With a top rating for suitability for city life (5/5) and excellent trainability (5/5), the Biewer Terrier fits perfectly into a flat and is also suitable for committed first-time owners. However, don’t underestimate him as a mere lapdog: he has real terrier blood. He has a medium energy level (3/5) and learns lightning-fast, but also shows an independent, sometimes wilful side. Consistent, loving training is a must, so that he doesn’t charmingly run rings around you.
He is well suited to families (4/5), although his child-friendliness is in the middle range (3/5). Because he weighs only 2 to 3 kg, he is very prone to injury. Children in the household must be old enough to understand that the little dog is not a toy and must not be handled roughly or dropped.
Also plan for a daily grooming routine (grooming needs: 3/5). The fine, straight, silky coat has no undercoat. This means that he needs a dog coat in wet and cold winter weather, but it also makes the coat demanding: you must comb it daily to stop it from matting. You should also start training your puppy to accept daily tooth brushing from the very beginning and keep his weight lean for life to protect his sensitive knee joints.
Your checklist for the first conversation with the breeder
When buying a puppy, don’t rely on mere promises; check things for yourself on site. Use these points for your visit to the breeder:
- Look at the clinical findings: Ask to see the original veterinary examination forms for both parent dogs for patellar luxation and the current eye examinations (including lens luxation).
- Check the genetic test certificates: Request the laboratory results for prcd-PRA, chondrodystrophy and necrotising encephalopathy (Leigh’s disease) to make sure that no risky matings have taken place.
- Probe the health of the bloodlines: Ask the breeder specifically whether there have been cases of portosystemic shunt (liver shunt), Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease, hyperuricosuria or degenerative myelopathy among relatives.
- Dental status and size of the parents: Take a look at the dam on site. She should have a healthy normal weight (not an extreme miniature size) and a well-kept, correct bite.
- Puppies’ coat and eye care: Check whether the puppies’ silky coat is clean and free of matting, and whether their eyes are clear and free of discharge.
On HonestDog, a breeder profile only goes online once the breeder has completed registration: identity verification by ID and selfie, where applicable proof of club membership or a §11 permit, a knowledge test on breeding and animal welfare, and agreement to the HonestDog breeding standards, which among other things rule out breeding for traits that cause suffering (Qualzucht). Any health tests on the parent dogs that breeders have uploaded appear directly on their profile; ask to see the original results when you visit. Your next step: compare the profiles of Biewer Terrier breeders on HonestDog, look at the health records they have uploaded and ask directly about the next litter.
