About Silas

Meet Silas the Wheaten Terrier. Silas is 2.5 years old, neutered, and up to date on all vaccinations. We purchased him as a puppy from a breeder back in 2016. At around 18 months old, Silas began to show signs of aggressive behavior towards strangers on-leash and toward visitors to our home. Around this same time, he also started reacting obsessively to certain sounds and other triggers in our home. From the moment we first noticed these behaviors, we sought professional help from two different dog behavior/training experts and made many lifestyle changes. We introduced a dog treadmill into our routine, we participated in regular 'pack walks,' had many home visits, a two week 'boot camp,' and even began Silas on Prozac at the recommendation of our vet. The general consensus amongst the experts is that Silas' aggression and reactivity is rooted in anxiety. Bloodwork (including a full thyroid panel by Hemopet labs) and physical exams have revealed no underlying medical causes for his aggression. Until recently, Silas's aggressive behavior was limited to barking/lunging/nipping. We managed it primarily by avoiding encounters with strangers, and by allowing him to meet visitors to our home only after a long waiting/adjustment period on his 'place' or in his crate. Two weeks ago however, while Silas was being watched by my mother for an afternoon, Silas lunged toward a visitor at our front door (fortunately it was my Uncle), biting him on the hand and breaking the skin. No stitches were required, but there was some bleeding and a puncture wound. My mother was also bitten on the forearm while attempting to close the front door and control Silas. This bite also broke the skin. We've come to the difficult conclusion that Silas' aggression requires having more controls in place than we can safely manage. Our lifestyle and daily routine rely too heavily on other people (my mother, my in-laws, our daughter, etc.), and it's irresponsible to place the enormous responsibility of managing his behavior on others. Even with the best management practices, and even if we never had to rely on others, one small oversight could spell disaster. It's become a stressful, volatile situation, and we worry that someone else will get hurt. Silas is an exceptional dog in so many ways and we love him to pieces. We could write several pages listing all of his good qualities. Despite the stories above, he is a sweetheart in every other aspect. He is obedient, he walks well on-leash, he is great with our kids, he takes off-leash hikes with us several times each week and is amazing off-leash, he is very calm compared to most Wheatens and doesn't jump unless you ask him to, I could go on and on. More than anything he just wants to snuggle and give kisses. This whole situation has our stomachs in knots and breaks our hearts. Because Silas has a 'bite history,' no breed specific rescue groups will adopt him. If we can find a suitable new owner, we will request that you sign a legal document releasing us from any liability if he bites again. In a perfect world, we imagine that the ideal setting for Silas would be on a farm as a working dog, or someplace remote with few visitors and an owner with enough time and experience to handle his unique behavior issues. We are willing to wait as long as it takes to find Silas the right new owner(s), and we are willing to travel a long distance. If you'd like to see photos of Silas, you can view silas_the_wheaten on Instagram.

Hartford County
Wethersfield, Connecticut 06109