Affenpinscher

Size:	Small
Energy:	Low
Barking:	High
Coat:	Short/Medium
Shedding:	Little

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• Description

  The Affen is a small, compact terrier-type dog with bushy eyebrows and a mischievous monkey like expression. The coat is rough and of uneven length over the body adding to their somewhat comical appearance. They have a lively, strutting movement.

  Color

  The Affenpinscher is commonly black and may have some gray coloration around the face and chest. Silver, black and tan, and red colorations also appear.

  Category Size

  Small

  Coat Length

  Short/Medium

  Weight/Height Range

  The Affenpinscher male or female, should measure between 9.5 and 11 inches at the withers and weigh between 6.5 and 9 lbs.

  HEIGHT	MIN	MAX	WEIGHT	MIN	MAX
  Female	9.5"	11"	Female	6.5 lbs.	9 lbs.
  Male	9.5"	11"	Male	6.5 lbs.	9 lbs.

  Ailments

  The Affenpinscher has a few breed specific disorders but buying a puppy from healthy stock will reduce the possibility of it having inherited problems. They are active, bold dogs but due to their small size, broken bones are a potential problem. Supervised exercise and a safe environment will help prevent this problem occurring.

  Suitable Breed for Allergy Sufferers

  Yes

  Common Ailments

  Bones (Acquired) - Fracture, Bones (Developmental) - Legg Perthes disease, Bones (Developmental) - Patellar luxation, Brain (Congenital) - Hydrocephalus (water on the brain), Eye - Conjunctivitis - Foreign body, Eye - Corneal wound/trauma

• Personality

  These dogs are small with several terrier characteristics. They are lively and self-confident and carry themselves with comic seriousness. Although very affectionate with their owners, they are quick-tempered, fiery and fearless. They tend to dislike strangers and show it, careful socializing as a puppy will help reduce this aggressiveness. They also have a loud yap and make good alarm dogs giving warning of any approach. Again careful training as a pup is needed to prevent this becoming a nuisance. They need gentle handling and are not suited to living with small children.

  Intelligence

  Affens are intelligent dogs that are very self-confident. They are amenable to training but this needs to start early as they can be strong-willed and some of their terrier characteristics can prove a nuisance if not adequately checked.

  Energy

  Low

  Tendency To Bark

  High

  Overall Exercise Requirement

  Although the Affen is a small dog he is very active and requires a reasonable amount of daily exercise, which because of his size, should be supervised to prevent damage to legs or eyes. They will enjoy playing games that exercise their considerable intelligence but these should not be too rough or boisterous.

  Suitability for Personal Protection

  Low

  Suitability as a Guard Dog

  Low

  Suitability for Children

  Medium

  Ease of Transportation

  High

  Level of Distress caused if left alone

  Medium

  Level of aggression

  Medium

  Other animal compatibility

  Medium

• Grooming & Showing

  The coat of the Affenpinscher naturally looks rather untidy so grooming is undemanding. Brushing will remove debris and dead hairs from the coat. The dog should be accustomed to being groomed from an early age. Eyes and ears should be checked regularly and teeth cleaning should be practiced from an early age.

  Grooming requirements

  Once a week

  Trimming required

  Tendency to shed hair

  Little

  Show characteristics

  The Affenpinscher should have a head that is fairly small in proportion to the body with a domed forehead, broad brow and marked stop. The jaw is slightly undershot, the teeth or tongue should not show when the mouth is closed. The eyes should be round, black and sparkling, and the ears small, set high and upright although a neat drop-ear is allowed. The neck should be short and straight and the body should be the same giving a sturdy appearance. The forelegs are straight and hind legs well set under the body. The feet should be small, round and compact. The tail should be set high and curve gently over the back when moving. The coat is rough and harsh in texture, short and dense on some parts of the body, shaggy on others. It should be longer on the shoulders, neck and head. Black is the preferred color with some gray shading allowed.

  Breed classification

  The Affenpinscher was originally used to hunt vermin. Today they are companions.

• Origin

  The Affenpinscher is one of the oldest breeds, known to have been in existence in the 17th century and similar dogs appear in paintings of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. In Germany, where it originated, the word 'affen' means to mock and 'pinscher' means terrier. The Affen was the first of the monkey-faced dogs and he is the ancestor of two other breeds, the Griffon Belge and the Griffon Bruxellosis, who also have the monkey face. Affen blood was also involved in the development of the Miniature Schnauzer. The Affenpischer is believed to have once existed in two sizes, the smaller survives today as the toy terrier but the larger one has become extinct. Although Affens show all the spunk of terriers, they are too small to be working dogs and are kept chiefly as companions.

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