Home Page Health Home & Family Small Dog Breeds AffenpinscherThe Affenpinscher is Known as The Monkey DogThe Affenpinscher is a sturdy little dog, standing between nine and eleven inches high and weighing between seven and nine pounds. It is in the Toy dogs category in the American Kennel Club but it has all the attributes of a terrier.. It has a cheeky, monkey-like expression, hence the name, which in German means "Monkey Terrier". The Affenpinscher breed has a rough, shaggy coat which is usually black (the preferred color for show dogs) but
also occurs in gray, red, silver and black and tan The Affenpinscher history goes back a long way, being created in Germany, in the seventeenth century. Its purpose was as a ratting dog, to keep kitchens and granaries free fom rodents. Being small, he became a very useful house dog and had the run of the house, in keeping down the numbers of mice and other small vermin. The Affenpinscher has plenty of confidence and thinks he's a lot bigger than he is, standing about 11 inches tall at the shoulder and weighing between 10 and 13 pounds. Their small size makes them ideal for an apartment. They are very active indoors and most of their exercise needs can be met with indoor play, but they enjoy daily walks. The Affenpinscher is not a very popular breed in the USA, not being in the top 100 breeds registered with the American Kennel Club during 2010. Grooming The Affenpinscher.The Affenpinscher has a wiry, shaggy coat which sheds very little and only needs to be brushed and combed twice a week and trimmed twice a year. If you are concerned about even a very small amount of hair in your home, you may wish to groom the dog more frequently, either outdoors or in a place where the hair can be collected and disposed of before it gets onto your furniture and carpets.Exercise For The Affenpinscher.This dog is akin to a terrier, so he has plenty of energy and enthusiasm. Although he is only small, he appreciates the exercise and stimulation of a daily walk and the chance to play and romp in the open air.Training The AffenpinscherTraining the Affenpinsher can be difficult because he can be stubborn and patience and firmness will be required. You must stop him getting bored, so it is best if you introduce an element of play into his training. This breed is rated highly for intelligence (in the top 40 of all breeds) and evaluated to be "an above average working dog" with a quick understanding of new commands. He is not easy to Housetrain. Get Help with Training Your Affenpinscher with this FREE email mini-course. The Affenpinscher's TemperamentWhile he displays many terrier-like characteristics, the Affenpinscher is actually derived from the pinscher-schnauzer group and is very tolerant of other dogs and pets. He is active, adventurous, curious, and stubborn, but he is also fun-loving and playful. The breed is affectionate and lively and very protective of his family and makes a very good watchdog. Although he has plenty of confidence and thinks he can take on anything, he is much too small to make a good guard dog.
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