So you’re looking for a Biewer Terrier puppy to join your home. Congratulations on picking the best (in our opinion) companion breed ever. The Biewer Terrier is the 197th AKC recognized dog breed belonging to the AKC Toy Group. You might be considering a Biewer Terrier as a wonderful pet who will bring you many years of joy. Or maybe you’d like to try your hand at showing a Biewer in dog sports like the conformation show ring or perhaps enter them in agility, rally or FASTCAT.
Edelweiss Biewer Terriers has written this page to help you weed out the not-so-good breeders from the quality breeders of Biewer Terrier Puppies. How can you distinguish between an ethical Biewer Terrier Breeder and a reprehensible backyard breeder? Or how do you discern the countless scam websites and Facebook pages that display non-existent puppies?
Here are some tips to help you find Biewer Terrier breeders and how to weed out the bad apples you should be cautious of.
How to Find an Excellent Biewer Terrier Breeder
There are several avenues to discover quality breeders that adhere to rigorous health testing and DNA testing.
The AKC website lists many Biewer Terrier breeders, some of which carry the distinguished Breeder of Merit badge. These breeders must meet precise AKC requirements to be noted as a Breeder of Merit. However, just because they are listed on the AKC website and may even have a BOM notation doesn’t necessarily mean they will be a good fit for you. Read on to find out more.
Another avenue to look for reputable Biewer Terrier puppies is the Biewer Terrier Club of America (BTCA). The BTCA is the parent club for the breed through the AKC. They provide a list of breeders who have agreed to meet the club ethics.
Once you’ve found a few breeders you’d like to engage with, you will need to vet them yourself. Do some background research on them by doing a Google search. Visit review sites such as the BBB in their state, their Facebook page or other social media usually have reviews listed as well. If there are any complaints against them, look at that as a red flag and move on.
Who are the unethical breeders?
Here are some scenarios that many people have experienced and ended up being duped with a sick puppy.
SHOPPING CART
We recommend you not engage in conversation with any breeder who has a shopping cart on their website for Biewer Terrier puppies. Why? A breeder who doesn’t vet a potential home for their puppies screams ‘puppy mill’.
PUPPIES ALL YEAR LONG
Other red flags include breeders who have multiple litters at once in an ongoing fashion. Don’t get me wrong, some very ethical breeders may have a few litters at once, but where there are 3,4,5 litters within weeks of each other, be careful. Having a continuous supply of Biewer puppies throughout the year is NOT where you want to get your next puppy from.
JUST SAY NO TO TEACUPS
Have you heard the term ‘teacup’? TEACUP is NOT a breed trait any ethical breeder would breed for. Dogs that are significantly below the weight for any breed may have a myriad of health problems. The Biewer Terrier standard states a Biewer should range in weight from 4-8lbs. Puppies that is targeting significantly under that adult weight are not advisable.
That doesn’t mean that a great breeder might inadvertently produce smaller Biewer Terriers; in that instance, it was chance and not planned on and they would NEVER advertise these puppies as teacups.
FACEBOOK PAGES WITH RIDICULOUSLY CHEAP PUPPIES
I’ve come across these posts and pages that have stolen photos from breeders and posted the puppy pictures as their own. They then advertise the puppies for $500-$2000, which is way too low for a reputable Biewer Terrier. Runaway from anything fishy like this.
Practice Caution With USDA Breeders
Be wary of breeders who claim that the USDA inspects their kennel. The USDA is in charge of enforcing a law referred to as the Animal Welfare Act, which monitors commercial breeding facilities. This law does not require every commercial breeder to obtain a license; the USDA only requires bare minimum care protocols while upholding this code. USDA licensed breeders must give their dogs food and water, though food and water quality isn’t regulated. They must provide shelter but aren’t required to socialize the puppies nor designate open spaces for exercise from confined cages. Numerous USDA breeders operate under horrible circumstances while violating the AWA.
