Whoever said that dynamite comes in small packages could have been talking about the Biewer Terrier. Although these lovable pups are small in stature, they are packed with energy, affection and a great deal of charm. Their sole purpose in life is to love and be loved and will settle as easily into a single-person household as they will into a busy family with kids.

Being a Toy breed, your Biewer Terrier (pronounced “beaver”) can be quite yappy and doesn’t particularly like strangers. That’s not a bad thing because with the right training, he’ll make an excellent guard dog.

While terriers were bred to hunt vermin, your Biewer doesn’t possess the instinct to hunt or dig. However, he’s a very active little dog and needs regular exercise to work off his excess energy. Take him for a walk or a run, it’s all the same to him because he’ll easily keep up with you. Left to his own devices, he’ll get bored and restless and start looking for things to chew and bury.

He’s an extremely intelligent dog but he can be rather stubborn, so training him might be a bit of a challenge. But if you’re persistent and consistent with your pint-sized pooch, he’ll graduate from puppy school well-trained and obedient.

Your Biewer is fiercely loyal and devoted to every member of your family. Bear in mind though, if you have small children you shouldn’t allow them to play with the puppy unsupervised. Both tend to become over-excited which could lead to your puppy getting hurt and your children getting nipped.

Biewers are handsome dogs. They range in height between 17cms and 27 cms and weigh 2 – 4 kgs. They have unique colouring, their faces being black and tan (which is typical of the Yorkshire Terrier from which they are descended) and white chest, legs and under-carriage dotted with bluish-white patches. Their coats are long and piebald in colour, and they also have what is known as a breed-signature ponytail.

The good news for people who are allergic to long-haired dogs is that the Biewer’s coat is hypoallergenic. It’s also very easy to groom, and if you keep it long you’ll have to brush him every day.

Since he’s part of the Yorkshire Terrier family, he’s predisposed to the same health problems, such as a sensitive gastrointestinal tract that can result in bouts of diarrhoea and discoloured or soft stool, as well as dental problems. You’ll need to feed him breed-specific food and avoid giving him too many treats as Biewers have a tendency to put on weight quite easily, and to avoid those dental problems, you’ll have to have his teeth brushed regularly. Remember that while you’re grooming him, check his ears as you don’t want wax to build up as it could lead to an infection. His nails must be kept short to avoid splitting and breaking.

Your Biewer Terrier is a rare breed that was inducted into the American Kennel Club (AFC) in 2014, and was recognised by the AKC as a full, pure breed in the Toy group earlier this year.

If you’re thinking of bringing one of these happy-go-lucky, fun loving little dogs into your family, you can look forward to up to 16 years of dedicated and affectionate companionship.

Fun fact

The first black, white and tan puppy was bred by Mr and Mrs Biewer in Germany and was called Schneeflockchen von Friedheck!