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Breed profile · Toy Group · The tricolor toy terrier

Biewer Terrier

The Biewer Terrier (pronounced “beaver”) is the AKC’s newest toy terrier: a small, long-coated, three-colored dog that began as a surprise in a Yorkshire Terrier kennel and became a breed in its own right, confirmed by DNA. The tricolor pattern is the whole story — it is what separates the Biewer from the Yorkshire Terrier, what the standard is written around, and what you see in the ring.

Help us improve it. This is one of ThePetAdvisor’s breed profiles, built from public sources with generous links to the people who actually own this breed’s knowledge. If something’s off or missing, the parent club can claim the page and set it straight — see the bottom of the page.

A Biewer Terrier, tricolor, standing against a plain studio background
A Biewer Terrier, tricolor, standing against a plain studio background. AI-generated image.

Do you have a photo of a Biewer Terrier in the American show ring? We’d love this page to lead with one. If you have a show photo you’d let us use, email it to [email protected] — tell us the dog’s name and the show, and it may be featured here. Please only send photos you took yourself or have the photographer’s permission to share, and tell us the photographer’s name. We couldn’t find a public photo of a Biewer Terrier in the American show ring that we were free to share, so the photo leading this page was made with AI. We’d much rather lead with a real one — if you’re a club member with an approved photo, we’d love to feature it.

1. Biewer Terrier at a glance

AKC group Toy — recognized 2021 Size 8–10 in at the withers; 4–8 lb Coat Long, flowing, silky, straight; no undercoat — tricolor: black or blue, white, tan Temperament Intelligent, loyal, affectionate, playful — “charming, whimsical attitude well into adulthood” (AKC) Energy Lively and athletic for its size — daily walks, play, and training keep it busy Popularity No. 74 in AKC 2025 registrations

The Biewer Terrier is the AKC’s newest toy terrier — recognized January 1, 2021, as the AKC’s 197th breed — and the one breed whose recognition rests on a DNA study rather than a registry book. It is a small dog with a long, silky coat, a distinctive ponytail tied with a single bow, and a tricolor pattern that is not a color variant but the breed itself: the standard is written around it. Expect a lively, affectionate companion that wants to be with its people — and a grooming commitment if the coat is kept long.

Pronunciation: “BEE-vair,” like “beaver.” The older names — Biewer Yorkshire Terrier and Biewer Yorkie — are the breed’s original name and its colloquial name; the AKC name is Biewer Terrier.

2. History: a surprise puppy, a DNA study, and a new breed

The Biewer Terrier began as a surprise in a Yorkshire Terrier kennel in Hunsrück, Germany. On January 20, 1984, a tricolor puppy — Schneeflöckchen von Friedheck, “Snowflake” — was born in the kennel of Werner and Gertrud Biewer to two Yorkshire Terriers carrying a recessive piebald gene. The Biewers liked what they saw and began breeding for the tricolor pattern, giving the new dog the name Biewer Yorkshire Terrier a la Pom Pon — the “a la Pom Pon” suggested by German singer Margot Eskens, a reference to the dogs’ pom-pom tails. The breed’s first recognition came in 1989, from the Allgemeiner Club der Hundefreunde Deutschland.

American fanciers began importing the dogs from Germany in the early 2000s, and the Biewer Terrier Club of America was formed in 2006. The question that followed was whether the tricolor dog was a breed or a color variant of the Yorkshire Terrier — and the answer came from a laboratory. In 2007, Mars Veterinary analyzed blood samples from Biewer Terriers and found them genetically distinct from the Yorkshire Terrier, making the Biewer the first breed recognized on the basis of a genetic study. The AKC took the breed into the Foundation Stock Service in 2014, the Miscellaneous Class in July 2019, and full recognition on January 1, 2021, as the AKC’s 197th breed, in the Toy Group. The United Kennel Club had recognized the breed in 2016, and the German VDH accepted it in May 2024; the FCI does not recognize it.

The Yorkshire Terrier distinction is the history in miniature: a piebald gene, a breeder who bred for it, a DNA study that proved the dogs were their own population, and a standard written around the pattern. The Biewer is not a Yorkie in three colors — it is a breed the Yorkie produced.

