Biewer Terriers - Biewer a' la Pom Pon

Blog 28 April 2023 Hits: 987

The Biewer Terriers are a rare purebred dog created through the occurrence of a recessive piebald gene in two Yorkshire Terriers. These dogs are friendly, playful, and energetic, which are some of their best qualities.

About the Biewer Terrier

The Biewer Terrier, pronounced beaver like the little dam-building animals, is a dedicated, loyal family member and a friend to all they meet. It is not uncommon to be met with a smile from this happy-go-lucky dog. Although not a constant barker, they will alert you to company. With a larger than life personality, their lighthearted, childlike whimsical attitude will keep you entertained for hours. In spite of their small stature, Biewer are hearty and athletic, able to keep up with the best of them on long walks, hikes or competing in the agility ring.

Biewer Terrier Not Our photo

History of the Biewer

The Biewer Terrier originated in Hunstruck, Germany on January 20^th, 1984 after two Yorkshire Terriers with recessive piebald genes were bred by Gertrud and Werner Biewer. Both Gertrud and Werner Biewer were passionate Yorkshire Terrier lovers, who raised and bred them for 20 years, and only stumbled upon the Biewer Terrier breed after noticing the recessive piebald gene their Yorkshire inherited.

In Germany, the Biewer Terrier breed fell in popularity by the year 2000, and the number of breeders dropped significantly. However, the breed enjoyed renewed popularity once these dogs were brought to America. A few years later in 2014, the American Kennel Club (AKC) inducted the Biewer Terrier into their Foundation Stock Service. In 2021, the AKC recognized the Biewer Terrier as a full, pure breed in the Toy Group.

Size

The Biewer Terrier is relatively small, basically comparable to the size of their forefather breed, the Yorkshire Terrier. Most weigh in the range of 2 to 4 kg and range in height between 18cm to 28cm fully grown.

Personality

The Biewer Terrier is very energetic and loves to play as well as receive endless amounts of affection from their owners. These loving pups love to cuddle and especially like to settle into their owners' laps. They are constant explorers and love to play.

Though these dogs are fairly intelligent, they can be stubborn, which makes training them a little more difficult than normal. Be sure to practice persistence and consistency when training these small pooches.

Though they are a terrier breed, they do not possess the terrier tendencies of strong prey drive or digging behaviors. They are also able to live in apartments and homes with or without backyards.

Care

As with all dogs, you should keep up with your Biewer Terrier's veterinary checkups to detect any health concerns early. Your vet can help you develop a care routine specific for your dog breed that will keep them healthy.

The Biewer Terrier is a naturally active breed that requires regular daily exercise to work off their excess energy. Without enough exercise of some form, however, this breed is likely to develop behavioral problems such as digging and chewing.

These pups also have long coats which will require daily brushing to prevent matting and tangled fur. You can also choose to shorten their coat which would reduce the need for brushing.

Their nails should be trimmed regularly with a nail clipper or grinder to avoid overgrowth, splitting and cracking. Their ears should be checked regularly to avoid a buildup of wax and debris, which can result in an infection.

Teeth should be brushed regularly. As a small breed, these dogs may be more prone to dental issues. Your vet can help you form a brushing routine and give you further instructions on dental care at home.

Coat Color And Grooming

As the Biewer Terrier are descendants of the Yorkshire Terrier, their coats might be similar, but their coat colors will have differences. Biewer Terriers have a piebald colorization, meaning they have irregular patches of colors. Usually their coloring includes white or blueish-white patches over white fur on their chests, legs, and undersides. Their faces usually have black and tan coloring.

These pups typically have long coats though you can also choose to shorten the coat to reduce the need for daily brushing. The Biewer Terrier is also considered hypoallergenic. Because of their small size and soft coat, they are quite easy to groom. If you decide to keep their coat long, daily brushing is required.

Biewer Terrier Health

Biewer Terriers are robust for their size and have the typical long lifespan of toys breeds, of 10-16 years.

Databases of canine congenital disease rarely have these dogs listed due to their rarity. Information relating to the Yorkshire Terrier is likely to apply.

Case reports have been published of Biewer Terriers suffering from necrotizing encephalitis. However, there is no evidence that this breed is at increased risk of the disorder.

The Biewer Terrier has a narrower genetic base than the Yorkshire Terrier. Any purebred Biewer Terrier descends from only a handful of animals.

Children And Other Pets

The Biewer Terrier is a small dog so they can be easily injured by overly excited children. Though they can get along with small children, it’s best to make sure they learn and understand early how to properly approach and play with a small dog. These pups can get along with virtually everyone including adults, older kids, and senior citizens. The Biewer Terrier can make a great, active companion.

When it comes to other pets, the Biewer Terrier needs time to socialize in order to feel comfortable. These small pups tend to have big personalities and are not afraid to stand up for themselves against larger dogs. Introducing them early in their life to other dogs and dog parks will make things easier as far as socialization with other pets.