Biewer Terrier puppies

About the Biewer Terrier

The Biewer Terrier began in Germany in the 1980s, when a recessive piebald gene appeared in Yorkshire Terrier lines and breeders fixed the tricolour pattern into a separate breed. This is a genuine toy, 18 to 28cm and 1.8 to 3.6kg, with a long silky coat parted along the back. The temperament is lighter and less sharp than the terrier ancestry suggests: playful, easy going, comfortable with other pets, and rated mid scale with children, so supervision and socialisation both matter.

Exercise needs are modest. These dogs largely exercise themselves through indoor play, topped up with short walks, which makes them workable in a flat. The long coat needs daily brushing unless it is kept clipped short, and ears, nails and teeth all need routine attention. Digestion is often sensitive, so food changes should be gradual. The usual errors are treating a dog this small as unbreakable around toddlers, and skipping the dental care that toy breeds cannot afford to go without.

What to expect at eight weeks

At eight weeks a Biewer Terrier puppy is sleeping around 18 to 20 hours a day, is not house trained, and cannot hold on for more than an hour or two at a stretch. A toy breed puppy at eight weeks is small enough to be genuinely fragile. They can be hurt by a jump off a sofa and by being stepped on, and toy breeds are prone to low blood sugar, so they need frequent small meals rather than two big ones. Expect moderate energy, in short bursts separated by long naps. Grooming needs are moderate, so build the brushing habit now while the coat is still short and easy. The socialisation window is open and closing: everything they meet calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of their life.

Health worth knowing about

Conditions this breed is reported to be predisposed to. Predisposed does not mean inevitable, it means ask about it.

• Patellar luxation, a slipping kneecap, found on a patella evaluation
• Portosystemic liver shunt, screened by a bile acid blood test
• Sensitive digestion, so persistent diarrhoea or discoloured stools warrant a prompt vet visit
• Dental crowding and early tooth loss, managed by regular brushing and veterinary checks
• Inherited eye disease, screened by an ophthalmologist evaluation

Your Biewer Terrier puppy's first six months

• Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
• Worming and parasite schedule.
• Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Toy for a Biewer Terrier.
• Adult size predictor, to check growth against the 1.8 to 3.6 kg adult range.
• Puppy names and the first week checklist.

Kit sizes: crate 22 inch (22 x 14 x 16 in, 56 x 36 x 41 cm) for an adult of up to 3.6 kg; chew toys made for small breeds. Worked out the same way as the crate size calculator. PetMD bases a crate on the dog's own measurements, not weight or breed alone, so measure once the puppy is home.

Buying guides for this

• Puppy pads: are they a good idea, and how to pick ones that do not leak
• Best crate for a puppy: wire, plastic or soft, and how to size one with a divider

Other toy breeds

More on the Biewer Terrier

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Sources

• akc.org for adult weight and height, life expectancy, energy, grooming, shedding and the temperament ratings, coat type, country of origin and health notes
• Health notes from Biewer Terrier breed information at https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/biewer-terrier/. Discuss any of these with your own vet.

Photo: Detlef Breiting, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped. All photographers are listed on the photo credits page.