3. The standard and why it's written that way

The current AKC standard (approved February 5, 2026, effective April 30, 2026) opens with the breed in one line: an “elegant, longhaired, tri-colored toy terrier with a distinctive, breed signature ponytail.” The coat parts down the middle and hangs straight and even on both sides; the back is level; the body is slightly longer than tall, and the tail is set high and carried well-arched over the body with a long flowing plume.

A Biewer Terrier sitting for a studio portrait, showing the tricolor head, erect ears and dark eyes
A Biewer Terrier sitting for a studio portrait — the tricolor head with tan, erect V-shaped ears, and dark eyes the standard asks for. Photo: Detlef Breiting, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
  • Size. Eight to ten inches at the withers; over 11 inches is a serious fault. The standard sets no weight; the AKC breed profile puts it at 4 to 8 pounds.
  • Head. The eyes are dark and expressive, the iris as dark as possible, with no blue flecks; the ears are small, erect, and V-shaped, set high. The eye rims, nose, and lips are completely black, and the bite is a scissor bite, with a level bite acceptable. Incomplete pigment is a serious fault, and ears that are not erect are a serious fault.
  • Color — the part that defines the breed. Color is defined by tan on the head: the ideal head is black or blue, tan, and white in good symmetry, with the chin and throat white. A head lacking tan is a disqualification, and any color other than the tricolored pattern is a disqualification. The body is black or blue and white — a solid dog of either color is undesirable — with the chest, legs, and tip of the tail white, the white on the chest extending up the neck to the chin, and the legs white from elbows and stifles to the feet. Blue eyes or blue flecks in the iris, and liver pigmentation of the eye rims or nose, are also disqualifications.
  • Coat and the bow. The coat is long, flowing, silky, smooth, and straight, with no undercoat, and the fall on the head is tied in a single fall, “finished simply and adorned with a single bow.” That one small bow is the breed’s signature — it is in the standard itself, not an accessory a handler adds.
  • Gait and temperament. The gait is confident, with high head carriage, graceful, smooth, and straightforward, and the backline stays level. The standard’s temperament line is the breed in miniature: “Intelligent and loyal, they are affectionate and playful, making them excellent companions and family dogs.”
  • Why the pattern dominates. Why the standard is written this way: the Biewer’s entire identity is the tricolor pattern, so the standard spends its force on the pattern — where the tan sits, where the white sits, and what colors are not allowed — and the rest of the dog is described as an elegant, small, long-coated terrier. Read the color section first and the rest follows.

4. Temperament & living with one

The AKC breed page says the Biewer’s “only purpose in life is to love and be loved” — and the dogs live up to it. The standard calls them intelligent, loyal, affectionate, and playful, and owners find a dog that is lively and fun-loving, keeps a charming, whimsical attitude well into adulthood, and bonds hard to its people. The Biewer is a companion first and a show dog second, and it shows in the way the breed behaves at home.

Nico, a Biewer Terrier male with a long silky coat and topknot, posed on rocks outdoors
Nico, a Biewer male, posed outdoors — the long silky coat, the tricolor pattern, and the topknot. Photo: KKbch, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
  • Watchdogs that bark. Biewers are alert watchdogs and quick to bark at strangers, and they are stubborn enough that housebreaking can be slow — consistency and a schedule matter more than severity. They are generally good with children and other pets when socialized, and they are more easy-going than the Yorkshire Terrier. They do not like being left alone for long stretches and can develop separation anxiety, so a Biewer fits best in a home where someone is usually around.
  • Athletic lap dogs. For all their lap-dog looks, Biewers are athletic. They keep up on walks and hikes, enjoy play and training, and do well in agility and other dog sports sized to a small dog. A daily walk, play time, and a little training are enough to keep one busy — but a bored Biewer will find its own entertainment, usually in the form of barking.
A 10-year-old Biewer Terrier female in a pet trim out on a walk
A 10-year-old Biewer female in a pet trim out on a walk — the breed as a companion. Photo: Sciencia58, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Small-dog caveats apply: Biewers are fragile enough that rough handling and falls from furniture can injure them, and small children need to be taught to handle a four-to-eight-pound dog gently. The breed rewards a home that treats it as a dog first and a lap ornament second.

