Hmm... Depends on how hard and with or without shoe. If I kicked a nail, even decently hard, with a shoe, that would be preferable. But even a light kick barefoot would be pretty painful. As for the puppy, tapping a puppy with your foot when they're being an obstacle isn't necessarily a bad thing, and will help get their attention and get them out of the way. Kicking a puppy with any amount of force however would be a no go.
Would you rather live in a home that had no windows or no electric lights (and no option to purchase lights)?