[yorkietalkjilly]

Perhaps to a dog a whack on the butt from the person it loves when it is just trying to call its pack to be near it at night might psychologically be almost as damaging as a beating. He's likely totally perplexed and unsure of why it happened and why he's ostracized from his pack at night. Hitting a dog in any form can make an insecure dog fearful of the hitter and humans in general.

As pack animals, canines instinctively want to sleep near or on pack mates for security and comfort from other predators. They are usually quite uncomfortable alone nights unless taught over time to go against that instinct. They aren't nocturnal animals and usually like to spend the dark hours curled up securely within the sleeping perimeter of their pack and often changing positions for additional security and comfort. If you watch feral dogs or dogs in the wild, they seem to be cognizant of the fact that some dogs have poor smell, others poor hearing or low night vision and frequent changes of sleeping positions can take better advantage of each's strengths and keep the whole pack more secure as they rotate positions for a full perimeter watch during darkness.

Since we are stewards of our dogs and we are responsible for their health, happiness and security, to hit one for trying to answer his deepest instincts to me is like spanking a dog for pooping in the house when it cannot get outside. If you want to go against your baby's desire to cuddle down near its pack to sleep, you will probably have to do it in slow increments of giving that baby a secure sleeping quarters quite near to you - starting right beside your bed and gradually and slowly move its crate away, foot by foot, over a long, slow time period of weeks or months. I personally let my dog sleep right with me and just change the bedlinens frequently even though my dog is fully housebroken and always clean.