5. Grooming: the long silky coat

  • Glory and work. The Biewer’s coat is its glory and its work. It is a single coat — long, flowing, silky, smooth, and straight, with no undercoat — and a show coat kept long needs daily brushing with a pin brush and a metal comb to keep it from matting. The Biewer Terrier Club of America advises bathing once a week.
  • Most pets live in a puppy cut. Most pet Biewers live in a shorter trim instead. A “puppy cut” every six to eight weeks keeps the coat manageable and the dog comfortable, and it is the common low-maintenance choice for a companion dog. Whichever length you keep, the topknot needs regular care — the fall is tied up, and a matted topknot is an unhappy dog — and the feet should be trimmed neat.
  • What not to do. What not to do: the show coat is never clipped or stripped, and a Biewer’s coat should not be shaved down casually — the long, silky hair is the breed’s defining feature, and a cut that suits a terrier with a wiry coat does not suit a Biewer. If you are not showing, the puppy cut is the honest answer; if you are, daily brushing is the price of the coat.

6. Health testing: what to ask for

  • A short health history, on purpose. The Biewer is a young breed with a short health history, and the Biewer Terrier Club of America has kept it that way on purpose: the club’s CHIC requirements are specific, and buyers should ask for them by name.
  • CHIC required tests (Biewer Terrier Club of America health statement, March 18, 2020): an eye exam by a board-certified ACVO ophthalmologist before breeding, repeated at 1, 3, and 6 years; DNA testing for progressive retinal atrophy (PRA-prcd); DNA testing for primary lens luxation (PLL); and an OFA patellar luxation evaluation. CHIC requires the results to be public in the OFA database, so a breeder’s claims can be checked.
  • Optional tests the club recommends: a cardiac evaluation, Legg-Calve-Perthes radiographs, serum bile acids (for liver shunt), and DNA testing for degenerative myelopathy and hyperuricosuria.
  • Conditions to know about. The tests exist because the conditions exist: patellar luxation, PRA-prcd, and PLL are the breed’s named concerns, and the small-breed risks — tracheal collapse, liver shunt, hypoglycemia, and dental problems — apply to the Biewer as they do to any four-to-eight-pound dog. The AKC breed profile gives a lifespan of 16 years.
  • Ask for the CHIC number. Ask for the CHIC number and look it up on the OFA website before you buy. A breeder who has done the tests will show them gladly; a breeder who has not will change the subject.

7. The annual Biewer Terrier specialty dog show

A specialty is the breed’s All-Star show — its Super Bowl. Once a year, the best Biewer Terriers from across the country, and often from around the world, come together in one place.

The Biewer Terrier Club of America’s national specialty is the anchor of the Biewer’s year — a one-day show held with the AKC National Championship week in Orlando, Florida, with the breed’s people gathered around it. The breed is young in the AKC and the entry is small; the specialty is where the breed’s serious breeders, handlers, and judges meet.

The National Specialty: a one-day show, Friday, December 11, 2026, at the Orange County Convention Center, North/South Building, 9899 International Drive, Orlando, Florida — held with the AKC National Championship week: the AKC/Royal Canin National All-Breed Puppy and Junior Stakes the same day, and the 26th AKC National Championship December 12–13. Superintendent: MB-F Inc. Entry closing: Wednesday, November 11, 2026, 12:00 noon. (Sources: AKC Upcoming National Specialties; AKC event search, event 2026725238.)

Specialty judge: Mr. Fred C Bassett — all regular classes (Parent Specialty). Junior Showmanship judge: Mr. Chad Howard. Sweepstakes judge: not published in the AKC event listing — contact the superintendent or review the premium list. AKC National Owner-Handled Series offered, with points for reserve available. Entry fees $50.00 / $25.00. (Source: AKC event search, event 2026725238.)

Winners from the 2026 specialty had not been published in an official source as of November 2026 and will be added here when they are.

The 2027 national specialty dates had not been announced as of November 2026.

