Aggressive Basset Hound

Question
My husband and I bought our dog from a pet store 4 years ago and we have to admit that the first few years, he was pretty spoiled. The last two years or so, we have really cracked down and he listens pretty well for the most part. The one thing we cannot get him to stop doing is jumping up on the counters. He is looking for food that has been placed on the edge of the counter and no matter how many times we yell at him, he does it over and over again. Most recently, I am 7 months pregnant and his aggression has become a lot worse. He used to do these things infrequently, but it's becoming worse and I am worried about what will happen when the baby comes. If he is sleeping and somebody starts petting him, he will get extremely vicious, growling, definitely showing teeth, and barking excessively. On occasion, somebody will be over to visit and out of the blue, he will all of a sudden start showing his teeth and growling at visitors. If I prepare the bathroom for his bath and then push him into the bathroom, he will also start growling at me or my husband. I am becoming more worried that I will not be able to trust him with my daughter once she is born, as she may easily grab him while he's sleeping and he could bite her. We always punish him after his "episodes" by kicking him outside in the dark or locking him in a room by himself.
My husband and I are debating about what to do. We were thinking perhaps buying a remote shocker collar so that every time he starts showing his aggression, we could trigger the shock. Is this the best way to cure not only his aggressive behaviour but keep him off our counters as well?

Answer
First and foremost, you are not punishing your dog by kicking him outside in the dark or locking him in a room by himself, you are abusing him.
Dogs do not think like humans and he has no idea why you're doing any of those things.
The first thing you need to do is walk your dog, twice a day every day. Teach him some basic obedience, heel, sit, stay. Go From there to 'take it' and 'leave it'. Hold a treat for him, but tell him to leave it, or wait, as soon as he looks away tell him it's ok and to take it and give him the treat He needs to learn that he doesn't eat unless you ok it.
I think you need to find an obedience class for your dog and enroll him immediately. You need to start at the beginning. It's not your dogs fault that he was spoiled and treated like a baby rather than a dog, and now you expect him to behave like a dog. He's becoming worse because he is uncomfortable in his pack, fearful and confused. Contact a trainer. If you're not willing to put in the time and energy to retrain your dog, do him and yourself a favor and rehome him with someone who is.
Another thing Kim. Dogs, like children, respond much better to reward than punishment. Ignore bad behavior and reward good. If you are rough and angry with this dog he will either respond in fear or anger. It's the only way he knows to respond. Neither fear, nor anger is a productive emotion in humans or dogs.
Diane