Biewer Terrier
The Biewer Terrier is an elegant, longhaired, tri-colored toy terrier. They maintain a charming, whimsical attitude well into adulthood.
Daily Care
Grooming Tips
The long, silky coat may appear to be intimidating to groom, but it is easy to care for. Daily brushing is required to keep the coat free from dirt and tangles.
Biewers should not be brushed when they are completely dry, as it will damage the hair. A spray bottle with water or a mix of water and dog conditioner will do the trick.
Weekly baths are necessary to keep the coat in good condition, and some keep bath wipes on hand to clean the underside of the dog on a daily basis. While some owners elect to trim the dog all over, the only trimming that is absolutely necessary is around the ears (so they don’t get weighed down), the rectum (for hygienic reasons) and under the pads of the feet.
Check the ears on a weekly basis for signs of infection, irritation, or wax build up. Cleanse regularly with a veterinarian-approved cleanser and cotton ball. Brush the teeth at least once per week to prevent tartar buildup and fight gum disease. Additionally, nails should be trimmed once per month if the dog does not wear down the toenails naturally.
Exercise Tips
The Biewer Terrier is a naturally active breed that requires regular daily exercise to work off his excess energy. If a daily walk is not possible, some active playtime will usually fulfill this dog’s needs for exercise.
With this said, Biewer puppies should not be given too much exercise because their joints and bones are still growing and too much pressure on them could result in causing a dog a few problems later on in their lives. They should not be allowed to jump up or off furniture nor should they be allowed to run up and down the stairs because this puts too much pressure on their still growing joints and limbs.
Without enough exercise of some form, however, this breed is likely to develop behavioral problems such as digging and chewing.
Feeding Tips
As a small-breed dog, the Biewer Terrier requires a high-quality commercial dog food diet that is formulated for small-breed dogs. Small-breed dog formulas are specially designed to meet the high-energy needs of small, active dogs like the Biewer.
The Biewer Terrier may have a sensitive GI system and should be fed a low-protein, well-balanced diet. Kibble is recommended as canned food increases plaque build-up. If you notice your dog chewing on his feet and scratching a lot, change his food to a lamb or fish base.
Learn about which human foods are safe for dogs, and which are not. Check with your vet if you have any concerns about your dog’s weight or diet. Clean, fresh water should be available at all times. Like many large breeds, Saint Bernard can experience bloat, a life-threatening condition where the stomach distends and twists. The causes of bloat aren’t fully understood, but experts agree that multiple, small meals per day and preventing vigorous exercise around mealtimes may help reduce the chances of it happening.
Health Tips
The average life span of the Biewer Terrier is 12 to 15 years. They may be prone to collapsing tracheas, hypoglycemia,Legg-Calve-Perthes disease, patellar luxation and portosystemic shunts.
Trainability
The Biewer’s dedication and loyalty make them the perfect family pet. Having a fun-loving, childlike attitude makes them a great companion for people of all ages and abilities to make friends with animals of any origin. Being extremely intelligent, they are easy to train, although potty training may take a little longer.
Puppies should be properly socialized to develop the amiable, outgoing personality that is characteristic of the breed. They’re successful in performance and companion events such as earthdog, barn hunt, obedience, and agility.
History
The Biewer Terrier came to be its own breed as a result of a Yorkshire Terrier puppy born in Germany in January of 1984 that had an extreme amount of white patterning throughout his coat.
This unusual puppy, named Scheefloeckchen von Friedheck, caused his breeders, Werner and Gertrud Biewer, to wonder whether their Yorkies carried a recessive piebald gene, which apparently they did.
Over the next several years, the Biewers bred for the piebald gene and produced blue, white and gold Yorkshire Terriers that bred true to their color.
Mr. Biewer showed two of his unique dogs as “black and white Yorkies” in 1988, and the breed took off from there. Biewer Terriers were first officially recognized by the Allgemeiner Club der Hundefreunde Deutschland e. V., one of Germany’s dog clubs.
The Biewers signed off on the Biewer breed standard in the late 1980s. Mr. Biewer died in 1997; thereafter, his widow stopped breeding dogs. The Biewer Terrier Club of America was established in 2007. Today, this is still considered to be a rare breed.
