Biewer Terriers
What is a Biewer Terrier Anyway?
How do you say it? - First let us address how you pronounce this name. The AKC or American Kennel Club says it's pronounced like the word Beaver. The Biewer Breed Club of America says it is pronounced Beeva, and yet I've heard breeders prononunce it Beevair (Like Beware, but with a "V") No matter how you pronounce it, let's find out more about this little terrier.
About the Biewer Terrier - The Biewer Terrier 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 usually 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 History - The heritage of the Biewer Terrier has been an interesting and much discussed topic over the years. It started with Mr. and Mrs. Biewer, who instead of having children, bred, raised, sold, and showed Yorkshire Terriers. They had a very large and successful breeding program throughout the 1970s and into the ’80s. By 1981, their enthusiasm for showing the standard Yorkshire Terriers tapered off.
The first documented black, white and tan puppy born was Schneeflockchen von Friedheck on January 20, 1984. Three months later, another black, white and tan puppy was born named Schneeman. These puppies were unique and rare, as they possessed the recessive piebald gene, a gene not usually found in Yorkies. During a visit one day, their vet and friend, Dr. Bardeleben, suggested they name the dogs after Mrs. Biewer. They chuckled as they contemplated the name, “Gertrud Biewer Yorkshire Terrier.” After much consideration, they found the “Biewer Yorkshire Terrier” to be a more suitable name. Documentation shows that both of these puppies were sold to the famous German singer, Margot Eskens, who suggested adding “a la Pom Pon” to their name. The Biewer Yorkshire Terrier a la Pom Pon made its actual public debut in 1986.
The demand was hard to meet for these exclusive dogs, as the Biewer family did not produce many Biewer-type dogs and they were very selective where their dogs were placed. Many breeders tried to replicate the “Biewer Dog” by mixing other breeds together. It wasn’t long before Mr. Biewer became ill and was unable to help Mrs. Biewer carry on the dream they had set out to accomplish for the Biewer breed. Sadly, Mrs. Biewer soon phased out their breeding program in order to better care for her husband during his illness.
Other breeders were intrigued with the little dogs and began breeding them as well. Among the first breeders were the “Agridesheim” and “Sonnenhof” Kennels. Mr. and Mrs. Biewer kept a close reign on the Biewer breeding programs in Germany, so their quality-breeding dogs were hard to come by and were quiet costly. Mr. Biewer passed away in 1997, but his legacy lives on through his exquisite breed. After Mr. Biewer’s death, many breeders took short cuts in their attempts to create the perfect Biewer. We will never know the complete truth about the beginnings of this exquisite breed, but we will protect their legacy until the end.
The History and Photo on this page are courtousy of the AKC or American Kennel Club. Find more information about this breed at www.akc.org/dogbreeds/biewer-terrier/
For a more detailed history visit the Biewer Breed Club of America at www.biewerbca.org
