I dont think smacking cats or dogs will teach them. Is not fair for them and gosh teh regrets you have after. I know because in my childhood I did it couple times and now looking back I wished to smack my self rather then them .

My suggestion , get one of that small bottles of water you use for ironing for squirting cloths and just apply one quick shoot over his nose (this advice is the most extreme method I would suggest in case he dose not learn at all ) and say No .

somebody else was suggesting clean up and ignore the pupy for a while to get teh message he has done wrong by chewing the rug or any other households goods.

HE is young and he will learn but they are children . You guessed right.

My cat is 3 and a bit and he knows very well how to use the cat litter and yet when he feels in the mood he uses the curtains as cat litter . Gosh I was angry , but then I thought if I use baby pampers to punish him for the fun he had I might get him scared enough to make him understand what he dose is wrong .Little did I knew HE will not get the message , In fact I think he likes it coz he has his bump warm at all times. So now I buy every 2-3 weeks size 4 pampers and we change the little mischievous, mental, mummy's boy 2-3 times a day . Oh Yeah he got used with baths to (I need to wash the back end daily as he can get irritated and the smell of the poo dose not help anyone ) I know I will have to prove with some pics , I need to get them out the phone and will prove that