The Biewer Terrier is a beautiful toy terrier that has long hair and usually also has tri-colored fur. This breed is a close relative to the Yorkshire Terrier, as it actually came from it. There are a few differences between a Biewer Terrier and a Yorkshire Terrier, and these differences are sometimes hard to spot for even veteran dog lovers. To know more about this cute relative to the Yorkshire Terrier, here is a guide on the Biewer Terrier’s origins, characteristics, and proper grooming.
Origins of the Biewer Terrier
The Biewer Terrier breed came out as a result of breeding Yorkshire Terriers that have a recessive piebald gene. The term “piebald” is used for animals that are born with unpigmented or white spots that are typically asymmetrical. Yorkshire Terriers are usually black and fawn in color, but their recessive piebald gene would allow them to give birth to puppies with white spots. These Yorkshire Terriers with white spots would eventually become known as the Biewer Terrier.
It’s named is derived from the surname of the breeders who came up with the breed, and these breeders are Werner Biewer and Gertrude Biewer. Both of the Biewer breeders have been raising Yorkshire Terriers for 20 years, and according to them, the Biewer Terrier came out as an accident at first. They then discovered that their two of their dogs, namely “FruFru von Friedheck” and “Darling von Friedheck,” have a recessive piebald gene. So, they started exploiting the said gene until they were able to create the Biewer Terrier foundation stock. The first official Biewer Terrier was “
Schneeflocken von Friedheck,” a black and white puppy who was born in January 1984. Through the said dog, they were able to continue the Biewer Terrier breed.
The Biewer Terrier was first presented in a show in March 1988 at Wiesbaden, Germany. Back then, the “Biewer Terrier” was not yet coined; instead, the Biewer breeders called the two dogs that they presented there as the Black and White Yorkshire Terriers because of their unique spots that were not yet seen on the breed.
Characteristics of the Biewer Terrier
Height: 7-11 inches
Weight: 4-8 pounds
LifeExpectancy: 12-16 years
Hypoallergenic: Yes
The Biewer Terrier has the same height and weight as the Yorkshire Terriers, and they also have the same length of fur, but what differentiates the Biewer Terrier to its relative is that it has patches on it fur that is usually white or blueish-white in color. In addition, instead of having predominantly black and fawn fur, the Biewer Terrier mainly has white fur all throughout their body except for its face, which has tan and black colors similar to the Yorkshire Terrier.
Although they are generally friendly to humans, especially to their owners, Biewer Terriers tend to bark a lot on people they don’t know. It is important that they should be trained to be sociable in the early stages of their life so that they will feel comfortable with people who may visit your house. Furthermore, the Biewer Terrier is friendly to children, much like the Yorkshire Terrier. However, since it is a toy dog, there is a chance that he or she might get injured when playing with children, so supervision is still needed whenever the dog plays with kids.
Like most other toy dogs, Biewer Terriers are more suitable for small homes and not outdoors. But regular walks are still needed so that its muscles can fully develop while also getting a little bit of exercise.
Caring for the Biewer Terrier
Biewer Terriers have long coats, which means that you would have to brush them at least once a day. If you are not going to present your pet at shows, you can opt to shorten its fur so that it wouldn’t need constant brushing, but of course, its beauty will be more prominent if it has a long coat. Moreover, they don’t shed fur, so they are suitable for people who have nasal allergies and for those who don’t have much time cleaning sofas, floors, or other places at home where the dogs would usually stay and lie down.
The Biewer Terrier is typically an active breed who likes to play most of the time, hence the reason why they are good for children, as long as they are supervised. Walks are also needed to satisfy their energetic soul. However, because they are relatively short and tiny, walking them would be a lot slower compared to walking medium to large-sized dogs.
If you plan to own a Biewer Terrier in the future, make sure that you check its ears and clean them regularly so that there won’t be dirt buildup, and you should also schedule a checkup with your local vet at least once a month or once in two months so that the toy dog’s health can be checked.