Biewer Terrier: Your Complete Guide
The Biewer terrier is a fairly new modern dog breed. Recognized by the American Kennel Club in 2021, the Biewer terrier’s origins come from a couple of Yorkshire terriers in the 1980s.
Despite their many similarities with Yorkies, the Biewer terrier is a distinct dog breed. At first glance, it may be difficult to differentiate the two breeds. Once you spend time with a Biewer terrier, you’ll soon realize there’s more to these dogs than their resemblances to the Yorkshire terrier.
Our article will guide you through this modern dog breed’s physical features, temperament, care needs, and more. Read on to know if the Biewer terrier is a suitable four-legged friend for you and your family.
Quick Look at the Biewer Terrier
The chart below is a quick summary of the Biewer terrier, informing you about the breed’s physical characteristics, temperament, and grooming needs.
| Weight/Height | 4-8 pounds/7-11 inches |
| Coat Type | Hypoallergenic with straight, silky hair |
| Grooming Needs |  |
| Shedding |  |
| Temperament | Affectionate, devoted, playful, social |
| Good With Kids |  |
| Good With Other Animals | |
| Intelligence | |
| Easy to Train | |
| Energy Level | |
| Barking Habits | |
| Lifespan | 14-16 years |
What Is the History of Biewer Terriers?
The Biewer terrier is one of the newest dog breeds recognized by the AKC in 2021. The history of these Yorkie-like dogs dates back to 1984.
Werner and Gertrude Biewer, two experienced Yorkshire terrier breeders from Germany, had two puppies with an unusual color. The puppies had white coats with black and blue patches instead of the tan and blue markings of the typical Yorkshire terrier.
These puppies were named Schneeflocken von Friedheck and Schneeman. Over the years, the Biewer family named the breed after their name and continued selectively breeding to develop a consistent population of Biewer terriers.
In the early 2000s, Biewer terriers were imported to the United States, and the Biewer Terrier Club of America (BTCA) was formed. The BTCA sent blood samples to laboratories to determine whether Biewer Terriers were purebred or a variety of the Yorkshire terrier. The results showed the Biewer terrier was indeed a purebred dog breed, separate from the Yorkshire terrier.
Currently, the number of registered Biewer terriers is only a few thousand in the United States, but the breed is gaining popularity. If you plan to get a Biewer terrier, note that there are very few breeders in the US, and getting one is often expensive.
What Do Biewer Terriers Look Like?
The Biewer terrier has a unique tricolor coat that isn’t commonly seen in other terrier-type dogs. The coat of the Biewer terrier has a white base with black or blue and tan markings. You will find white and tan in all Biewer terriers with blue or black markings. This color pattern is what separates the breed primarily from the Yorkshire terrier.
What Size Is a Biewer Terrier?
The Biewer terrier is a small dog breed. This toy terrier stands between 7 and 11 inches tall at the shoulder and weighs 4 to 8 pounds. Although small, Biewer terriers – like other terrier-type dogs – enjoy physical activities suitable for their size. They can be lap dogs one moment and ready to play in a split second.
What Is a Biewer Terrier’s Coat Type and Length?
The Biewer terrier has an elegant, silky coat. It grows fast and requires daily grooming, though the coat isn’t prone to matting with its smooth texture. Still, daily brushing is recommended to keep the flowing appearance of the long coat.
Biewer terrier owners can also keep a short coat for minimal grooming needs. Whether you keep it short or long, Biewer terriers don’t shed. If you’re suffering from pet allergies, spending time with a Biewer terrier won’t trigger allergic reactions, as the coat is more like human hair than animal fur.
What Is a Biewer Terrier’s Temperament?
Biewer terriers are affectionate and bond strongly with their owners. They tend to devote themselves to one person in the family they call their special human and demand all the attention they can get from them. Even in large families, Biewer terriers tend to put one person above everyone else.
Biewer terriers are lively dogs that are always up for play sessions. They store a lot of energy in their tiny bodies and require daily exercise and interactive play sessions to stay happy and healthy. Although they enjoy standing by their owner’s side for cuddles and affection, Biewer terriers thrive in active families.
