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Monday, April 27, 2009

Affenpinscher


Other Names: Monkey DogCountry of Origin: GermanyLifespan: 14-15 YearsMale Height: 9-11.5 InchesInches Male Weight: 7-9 PoundsFemale Height: 9-11.5 InchesFemale Weight: 7-9 PoundsAmerican Kennel Club Classification : Toy GroupCanadian Kennel Club Classification : ToysKennel Club (Great Britain) Classification : ToyAffenpinscher CharacteristicsThe Affenpinscher is one little dog that takes himself quite seriously, and demands respect. The French referred to the Affenpinscher as "mustachioed little devils". The Affenpinscher originated in the 1600's and may be an ancestor of the Brussels Griffon and the Miniature Schnauzer.Affenpinscher Dog BreedThe Affenpinscher dog is a relatively small dog weighing 7-9 pounds. They reach a height between 9 to 11.5 inches, with a shaggy gray, black, silver, or black and tan coat. While their hair is not the cuddliest, you will find they are a very active dog breed. This type of dog is low maintenance when it comes to grooming, as they don't tend to shed their hair.The Affenpinscher breed originated in Germany in the 16th century. They are considered one of the most amiable companions for humans. They tend to have a strong playful spirit, while being great at hunting rats and mice. You can consider their character to be balanced and sturdy. In other words they will have pretty much the same behavioral characteristics throughout their lives and be a pleasure. They are also very agile, inquisitive, and quick- witted.You will find that this dog breed is great for a family. They tend to play well with younger children as well as be aware of the delicate nature of the child. They will want to play, amuse, and be affectionate with the entire family. This will lead us into the care of the Affenpinscher. While they require minimal grooming you will find they do need a lot of attention. They tend to have a lot of energy so taking the dog out for long walks, playing with them often, and not leaving them along too much is going to be the best care you can give them. When you are grooming your Affenpinscher you will need to pay close attention to the eyes. They tend to have little hairs that will grow near the eyes causing irritation or even infections if left for too long.This dog breed is one of the hardest to house train despite the wonderful pet they do make. They are extremely active and therefore they don't want to pay attention to training and lessons. When training the dog you need to use the crate method. In other words they need to understand what the crate means, and that until they are house trained to go outside or let the owner know when they need to go they will be in the crate while you are away. You need to be extremely authoritarian with the Affenpinscher with firmness and consistency. While they are quick to learn they often don't like to sit still for the lessons as they become bored. If you are trying to train the dog to do tricks it must be something that stimulates them.You will also find that this particular breed of dog is a fairly good watchdog. While they are certainly not the best they do tend to let you know when a person is arriving and will stand guard. With their heightened sense of play you will find that this dog also loves to climb and bark. You will need to train them when it is appropriate to bark and when it is not. You will also have to make sure your backyard is large enough and set up with a high fence to keep them contained. When you are considering further dog care keep in mind that they are extremely active. They need to have a place they can run and expend energy. This means during the day while you are at work and your children are in school you probably need to leave the dog outside in the yard. Make sure that they will not be able to dig themselves out or climb over the fence. It is really best to have a dog runner set up so they are chained, but have the freedom to explore the yard and stay in the shade.Grooming the AffenpinscherThe Affenpinscher belongs to the terrier family and is considered a toy breed. It used to be raised to be a hunter of vermin, but in the 1800 to 1900s, it was bred to its now much smaller size and was became a companion dog instead.The Affenpinscher has also acquired the nickname "monkey dog" and is sometimes called the Monkey Pinscher. In fact, Affenpinscher means "Monkey Terrier" in the German language. This nickname is due to the dog's monkey-like facial expressions. What gives this breed its monkey-like appearance is the hair that grows longer around the head, eyebrows, and jaw. An Affenpinscher's coat also grows about an inch long in the neck area, chest, and legs while its tail and posterior may have shorter hair. Their coat is rough, wiry, and thick. The coat can be colored red, tan, or dark grey, but black is the most preferred color by Affenpinscher owners and breeders.An Affenpinscher with an initially well-groomed coat