The Biewer Terrier is an offshoot of the Yorkshire terrier dog. There are some theories that different breeds may have been used in developing this breed, but one thing is very clear: The Biewer Terrier is strong in the bloodlines.
research on the internet , I found out that the main person who was credited with this off-shoot of the Yorkie also was known for breeding Shih Tzu dogs…And because of this, many jump to the conclusion that Shih Tzu were mixed into the bloodlines along
the line. Many disagree with this theory, as the coloring would be off….With a Shih Tzu brought in, that 1st generation puppy (the offspring) would not be tri-banded (colored) unless the Yorkie also happened to carry the genes for that…and the
chances are slim.
However, with this being said, the coat of the Biewer is softer, more akin to that of a Shih Tzu…and this does bring one to think about the possibility.
Another theory is that the pure white Maltese plays a role in the
development of the Biewer.
The only way to put theories to rest would be a DNA test from the first original Biewer Yorkshire Terrier,but it is too late for this
Mr. Biewer spent 5 years selectively breeding his dogs until he was able to
establish and breed—true to a unique standard—the Biewer breed. The dogs were then registered as Biewer Yorkshire Terrier a la Pom Pon.
In 1989, when Mr. Biewer signed the standard for this wonderful new breed, it was that of the Yorkshire
Terrier with the coloring being White-Blue-Gold. Mr. Biewer was not a man of many words, so the standard was short and brief. 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 quite costly. Mr. Biewer died in 1997, and his wife Gertrud Biewer discontinued their breeding program shortly thereafter.
Our Kennel is proud to be taking an active part in the development of this remarkable new breed.
History of the Yorkshire Terrier
The Yorkshire Terrier originated in Yorkshire and the adjoining lancashire, a rugged region in northern England. In the mid-nineteenth
century, workers from Scotland came to Yorkshire in search of work and brought with them several different varieties of small terriers. Breeding of the Yorkshire terrier was "principally accomplished by the people--mostly operatives in cotton and woolen mills--in
the counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire. Details are scarce. Mrs. A. Foster is quoted as saying in 1886, "If we consider that the mill operatives who originated the breed...were nearly all ignorant men, unaccustomed to imparting information for public
use, we may see some reason why reliable facts have not been easily attained.
What is known is that the
breed sprang from three different dogs, a male named Old Crab and a female named Kitty, and another female whose name is not known.The Paisley Terrier, a smaller version
of the Skye Terrier that was bred for a beautiful long silky coat, also figured into the early dogs. Some authorities believed that the Maltese was used as well. "They
were all originally bred from Scotch terriers (note: meaning dogs from Scotland, not today's Scottish Terrier) and shown as such...the name Yorkshire Terrier was given to them on account of their being improved so much in Yorkshire. Yorkshire Terriers
were shown in a dog show category (class) at the time called "Rough and Broken-coated, Broken-haired Scotch and Yorkshire Terriers". Hugh Dalziel, writing in 1878, says that "the classification of these dogs at shows and in the Kennel Club Stud Book is confusing
and absurd" in lumping together these different types.
the early days of the breed, "almost anything in the shape of a Terrier having a long coat with blue on the body and fawn or silver coloured head and legs, with tail docked and ears trimmed, was received and admired as a Yorkshire Terrier" But in the
late 1860s, a popular Paisley type Yorkshire Terrier showdog named Huddersfield Ben, owned by a woman living in Yorkshire, Mary Ann Foster, was seen at dog shows throughout
Great Britain, and defined the breed type for the Yorkshire Terrier.