Thank you for your reply it was helpful. He has diabetes and sometimes cannot hold his urine which is ok because I understand. I never hit my animals but for some reason I just lost control and swatted him on that day. I have been under a lot of stress and I just lost it. I am working with my therapist on anger issues so that won't happen again. I know I will never swat him again or any of my other dogs for that matter. I just don't know what happened that day, it was the first time I ever laid a hand on one of my dogs. Still, it doesn't make me feel any better. I am trying to look at it as a one time thing and learn from that mistake.