does not require that much further grooming attention. Although it may have a thick wiry coat, an Affenpinscher sheds much less hair than other hairy dogs. Another great thing about grooming an Affenpinscher is that the shaggy, unkempt appearance is the look that you should be going for. Not that hard to do considering Affenpinschers naturally look scruffy and untidy. This breed does not need to be made to look overly neat. Also, an Affenpinscher that is groomed with its monkey-like features enhanced is prized among this breed.Proper care of an Affenpinscher's coat and appearance begins with its environment. Extreme temperatures, especially places with very warm weather, can ruin their thick coats. Train an Affenpinscher to be used to grooming while it is still a puppy so that it thinks of grooming time as something akin to playtime. Establish yourself as the alpha leader so that the dog will be submissive to you. Thus making the grooming session much easier for the both of you.Grooming an Affenpinscher may not take much, but weekly maintenance of the coat is a must. Its thick wiry coat is prone to matting, tangling, and knotting. Brush its coat regularly to get rid of accumulated debris and hair that has been shed. Use a fine-toothed comb for the hair around its face and you can use a medium-toothed comb or brush for the rest of the body. Clipping an Affenpinscher's coat is not recommended as it can ruin its much valued shaggy appearance and may take years to grow back. Avoid clipping as much as possible, but you may pluck out the dead hairs.Free the eye and ear area of overgrown hairs that may irritate the Affenpinscher. Trim excess hair with straight or thinning scissors. Also include regular teeth brushing and nail clipping in the grooming schedule. Use mild dog shampoos when bathing an Affenpinscher. Don't bathe it to often as their skin and coat may become dry and irritated.A well-groomed Affenpinscher is one that looks like its natural shaggy self. Preserve and maintain this look so that you and your Affenpinscher can reap the benefits of proper grooming.The Affenpinscher Breed StandardThe general appearance of the Affenpinscher is a balanced, wiry-haired terrier-like toy dog. The Affenpinscher is sturdy and compact with medium bone structure. The preferred height at the withers is 9 ½" to 11 1/2". He has a square-like appearance.The head is in proportion to the body, carried confidently with a monkey-like facial expression. The Affenpinscher has eyes that are round, dark, brilliant and of medium size in proportion to the head. The eyes are not bulging or protruding. Eye rims are black. The ears are cropped to a point, set high and standing erect, or natural, standing erect, semi-erect or dropped. All these types of ears are acceptable in the breed standard as long as the monkey-like expression is maintained. The skull is round and domed, not coarse. The stop is well-defined. The Muzzle is short and narrows slightly to a blunt nose. The nose is black, neither turned up nor down. The lips are black with a prominent lower lip. The bite is slightly undershot. Level bites are only acceptable if the monkey-like expression is maintained. An overshot bite is severely penalized.The Affenpinscher's neck is short and straight. The top line is straight and level. The chest is moderately broad and deep. The back is short and level with a strong loin. The tail may be docked or natural. A docked tail is between 1" and 2" long set high an carried erect. The natural tail is set high and carried gently curved up over the back while moving.The Affenpinscher's shoulders are moderately laid back. The length of the shoulder blade and the upper arm are about equal. Elbows are close to the body. Front legs of the Affenpinscher are straight when viewed from any direction. Dewclaws are generally removed. The feet of the Affenpinscher are small, round, compact and with black pads and nails.The coat of the Affenpinscher is dense, rough, harsh and about 1" in length on the shoulders and body. The hair may be shorter on the rear and tail. The mature Affenpinscher has a mane or cape of strong hair which blends into the back coat at the withers area. To emphasize the monkey-like expression of the Affenpinscher the longer hair on the head, eyebrows and beard stands off and frames the face. The Affenpinscher's coat needs little grooming to maintain a neat and shaggy appearance.The Affenpinscher is seen in colors of black, gray, silver, red, black and tan or beige. The blacks may have a rusty cast or a few white or silver hairs mixed with the black. The reds vary from brownish red to an orange tan. Beige has black, brown and/or white hairs mixed with red. Some Affenpinschers may have black masks or a small white spot on the chest. Large white patches are undesirable.The gait of the Affenpinscher should be light, free, sound, balanced and confident. The Affenpinscher's signature walk is that of comic seriousness.The personality of the Affenpinscher