Past national specialties: 2025

8. Regional specialties through the year: smaller regional shows

The Biewer Terrier Club of America holds designated specialties through the year rather than running a circuit of regional specialty clubs. These are the 2027 regionals verified from club sources so far:

No regional specialties announced yet for 2027.

Past regional specialties: 2026 · 2025

The Biewer Terrier Club of America is the breed’s only specialty club, so the Biewer’s year runs through the national specialty and the club’s designated specialties around the country, rather than a circuit of regional specialty clubs. Browse upcoming show weekends →

9. Clubs & parent club

The Biewer Terrier Club of America is the breed’s parent club, and in the United States it is the only specialty club — the breed is too young for a circuit of regional clubs, and the club’s bylaws provide for affiliated clubs to be formed in the future.

  • Biewer Terrier Club of America (BTCA) — founded 2006, the AKC parent club. Runs the national specialty, the designated specialties, and the breed’s health and rescue programs. biewerterrierclubofamerica.org.
  • Biewer Terrier Club of Canada (BTCC) — the breed’s national club in Canada; the club’s application and advocacy contributed to the Biewer Terrier becoming a CKC Listed Breed as of January 1, 2023. biewerterrierclubofcanada.org.

No BTCA-affiliated regional specialty clubs could be verified as of November 2026. A California fanciers group, Golden State Biewer Terrier Fanciers, is named by member breeders but is not verified as an affiliated club.

10. Biewer Terrier rescue

There is no standalone Biewer-only national rescue. Rescue for the breed runs through the Biewer Terrier Club of America’s rescue volunteers, and Biewers also come into Yorkshire Terrier rescues.

  • Biewer Terrier Club of America — Rescue committee. The club’s bylaws provide for a standing Rescue committee, and rescue volunteers rehabilitate and rehome Biewers. Start with the club: biewerterrierclubofamerica.org.
  • Save A Yorkie Rescue, Inc. A 501(c)(3) Yorkshire Terrier rescue in Allentown, Pennsylvania, that also takes Biewers — its rehomed dogs include a Biewer named Miki. saveayorkierescue.org.
  • Yorkshire Terrier rescues generally. Because the Biewer comes from the Yorkshire Terrier and shares its rescue network, a Yorkie rescue is a realistic place to ask about a Biewer in need of a home.

Ask about the dog’s history, temperament, and any veterinary work already done — and expect a home visit and a contract, as with any reputable rescue.

11. Breeder vs rescue: finding your Biewer Terrier

  • Two different questions. Buying a Biewer and adopting one answer different questions, and the breed’s youth makes the buying side matter more than usual.
  • Buying a puppy. Start with the Biewer Terrier Club of America’s breeder directory, and ask for CHIC results before you visit: eye exam by a board-certified ophthalmologist, patellar evaluation, and DNA testing for PRA-prcd and primary lens luxation, with results in the public OFA database. Ask for a written health guarantee and a take-back-for-life commitment — the breeder who will take the dog back at any age is the breeder who stands behind the dog.
  • Beware rare-color upsells. Be wary of “rare color” upsells: chocolate, liver, and solid colors are disqualifications under the standard, not rarities worth a premium. And remember that a tricolor dog without registered Biewer parentage is a parti-colored dog, not a registered Biewer — registration and DNA are the proof, not the pattern alone.
  • Adopting. Adult Biewers come into rescue through the club’s rescue volunteers and through Yorkie rescues, and an adult dog’s temperament, size, and coat are visible before you commit — a real advantage in a small breed. Rescue is the cheaper route and the faster one when it works; the trade-off is that young puppies are rare in rescue and the wait can be long.
  • Meet the dog in person. Whichever route you take, meet the dog in person where possible, see the parentage and the health records, and walk away from any seller who will not show them.

12. Claim this page

Are you with the Biewer Terrier Club of America, a Biewer breeder, a judge, or a club officer? This page is yours to keep current — the national specialty dates, the winners, the club links, the photos.

Claim this page and you can update the specialty results, add your club’s events, and keep the breed’s story accurate. Email [email protected] with “Claim: Biewer Terrier” in the subject line.

Sources