The Biewer terrier’s affectionate and playful side isn’t exclusive to their humans. They are very open and social dogs that welcome other animals. However, socialization is essential to ensure they don’t suffer from small dog syndrome, where they may view other dogs as a potential threat and intimidating.
The primary personality trait that separates the Biewer terrier from the Yorkshire terrier is these dogs are more on the sweeter side. They aren’t prone to territorial barking or stubbornness, which makes them more adaptable to different living conditions.
Are Biewer Terriers Good With Kids?
The Biewer terrier can get along well with kids of all ages, but children must be taught to respect their space. Biewer terriers don’t like rough handling, and their small size makes them prone to accidental injuries during play sessions. It’s essential to supervise when kids and Biewer terriers are playing.
If children in the family don’t respect a Biewer terrier’s boundaries, they may quickly get irritated, which can make them snap or growl at children. It’s important to socialize a Biewer terrier around children early and teach kids how to interact with the dog to ensure everyone gets along well.
Are Biewer Terriers Good With Other Animals?
The Biewer terrier is a friendly dog breed that’s generally good with other animals. They see other dogs as potential friends and playmates rather than a challenge. This makes the socialization part extremely easy. You can be sure that a Biewer terrier will get along well with dogs of all sizes at a young age.
Biewer terriers can also do well around cats with some socialization, but not with prey animals. Like other terrier-type dogs, they are prone to chasing small animals. If you have birds, hamsters, Guinea pigs, or other small animals, it’s best to keep them in a separate part of the house, inaccessible to a Biewer terrier.
Are Biewer Terriers Aggressive?
Biewer terriers are lovey-dovey dogs that are more relaxed and welcoming than other terriers. A well-socialized Biewer terrier won’t display signs of aggression unless threatened or irritated.
It would be rare for a Biewer terrier to bark or growl at strangers. They tend to stick to their owner’s side if new people are at home. However, if a stranger enters a Biewer terrier’s space for pets without giving them enough time, they may get irritated, which can lead to aggressive behavior.
Do Biewer Terriers Bark?
Biewer terriers aren’t particularly vocal dogs but aren’t quiet either. Like other terriers, a Biewer terrier may bark at strange noises and sights. Anything unusual can trigger barking, such as someone knocking on the door or phone ringing.
Other than barking to alert, Biewer terriers tend to be quiet dogs. However, they have a louder bark than you would expect from their tiny size. It’s essential to teach them “quiet” to make sure this behavior doesn’t lead to excessive barking. Doing this will also ensure barking doesn’t create a conflict with neighbors.
Are Biewer Terriers Affectionate?
As mentioned, Biewer terriers are affectionate and highly devoted to their family. They will take anything as an invitation for cuddles and won’t want to leave your lap until they have enough. Biewer terriers also take expressing their affection very seriously. They aren’t shy to give kisses and nuzzles.
While these are excellent traits, Biewer terriers require constant human attention. They can quickly develop separation anxiety if they don’t get enough human attention and are left home alone for too long. These dogs do best in families with someone to keep them company.
Are Biewer Terriers Intelligent?
The Biewer terrier is an intelligent dog breed with an alert and curious personality. They are willing to learn new things and don’t shy away from the challenges puzzles and interactive toys bring. These small dogs are problem solvers. If there’s something in the way of getting what they want, they will find ways to go around it.
While the intelligence of this breed makes training easier and enjoyable, it also means they require a great deal of mental stimulation. If a Biewer terrier’s schedule gets monotonous, they may lose the desire to get on with their routine.
Are Biewer Terriers Energetic?
Biewer terriers are medium-to-high-energy dogs that require 45 to 60 minutes of light exercise. Daily walks around the neighborhood, indoor play sessions, socializing with new dogs, and interactive games are enough to keep them physically fit.
Since the Biewer terrier is an intelligent dog breed, games that make them use their brain can also be an excellent form of exercise. Training, scent work, and solving puzzles are as effective in tiring a Biewer terrier as an hour-long walk.
Are Biewer Terriers Easy to Train?