should be alert, inquisitive, loyal and affectionate toward owner and friends. The Affenpinscher is generally quiet, but can become extremely excited when threatened or attacked and is not afraid toward any aggressor.The Affenpinscher's Early Days In His New HomeThe Affenpinscher develops a very strong attachment to his owner or owners. How the Affenpinscher puppy develops depends a great deal upon the care he receives as a young puppy. One of the first things you should do for your new Affenpinscher puppy is make him feel secure and comfortable with his new family.Your breeder probably provided you with a health record showing all immunization vaccinations given to the Affenpinscher puppy prior to the sale. Some states such as California, Florida and Texas require breeders to provide a veterinarian proof of health on sale of a dog.As soon as possible after bringing your new Affenpinscher puppy home you should take him to be examined by a veterinarian and finish the series of shots began by the breeder. These shots usually consist of vaccines for infectious hepatitis, distemper, leptospirosis, paraintiuenza and parvovirus. The frequency and combination of vaccines differs from vet to vet. If the Affenpinscher is to be entered into shows the vet may want to give him immunization against bordatella (kennel cough) and corona. Follow the advice of your own personal veterinarian.Take a stool sample with you for the first visit. If you live in a climate where heartworm is a concern ask your vet about heartworm preventative. Most often the monthly heartworm preventative will also prevent other parasite infestations.Once you have established care with a trusted veterinarian and your Affenpinscher puppy seems content in his new home work on a regular schedule of diet, housebreaking and other rules of your own particular household. Allow the Affenpinscher puppy to settle in properly. Do not make any sudden changes in his diet. If you do not want to feed what the breeder fed your Affenpinscher puppy make changes gradually. Sudden changes in diet sometimes results in diarrhea or the Affenpinscher puppy may refuse to eat the new food.If you choose to show your Affenpinscher with cropped ears you should have the cropping performed by a qualified veterinarian or an individual recommended by your breeder. The ears are usually cropped when the Affenpinscher is anywhere from eight weeks to four or five months.Crate training is recommended for Affenpinscher puppies. You will need to purchase a small airline kennel or a small housebreaking crate. Provide your Affenpinscher puppy with soft clean bedding in the crate and fresh drinking water preferably from a water bottle. Training you Affenpinscher puppy should start early. Do not feel that crating your Affenpinscher puppy is cruel. Dogs by nature are den animals and many find refuge in their crates, a special place of their own to rest and sleep. An Affenpinscher puppy that has been crated will travel easier and more happily.Affenpinscher - Dog Breed ProfileKey FactsSize: SmallHeight: 24 - 28cm (9.5 - 11 inches)Weight: 3 - 4kg (6.5 - 9 lb)Life Span: 15 yearsGrooming: EasyExercise: ModerateFeeding: UndemandingTemperament: Self-confident & livelyCountry of Origin: GermanyAKC Group: ToyOther Names: Monkey DogTemperamentThe Affenpinscher is intelligent, playful, curious, alert and mischievous. Affenpinschers are affectionate companions and family pets. They can be quite fearless towards aggressors and make excellent watchdogs. Their intelligence makes them easy to train, once they learn who is boss, however if Affenpinschers are spoilt, then their owners may find their home run by a little canine dictator. They get on well with children and other household pets, however most Affenpinschers will refuse unknown visitors entry into the home.GroomingRelatively easy, with brushing required once or twice per week to remove dead hair and keep it free of knots. No trimming required and Affenpinscher's have minimal moulting.ExerciseModerate exercise is required, but Affenpinschers can tolerate reasonably long distances.HistoryAffenpinschers originated in Germany several centuries ago and pictures of them can be seen depicted in the paintings of the early Dutch masters. The evolution of this breed may have come about with the crossbreeding of Miniature Pinschers to the local wire coated terriers. It has been broadly accepted that the Affenpinscher is the progenitor of both smooth and rough coated varieties of the toy Griffin.Physical CharacteristicsGeneral Appearance: Small and stocky with a trotting gait.Colour: Black (or black with lighter shadings)Coat: Wirehaired and rough and harsh in texture. Shaggy around the face with a wreath-like circle of hair framing the face giving a monkey-like appearance.Tail: Usually docked short and carried high.Ears: Either upright or dropped.Body: Square with a deep, barrel shaped chest. Short, straight back.

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