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I think hitting a dog is wrong.
Positive re-enforcement by praises and or treats is my favorite way.
When those don’t work or are not applicable I go to a squirt bottle.
Sometimes a training collar properly used is what it takes.
When I see a dog cower to getting petted I see an abused dog and a POS dog owner.
I agree that hitting a dog is wrong, however just because a dog "cowers" doesn't mean the dog was abused or it is due to a POS dog owner. Can it be? Yes, but the fact is, that type of behavior is, more often than not, the result of poor breeding/genetic defects! Everyone wants to blame abuse but in my 50 years experience working with dogs, that is rarely the problem...sadly these dogs are nervous and by nature....fearful.
I have 3 adopted cats and yet if they lower their hear when petted, I suspect abuse, same with dogs. However, I do remember as a kid, always had dogs, the rolled up newspaper was parents go to.....Ugh. They changed when they got older. Dad just lost his last dog Maggie, a border collie, she didn't need much training, they are so smart.
In case nobody noticed, this is a necro-thread. The original thread was from 7 years ago. Many of the commenters in that thread haven't been on C-D in years. I suppose the topic is always, well, topical! But maybe start a new thread?
There are other ways to modify behavior besides hitting.
With my dogs, I learned about "the mother nip" from a trainer. It's when a mother nips her puppies when they are very young, when they do something they are not supposed to do. The mother nips the side of their torso. When I do it, I pinch their side with my fingers while giving a stern look shaking my head. One of my dogs is extremely stubborn while the other dog, who passed away recently learned quickly. The point is consistency.
Another thing I do in the morning is ignore them. This works very well I close my eyes, lie still, don't react, don't engage. They got the message very quickly. My remaining dog now lies down next to the bed until I am ready to get up. With a very insistent dog it may take several days for this to sink in.
I've only "hit" each of my dogs a handle of times. By "hit" I mean a swat on the butt with a stern admonishment. Nothing that will hurt or scare them.
My dog now apparently understands, "no, I need a few more minutes" when he is trying to wake me up, and he jumps up and lays with me til I'm ready.
I think Cesar Milan used that pinching technique and also like a 'psssstt' verbal cue that the dogs seemed to respond to.
also like a 'psssstt' verbal cue that the dogs seemed to respond to.
Similarly, I heard early on that for some reason, puppies seem to instinctively understand the "ah-ah" that sounds almost like "uh oh" and conveys a meaning of: "no, bad choice." I used that a lot with our puppies and they always seemed to "get it." They'd usually pause and redirect. Very interesting (to me)!
(I don't think this would have helped with the OP's 7-years-ago problem, though.)
I agree that hitting a dog is wrong, however just because a dog "cowers" doesn't mean the dog was abused or it is due to a POS dog owner. Can it be? Yes, but the fact is, that type of behavior is, more often than not, the result of poor breeding/genetic defects! Everyone wants to blame abuse but in my 50 years experience working with dogs, that is rarely the problem...sadly these dogs are nervous and by nature....fearful.
Yup Some dogs that cower are just head shy as not all dogs enjoy people touching the top of their heads, which is why it is advised you do not reach over a dog you have just met to pat its head. Instead give it a scratch under the chin or on the front of the chest or even back by the tail. My dogs love it when someone gives them scratches on the back right above the tail, Chaos actually has a happy dance that she does as you do it.
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My dog now apparently understands, "no, I need a few more minutes" when he is trying to wake me up, and he jumps up and lays with me til I'm ready. 