Biewer terriers are intelligent dogs that can learn tricks and rules you set fast. However, they won’t execute commands just to please their owners. When training a Biewer terrier, you must make them see the point in training. With lots of praise and appropriate rewards during training, even novice dog owners can teach a Biewer terrier what they need to learn.
Although these dogs are easy to train, housebreaking can take time due to their small size. During housebreaking, Biewer terriers require more frequent potty breaks, and you can expect accidents to happen more often.
Are Biewer Terriers Good Watchdogs?
Like their Yorkie cousins, Biewer terriers are good at alerting their pack to unusual sounds and sights. If there’s something or someone in the yard that shouldn’t, a Biewer terrier will let you know.
While Biewer terriers will undoubtedly bark at unusual things, it’s best not to expect more from them as they are small dogs that aren’t capable of guarding a territory. They will simply bark to let you know.
Are Biewer Terriers Good Service Dogs?
The small size and the terrier instincts that may make the Biewer terrier chase small animals don’t make this breed suitable for service animal work. However, this doesn’t mean they can’t hold any titles.
Biewer terriers are excellent at comforting their people through companionship. Even though the size and some personality traits of the Biewer terrier don’t make the breed a good candidate for service dog duties, these dogs make excellent ESAs and therapy dogs.
How to Care for a Biewer Terrier?
Biewer terriers need the attention of their humans to live a healthy, happy life. Like all the other dog breeds, Biewer terriers need regular vet visits, grooming, socialization, obedience training, daily exercise, and affection. Below, you’ll learn more about their care needs and health.
Do You Need to Groom a Biewer Terrier?
Depending on the length of the coat, grooming a Biewer terrier can be straightforward or quite demanding. If the coat is long, Biewer terriers require daily brushing to prevent matting. Although the silky texture isn’t prone to getting tangled, daily brushing is a must to keep their elegant flow.
Long-haired Biewer terriers also require more frequent haircuts. By keeping your Biewer terrier’s coat at a more manageable length – about one inch – you will need to do less grooming to maintain it. Still, they will need brushing every few days and regular trips to a professional groomer for haircuts.
Other than grooming their coats, Biewer terriers need bathes as they get dirty, nail trimming, ear cleaning, eye cleaning, and dental care.
Do Biewer Terriers Shed?
Biewer terriers don’t have an undercoat. Therefore, they don’t shed and are hypoallergenic dogs. The hair of the Biewer terrier is much like ours than animal fur. The hypoallergenic coat of the Biewer terrier makes them one of the best small dog breeds for allergy sufferers.
What Health Problems Do Biewer Terriers Have?
The Biewer terrier is a generally healthy dog breed but still prone to certain health issues. Some of the canine diseases seen in Biewer terriers include:
- Patellar luxation
- Tracheal collapse
- Legg-Calve-Perthes
- Eye issues
- Dental problems
- Digestive disorders
How Long Do Biewer Terriers Live?
The Biewer terrier is a healthy dog breed. The typical life expectancy of Biewer terriers is between 14 and 16 years. However, this doesn’t mean all Biewer terriers will live as long as this. Genetics, environmental factors, exercise, diet, stress levels, and overall quality of life all determine how long a dog lives.
What Should a Biewer Terrier Eat?
A Biewer terrier should eat dog food appropriate for their age, size, and energy levels. You can consult your veterinarian to know the best dog food for your Biewer terrier. Biewer terriers can also thrive on a homemade diet approved by your veterinarian.
Additionally, you can give a Biewer terrier dog-safe snacks, such as fruits, vegetables, and some dairy products. However, it’s important to keep the amounts small, as Biewer terriers are known to have sensitive stomachs.
Is a Biewer Terrier the Right Dog for Me?
The Biewer terrier is a small dog breed that thrives on human companionship. These toy terriers are loyal and bond strongly with their humans. They are friendly and get along well with other animals, including cats. The small size of this breed makes them suitable to live in various living conditions, from small apartments to spacious houses.
Biewer terriers are an excellent breed choice for those looking for a small yet lively dog with bigger love to give than their body. This breed makes an excellent companion for those with enough time to give back the love a Biewer terrier needs.