she's trying to steal one of the cat's meats for example..) and I then swat at her butt as she removes herself from the area...she is great at scooting just out of reach so that my hand never touches her butt at all! She actually will "duck" her butt down, as she makes a break for it, and then looks over her shoulder at me to see if further retributions are going to be forthcoming....lol Usually a "dirty look" from me, suggests she go find another "hobby" for the time being! <wink>