The Biewer Terrier is a rare purebred dog created through the occurrence of a recessive piebald gene in two Yorkshire Terriers, It originated in Germany on January 20, 1984, from breeding by Gertrud and Werner Biewer’s Yorkshire Terriers. These dogs are friendly, playful, and energetic, which are some of their best qualities.
The Biewer Terrier, pronounced like “beaver,” is also known by the names Biewer à la Pom Pon, Biewer Yorkie, or Biewer Yorkshire. You may be able to find Biewer Terrier dogs at shelter and rescues, so remember to adopt! It’s always better than shopping.
Today Yorkshire Terriers and Biewers are considered two different breeds. Against the wishes of some of the Biewer clubs, some American breeders are importing Biewers and crossing them with Yorkshire Terriers and calling them Biewer Yorkies. The clubs state, “Breeding back to the Yorkie is a big no-no, as purebred is NOT achieved by breeding with another breed.”
Since these energetic and lovable pups are small in stature, they are great for those who live in apartments or homes with or without backyards. They’re suited for a wide range of households from single and senior citizens to families with children. Biewer Terriers make great companion pets and they generally get along well with children and other pets, though they can be pretty active and have a tendency to be noisy, especially with strangers and dogs they don’t know.
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.