Affenpinscher, Affenpinschers, Pictures, Puppies, Photos

Appearance

• The Affenpinscher is a Terrier-like toy breed.
• They typically weigh between 7 and 9 pounds.
• Normally, this dog will not exceed 11 inches in height. The females may be a tad bit taller (11 1/2 inches).


• Their coat is relatively thick and roughly 1 inch in length.
• These small dogs can be found in the following colors:
  1. black
  2. gray
  3. silver
  4. red
  5. black and tan
  6. black and beige

Temperament

• Typically, Affenpinschers are alert little dogs with a rather personal demeanor.


• They have a heightened sense of loyalty.


• These dogs are affectionate toward their owners and people they are familiar with.


• Generally, they are a quiet breed unless threatened or mistreated.


• They will normally get along with other types of dogs however, they should not be left alone with other small household pets such as hamsters or mice.


• This small breed tends to be better with older children.

Living Standards

• Due to their size, these dogs will do perfectly fine living in an apartment.
• This breed can be quite active indoors and should not be overly exposed to extreme temperatures.

Exercise

• As with all dogs, this breed should be walked a daily basis (a short distance will suffice).
• Be sure to play with this small dog as well. They are happy simply playing with dog toys.

Litter Size

• There are normally between 1 and 3 Affenpinscher puppies born per litter.

Health and Life Expectancy

• Overall, this breed is quite healthy.


• The most common causes of death among this breed is old age.


• In their older years however, these dogs may be prone to the following health problems:


1. Hip Dysplasia
2. Luxating Patella
3. Legg-Perthes Disease
4. Heart Murmurs
• The life expectancy of the is dog is typically between 10 and 12 years of age.

Training

• Training can be challenging with this breed, but definitely doable because of their intelligence.


• This breed can have somewhat of an ego. As a result, Affenpinschers may force you to challenge them in order to prove your dominance.


• Starting obedience training when your Affenpinscher is a puppy is the first step to success (a puppy training class is recommended).


• This breed also requires firm and consistent training. Time and patience is important in your efforts as well.


• Affenpinschers are relatively independent. They may have the tendency to wander or disregard you when board. So it is important to keep their attention by training with a variety of methods (remember, maintain consistency).


• Remember that any small dog breed can develop small dog syndrome if not properly trained.

Grooming

• Grooming these dogs is not overly difficult. Much like training, it simply takes some patience.


• You should use the following tools when grooming your this breed: a soft bristle brush, a greyhound comb, stripping knives, and scissors.


• Follow these step by step instructions:


1. Start with the soft bristle and begin to brush the chest first.


2. Then from the chest, brush under the chin, move down toward the under belly, and down the inside of each leg. Brush down the tail as well.


3. Also, remember to gently brush the cheeks and beard of this little dog in a forward motion moving toward the mouth. Likewise, brush the head moving toward the nose.


4. Once you are finished with the brush, run the grey hound comb through the same areas of the dog in the same motions. If you encounter any lumps of hair matted together, simply stop combing and break the hair apart with your fingers. Afterward, comb out the matted hair with the tighter or “teeth” part of the comb until the matting is gone.


5. Once you are finished brushing and combing, use a stripping knife in order to loosen and remove any additional hairs. Simply, rake through the coat starting at the base of the neck all the way to the base of the tail.


6. Now lightly trim the dog, blending the length of the coat. Remember that this type of breed should have longer hair (roughly 1 inch) behind the shoulders and rib cage becoming shorter as you approach the rear.


7. When trimming the face and head area, simply brush the hair forward over the eyes and trim the longer hairs. You may trim the dogs beard in a similar fashion.


8. Also remember to trim the hair on the inside of the back legs and around the anus of the dog.

History

• Originated in Germany in the 17 century.


• Areas near Munic became the primary location for breeding of these small dogs in Europe.


• The name "Affenpischer" is German meaning “monkey terrier”.


• The French name for this breed is diablotin moustachu, which means “mustached little devil”.


• They first became recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1936.


• These small dogs were originally used for killing rats and other small rodents.


• The Affenpinscher is said to be biologically related to the breeds: Brussels Griffon and the Miniature Schnauzer.

Affenpincsher Pictures and Video