Breed: Affenpinscher
Temperament: Playful and affectionate
Cost: $1000-$2000
Lifespan: average 12 years
Maintenance: medium
Recommended for: young families, small dwellings
BREED:
Affenpinscher: a breed whose origins are German and is said to resemble a little monkey.
COSTS:
$1,000 – $2,000 for a pup and about $5-$8 per week to feed.
GROOMING:
Brush weekly. Clip the coat every few months.
APPEARANCE
A ‘monkey like’ appearance. A flat, round face, prominent eyes, turned up nose, small ears and bushy moustache. Black, black and tan and red and grey.
TEMPERAMENT:
Playful and affectionate towards people. Can be possessive of its owners.
HEALTH AND LIFESPAN:
Affenpinschers don’t suffer the same breathing problems as other breeds with pushed-in faces. The most common problem is slipping knee -caps.
TRAINABILITY:
Intelligent, easy to house train. Still has strong terrier instincts when out in the open.
SATISFACTION RATING:
Not known to be dumped by their owners.
AGGRESSION:
Not aggressive, though is fearless. Can get itself into trouble with larger dogs. Can be intolerant of children if handled roughly.
ACTIVITY LEVEL:
Ideally suited to a small backyard. If the yard is big enough, it will self-exercise.
NOISE:
Make for good watch-dogs and will alert owners of visitors.
INDOORS POTENTIAL
A great indoors dog. Small and sheds little hair.
IDEAL FOR:
Good companion dogs for the elderly and families.
CHILD COMPATIBILITY:
Best around children old enough not to treat the dog too rough.
History
The Affenpinscher is a true toy terrier, having been developed in Germany about 300 years ago. The breed’s name derives from the German word ‘affen’, meaning ape and ‘pinscher’, a term used to describe a dog.
Appearance
The Affenpinscher’s monkey-like face is flat, with round, dark eyes, a flat turned-up nose, small, alert ears, bristling eyebrows and bushy moustache. The teeth fit closely together and many of the breed actually have undershot jaws. Affenpinschers have short, compact, square bodies. They come in a range of colours including black, black and tan, and red and grey. Black is preferred.
Temperament
Affenpinschers are intelligent, playful and affectionate towards people. Like other terriers, the breed is alert and fearless; to the point of having little road sense or sense size with other larger dogs. They can become protective of their owners and possessive towards the main care-giver.
Health and lifespan
Unlike other flat-faced breeds, Affenpinschers don’t suffer the same breathing difficulties. The main significant genetic problem are luxating patellas, a condition where the knee cap moves in and out of joint. Breeders have imported dogs that have been certified free of the condition in order to produce a sound breed.
Feeding
Affenpinschers, like other terriers, can have large appetites if allowed too much food. They don’t require large diets and breeders recommend a balanced diet including fresh meats, fish, cheese and dried food. It costs between $5 – $8 a week to feed.
Breeding
All puppies are born black but some change colour as they mature. An average litter is quite small; between two and four pups.
Costs
Their small litter size and low numbers in Australia have contributed to their high cost. Expect to pay between $1,000 and $2,000 each.
Housepet Potential
The Affenpinscher is excellent indoors. Its only a small breed, is said to have little doggy odour and sheds little hair.
Space and Exercise
Affenpinschers are suitable for small backyards. A daily walk is ideal, but given a large enough yard, the dog will exercise sufficiently at home.
Ideal owner
Affenpinschers are excellent for families with children over the age of around seven years. Young children need to be aware enough not to poke or prod the dog. They are also ideal for active elderly people.
Grooming
The coat needs a weekly brush and could be trimmed every few months to keep it tidy.
Trainability
Affenpinschers are intelligent and easy to house train as long as they know who is boss. If spoilt, they can become little canine dictators in the home.
