Aggressive Humping

I recently rescued a 12 year old bulldog from a good chance of being put down. He is blind and deaf and intact. He has been trying to hump me since we got him. It is so bad I am beginning to feel terrorized in my own home. He does not do it to anyone else or any of my other animals. I have bad legs and actively have to hide from him to avoid getting hurt. I have even tried putting barriers between us but he bulldozes through them. The vets have ruled out illness for the cause and I have spoken to a behaviorist but they aren’t sure what to do since he is blind and deaf. I am so frustrated but don’t want to give up on him. Please I really need some help.

Hello!  - And congratulations on your new pet, although I agree that that sounds extremely stressful.  It sounds as though your vet can find no obvious pathology regarding the humping - I wonder if that extends to the deafness and in particular the blindness?  Its usually helpful to have an idea of why a blind animal may be blind and for how long the signs have been going on.  Some dogs have congenital (from birth) blindness, but in older dogs this can also occur secondarily to other issues, which may need to be considered.  I wonder whether a neurological exam appears completely normal, for example?

Assuming that the humping is the only problem, there may be a strong case for castration in this case.  Even though he is twelve, it sounds as though the patient is quite hampered at the moment, so this may be worth considering.  Good questions for your vet include, 'Could he be suffering with something neurological?' 'What are the benefits and drawbacks of castration in this case?' and further, 'Could chemical castration be worth trying and what are the benefits and drawbacks of that?' We would be interested in hearing what happens next.

(And of course, 'Why is my dog blind and deaf?')