[cowboyjo04]

We got a bassett hound from the dogs home where he had been a stray. He is a great little dog apart from him barking when we are out of sight. He is kept with 2 other dogs, we have tried the spray collar and also a vibrating collar , none of them work. The main problem is bed time , he is left to sleep in the kitchen with the other dogs but all he does is bark. We have tried to leave him but he will not stop. We have to let him sleep upstairs as to not upset the neighbours. We have also tried to crate him. Does anybody have any idea how yo stop this problem.

[labman]

Having a good pack structure reduces such problems. The dogs see all the
People and dogs in the household as a pack with each having their own rank in
The pack and a top dog. Life is much easier if the 2 legged pack members
Outrank the 4 legged ones. You can learn to play the role of top dog by
Reading some books or going to a good obedience class. A good obedience class
Or book is about you being top dog, not about rewarding standard commands with
A treat. Start at Raising Your Dog with the Monks of New Skete. As top dog, you have the right to crate him. It is his place to wait quietly for your return. At his age, keep sessions short, a few minutes for several repetitions. Steal a few minutes several times a day, and in a month people will be marveling what a good little puppy.

Likely it will cry the first few nights in the crate. I have never had much
Luck with the old clock or radio tricks. What I do is lay down by the crate
Like I was going to sleep there. Usually a puppy may fuss a little, but then
Settle down and go to sleep. Once it is asleep, you can get up and go to bed.

It is confused about who is in charge. It is quite possible it is used to
Being in charge, and intends to stay in charge. Likely it is already neutered,
But do so now if not. Dogs with behavior problems should never be bred. Then
You need to take over as top dog. Having a good pack structure reduces such
Problems. The dogs see all the people and dogs in the household as a pack with each having their own rank in the pack and a top dog. Life is much easier if the 2 legged pack members outrank the 4 legged ones. You can learn to play the role of top dog by reading some books or going to a good obedience class. A good obedience class or book is about you learning to be top dog, not the dog learning it gets a treat if it sits. Start at Raising Your Dog with the Monks of New Skete.

The above are fundamental techniques I suggest for almost all behavior problems and should help with barking too. The truth is, Labs usually don't bark that much and I don't have methods of controlling barking that I have been successful using. It isn't even in the manual for them. The manual does have a suggested reading list. One I have read is The Other End of the Leash by Patrica McConnell.

She suggests the first step is not to yell at the dog. After all, usually if one dog starts to bark, any others around will to. So yell at your dog when it barks and it is happy to have you bark with it. Quietly tell it enough and walk over to it with a treat, doesn't need to be very big. Let him know you have it and use it to lure him away from what he is barking at if anything, and praise him as he shifts his attention to the treat and away from barking. Once away from where he was barking, give him the treat.

Unlike much of my other advice, this is not something I have tried and found works. It does come from a reliable source and I would trust it more than something I found on a website I know little about. I just hope he isn't smart enough to figure out if he barks, he gets a treat plus your attention.