About 6 weeks ago I came home from work, tired and grumpy. I asked my dog if he wanted to go for a walk, being old and tired he didn't get up until I got a treat for him. Once he followed me outside I gave him the treat and stood and waited with him, telling him to go poo. When he didn't go I brought him back inside and went and had my shower. When I came out of the shower I smelled shit, to come downstairs to multiple piles of diarhea strewn around the house. I got mad, scolded him and hit his tired old bones with way too much force than I should have. He yelped. Right after I hit him I immediately forgave him for his accident and kissed him on the head and rubbed his ears and said "I'm sorry" before cleaning up his mess.
He couldn't control his bowels near the end, he was 15 years old. He was entirely innocent and couldn't help himself, which makes me feel the WORST. He knew what he did but I knew it wasn't worth a punishment like that, especially since I RARELY hit that dog, and I never hit him as hard as I hit him that day. He didn't deserve that, especially because he couldn't control himself. It was wrong on my part in every way, he was innocent and helpless at that age. Very well tempered, resilient and loving.
He didn't limp around or whimper after I hit him, which tells me he likely wasn't hurt too bad. That's the silver lining in all of this. That and the fact I fed him pulled pork, raw chicken wings, roast beef, a bit of cheese, cooked potatoes, a bit of bacon and some apples and bananas as treats for the last week of his life. Remember that this incident happened 6 weeks before he died. I gave him lots and lots of love and affection from that incident to the time of his death. I also gave him lots of treats.
My concern is only a day or 2 before he died he pooed on the floor and hid in the dark corner i hit him in over a month before. I gave him a quick pet and told him it was OK, but he stayed in that corner at the back of the house for hours, when he usually only stayed at the front of the house by the door. When I realized he was still sitting there hours later i called him out of his spot and gave him a treat and a quick rub behind the ears.
I felt like he still remembered that hitting incident and feared the repercussions of his bowel movements. He felt ashamed and fearful after he pooed and he shouldn't have, he was old and an overall good, well tempered dog. I didn't punish him for his poos since that incident, only scolded him. I fed him lots of treats and showed my forgiveness. I also rescued him from the garage my parents put him in every night, he would yelp and whimper for hours if I didn't.
I always took him out of the garage after my parents went to bed, and since I worked afternoon shifts I would sit and watch TV in the living room with him until 5 am for the last 2 months of his life to keep him company and make sure he doesn't leave a mess when my parents wake up at 6 am. He appreciated that, I know for sure.
My main question and concern is: DID HE FORGIVE AND FORGET? I forgave him, and I just want him to know he was the best dog I could have ever asked for. He was loving, loyal, smart, protective and gentle with his owners. He would never hurt us and the fact I hurt him so soon before his death unnerves me and makes me feel so guilty. He didn't deserve it and every time he pooed he would go hide when he should have died knowing he didn't need to feel any guilt for his involuntary bowel movements. I hope he died knowing he was loved and taken care of.
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from Pets https://www.reddit.com/r/Pets/comments/e3rggk/i_hit_my_loving_old_dog_way_too_hard_6_weeks/
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