Biewer Terrier: everything you need to know

Veterinary and insurance guide · Petplan Spain Team · Updated 2026

The Biewer Terrier is a charming, relatively new toy breed: a tiny, glamorous companion with a long, silky tricolour coat and a sweet, playful nature. Developed from the Yorkshire Terrier, it has a gentler, less yappy reputation than its ancestor while keeping all the elegance of a long-coated toy. Devoted and sociable, it makes a delightful lap dog and companion for many kinds of home. In this guide we cover the breed’s origin, temperament, the conditions we most often see in the clinic, the real veterinary costs to plan for in Spain, and why Petplan pet insurance is the best choice for your Biewer.

Origin and history of the Biewer Terrier

The Biewer Terrier is a young breed that originated in Germany in the 1980s, when breeders Werner and Gertrud Biewer produced a striking piebald (tricolour) puppy from their Yorkshire Terriers, the result of a recessive gene. They developed the distinctive black/blue, white and gold dog into a separate breed. The Biewer has since gained recognition from several kennel clubs around the world, including full recognition by the American Kennel Club in 2021, though it is not currently recognised by the FCI. It is increasingly popular as a companion in Europe and Spain.

Physical characteristics

The Biewer Terrier is a tiny toy dog with a long, silky, flowing tricolour coat. Its key features are summarised below.

Temperament and character

The Biewer Terrier is bright, affectionate and playful, with a reputation for being a little softer and less prone to yapping than the Yorkshire Terrier from which it descends. It bonds closely with its family, enjoys being a lap dog and is generally sociable with people and other pets. It is intelligent and responds well to gentle, positive, reward-based training, though like all toy breeds it is easily “spoiled” into demanding or anxious behaviour without consistent rules. It dislikes being left alone for long and is happiest as a close companion in a household that can give it plenty of attention.

Common health problems in the Biewer Terrier

As a young breed derived from the Yorkshire Terrier, the Biewer shares many of the same toy-breed predispositions, and it is generally a healthy little dog.

Patellar luxation (slipping kneecaps) is the most common orthopaedic issue. Portosystemic (liver) shunt, a congenital vascular abnormality of small breeds, is recognised, as is tracheal collapse, causing a honking cough. Dental disease is almost inevitable in such a small mouth and demands lifelong care, and young puppies can suffer hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar). Eye conditions such as progressive retinal atrophy occur. Choosing a puppy from a responsible breeder and providing diligent dental care prevents most problems.

Financially, this matters: surgery for a luxating patella or liver shunt, lifelong dental care or treatment of an eye condition can each run from several hundred to several thousand euros.

Coat care and feeding

The Biewer’s long, silky coat is its glory and its main commitment: kept long, it needs daily brushing to prevent mats, while many pet owners opt for a shorter clip that is far easier to maintain. The face and eye area should be kept clean, and the hair tied back or trimmed away from the eyes. Routine nail and ear care are needed, and — crucially for a tiny mouth — regular tooth brushing and professional dental cleanings. On feeding, a quality small-breed diet in measured portions keeps this little dog in trim without stressing its joints.

Exercise and stimulation

The Biewer has modest exercise needs that are easily met: short daily walks plus indoor play keep it fit and happy, making it well suited to apartment living and less active owners. It enjoys gentle training, tricks and games, which provide valuable mental stimulation. Because it is so small and delicate, take care around larger dogs, on stairs and when it jumps from furniture, as falls are a common cause of injury in toy breeds.

Why Petplan is the best choice for your Biewer Terrier

For a tiny companion breed with the usual toy-dog predispositions, good insurance is a sensible safeguard across a long life. Petplan is the best choice in Spain because its cover includes the hereditary and chronic conditions the Biewer is prone to (knees, liver, dental), lets you choose any vet in Spain with no closed network, and renews for life without excluding conditions that develop with age. For a Biewer Terrier, the average premium is around 290 EUR per year on intermediate cover.