Contacting the Breeder
Once you’ve done your research and made sure you’re contacting a reputable breeder, it’s time to reach out.
Have a list of questions ready to ask the breeder such as the following.
- Do they health test the parents?
- Do they health test the puppies?
- How do they socialize their puppies?
- How long have they been breeding? How long have they owned Biewer Terriers?
- What kind of health guarantee do they offer?
- Are they available to answer questions after you bring the puppy home?
These are just a few suggested questions to ask a Biewer Terrier Breeder. And any of the breeders you contact should be happy to answer all your questions. Many hobby breeders are extremely busy with their families, work, and dogs, so if they don’t get back to you right away, be patient.
You’ve probably noticed I didn’t include the question, “How much do you charge for a puppy?”. Although finances are critical, the price point should NOT be your determining factor when purchasing a Biewer Terrier puppy. The prices currently are often upwards of $4000 and $5000; show dogs of Champion parents may be more. If this is not in your budget, perhaps a rehomed rescue or retiring show dog may be a better fit for you, because settling for a Biewer who is considerably less than the going prices are usually the ones that come from puppy mills, and dogs that haven’t been health tested.
Breeder/Owner Relationship
You might be the person who will want to keep in touch with your Biewer Terrier breeder. Or perhaps, you feel confident enough not to engage with the breeder regularly. These are things to consider on a personal level when vetting breeders. Are they willing to be there for you if that is what you need? Adversely, are they fine if you don’t contact them about their puppy for a long while? Personalities need to mesh to assure a good breeder/owner relationship.
Patience is your friend when looking for a Biewer puppy. Biewers are still a rare breed, and you will likely have to wait by being on a reputable Biewer terrier breeder’s waitlist. Keep in mind you may also have to see and vet your puppy virtually. Puppies may not be located in your area. In that instance, facetiming the breeder, watching movement videos of the puppies and photos is often how many of us have decided on our Biewers. You may also have to send a lap nanny or take a flight yourself to pick up your newest family member. Don’t write off dogs in different states, especially if you and the breeder hit it off.
Why is health testing important?
Health testing enables breeders to determine whether their breeding program contains potential genetic diseases that can be passed down to puppies. If the breeder doesn’t do health testing or isn’t willing to share the test results of the puppy’s parents with you, you should move on.
Why is puppy socialization important?
Puppy socialization entails methodically subjecting puppies to numerous experiences they may encounter throughout their lives. This increases a puppy’s growth into a balanced, secure dog, making your life as an owner more enjoyable. Diversity enriches a puppy’s life. The more diverse the experiences your puppy gets comfortable with, the more predictable her future behavior may be.
Exposing puppies to different noise levels, different objects, vacuums, blenders, air conditioners, bells, music etc, will enable your puppy to be desensitized to those items and sounds rather than fearful. Asking others to help socialize the puppies…whether from family, friends, pet-sitters, colleagues and other individuals you know, will enable a litter of puppies to get used to being around people of different ages, sizes, etc.
Contracts
An excellent Biewer Terrier breeder will have a contract that you must agree to. Contracts can vary from breeder to breeder and owner, depending on what you’re looking for.
A Health Guarantee
Contracts should contain a health guarantee. This could look different from each breeder, but overall, the breeder should guarantee the puppy is from genetic defects for the puppy’s life.
Types of Contracts
There are two types of contracts: Pet Contract (limited registration) or Show/Breeding Contract (full registration). The difference refers to a limited registration (no rights to breed the dog or female and must spay/neuter) which all pets sell as, OR as full registration, where you as the buyer have the right to breed the puppy when they are an adult. Stipulations on full registration could be that the breeder has the right to pick the dam or stud, the breeder retains the right to one breeding, the breeder remains on the dog’s registration, and breeding can only take place when the dog is finished (becomes a champion).
In Conclusion…
We hope you’ve found some of this information educational in searching for a Biewer Terrier puppy.
We wish you all the best in searching for a fantastic Biewer Terrier to become your next fur-ever family member.