WHAT ATTRACTED US TO by Renée Popkey & Robert Young THE BIEWER TERRIER
S electing a new puppy or getting a new breed is a complex and complicated issue for any family. Many things must be considered before an intelligent decision can be made, including, but not limited to, is- sues like; family dynamics, ages of the family members (i.e., small children, etc.), why the family seeks anewbreed, what function the dog will serve, and what resources can be devoted to the new puppy? These are only a few of the issues that should be examined before proceeding with any planned addition to the family. Our extended family is no different than any other family in many of these areas. All of the members of our family are, as we like to think, experienced dog show people; some more so than oth- ers. We each have that special some- thing in our blood that can only be sa- tiated at or near dog shows. So, when it came time to consider which new breed would be best for us, it was rec- ognized that our “addiction” required that any new puppy would have to be a show dog. Each family member had different requirements for the new pup. Con- sideration of the size and weight of our new breed was paramount. The most venerable member of our family is Harriet at 94 years of age. Being a lady of advanced age, it was clear to us that a large breed was out of the question. We shuddered to think of a Mastiff-sized pup trying to sit on Harriet‘s lap. Not a pretty picture!
breed was just what we were look- ing for, and the breeders at the booth confirmed that this breed has all of the traits and characteristics to fulfill our Wish List. On returning home from the AKC event, we shared our findings about this lovely new rare breed with Har- riet, letting her know it was not yet a recognized AKC breed, but hopefully would be within the next year or so. Harriet agreed that this looked to be the perfect breed for us. Now that we had selected our new breed, the quest to find a good representative of the breed began. And, of course, we all knew that it had to be a show quality Biewer Terrier. Our search started locally, but even- tually lead us internationally. After speaking to several breeders and get- ting advice from a close friend who had raised and showed Biewers, we eventually made contact with Deb- arah Billings of Windsong Kennels in Tennessee. Debarah’s gracious will- ingness to work with us finally com- pleted our quest. Our journey was not quick, as it took over a year to find that perfect puppy. But at last, we had our special new pup. We are grateful to everyone involved in helping us find our special Biewer Terrier puppy, including our breeder and especially our handler, Daryl Martin, who guided us at every step of the way. Hopefully, our experience with the Biewer Terrier breed will be a long and successful one.
Therefore, size and weight were ex- tremely important considerations for our new breed. The next most experienced member of our “Merry Band” is Renée, with an impeccable eye for what is good or poor in any dog. Having spent her entire life around show dogs has giv- en her this knowledge and ability to quickly detect those elusive qualities that make a great show dog. Coupled with her keen eye and her knowledge of proper structure and function, Renée was looking for a breed that was able to move well and catch your eye while doing so. She was also look- ing for a breed that was a little differ- ent, after having spent most of her life with Terriers. The last of our group, Robert, spent most of his dog show activities in close proximity to the Golden Re- triever Ring. His requirements were very simple. It had to be a friendly breed that liked attention and had few health issues. It also needed to be sturdy. In December of 2019, we were for- tunate to be able to attend the AKC sponsored Meet The Breeds event in Orlando, Florida. With our Wish List in hand, we went up and down the rows of breed booths, hoping that a particular breed would catch our attention. Eventually, we happened upon the good people at the Biewer Terrier booth. It was at this time that we suspected we had hit the jackpot. This beautiful little tri-colored Toy
48 • T op N otch T oys , O ctober 2021
Powered by FlippingBook