Skip to content 
Affenpinscher Dog Breed Introduction
Affenpinscher is a Monkey-like toy sized Pinscher dog breed from Germany. The name of the breed has been derived from the German name Affe( meaning monkey or ape). Although Affenpinschers are not classified as Terriers, they were meant to work like one. They were used to do away with rats and other pests in German stables of the 1600s. Affenpinschers have a wiry fur and hence often considered hypoallergenic. Although, female Affenpinschers are more susceptible to seasonal flank alopecia especially during winter. Therefore, they tend to shed a bit of hair.
Due to their origin as ratters, these dogs tend not to do well with rodent pets such as ferrets, hamsters, and gerbils. Typical Affenpinschers don’t like to be chased, hugged, or squeezed. For this reason, they are not good choices for homes with young children. These dogs were used to develop some European breeds such as Miniature Schnauzer and Brussels Griffon. Affenpinschers have a terrier-like personality, they are willful and domineering.
Affenpinscher History | Origin
The Affenpinschers were developed in the 17th century in Germany. They were used as ratters working to remove rodents from granaries, kitchens, and stables. In the long run, they became dual-purpose dogs, ratters by day and devoted bed warming companions for the ladies of the house during the night. The progenitors of the modern Affenpinschers were somewhat larger 12 to 13 inches ( approx. 30 to 33 cm ). They also came in colors of tan, grey, fawn, and red. White markings on the chest and feet were also common. The modern Affenpinschers were refined through occasional crosses with German Pinscher, Pug, and Germany Silky Pinscher. AKC recognized the breed in 1936.
Affenpinscher Lifespan
The lifespan of Affenpinschers is 12 to 15 years.
Affenpinscher Grooming
The Affenpinschers have a wiry medium-length coat that requires regular brushing twice a week using a metal comb and a firm brush to prevent mats. In case of matting, pull the mats apart gently using your fingers. The coat is occasionally hand stripped twice a year to remove the dead coat and promote new hair growth. The hair on the bridge of the nose is clipped into a fan shape to keep the eyes on the clear. The hair on the head is normally brushed forward over the face and then an inverted V-shape is cut to expose the eyes. Although trimming a pet Affenpinscher should suffice every few months since the coat does not grow quickly.
This breed requires an occasional bath every 6 to 8 weeks unless it rolls off into something messy. Use a hypoallergenic dog shampoo and conditioner formulated for wiry coated dogs to bath and moisturize the coat. After a bath, purpose to rinse off the grooming products from the skin to prevent skin irritation. Wipe the eye corners using unscented canine wipes or a clean damp washcloth.
Trim the nails of Affenpinschers fortnightly using nail clippers or grinders to prevent overgrowth, cracking, and splitting. Brush the teeth of an Affenpinscher 2 to 3 times a week if not daily to remove tartar buildup using a dog formulated toothpaste and finger toothbrush. Clean the ears once a week using an ear cleanser solution and cotton balls. While cleaning the ears, check out for signs of dog’s ear infection such as redness, odor, or a dark discharge.
Affenpinscher Haircut
The Affenpinschers can either have their coats trimmed or stripped especially if participating in conformation shows. The hair on the face and nose is trimmed for a clear visibility. Although the hair on the shoulders and body is left to a length of one inch. The plucked hair should be longest at the withers and and shortest at the rear. Trimming the pet Affenpinschers will suffice every few months.
Affenpinscher Shedding
The Affenpinschers shed a bit of hair all year round. However, female Affenpinschers tend to shed more during winter due to seasonal flank alopecia.
Affenpinscher Coat
The Affenpinschers have a rough, dense, and harsh coat. Mature dogs of this breed have a cape or mane of strong hair which blends into the back coat at the withers area.
Affenpinscher Hypoallergenic
The Affenpinscher is one of the dog breed regarded hypoallergenic. This is due to the wiry coat that sheds a bit and produces less dander. Although, female Affenpinschers will tend to shed more during winter due to seasonal flank alopecia. However, owners should spend lots of time with a particular dog to determine whether it aggravates their allergies before adopting since no dog is truly hypoallergenic.
Affenpinscher Training
The Affenpinschers are intelligent, curious, inquisitive, and bold animals. They are also stubborn and independent thinkers. For this reason, they get the undeserved reputation of being difficult to train. However, Affenpinschers are intelligent dogs that are eager to please the humans they have bonded with. They respond well to frequent training sessions with a trainer. Trainers should avoid long training sessions to prevent boredom and distraction.
Use positive reinforcements methods to encourage positive behavior through the use of treats, toys, petting, playtime, and verbal praise. Avoid use of harsh correction methods such as beating, shoving, kicking, and yelling since this is a sensitive breed that is also not fond of teasing. Raise a well-mannered Affenpinscher by socializing your dog from an early age. To socialize Affenpinschers, expose them to a wide variety of surfaces, people, experiences, smell, sight, situations, animals, and sounds such as lawn mowers, baby crying sounds, sirens, door bells, vacuum cleaners, whistles, and washing machine.
Socialization starts from the age of 3 to 16 weeks. Enrolling Affenpinschers in a puppy class will also serve as a form of socialization. These classes create a controlled environment where puppies interact with each other. A Puppy class is also beneficial to the pet parents. It enables them to identify and correct bad habits such as resource guarding.
Most Affenpinschers become suspicious when their possessions are removed from their usual locations. Start teaching the Affenpinscher basic commands words such as come, sit, stay, drop it, wait, etc. one at a time until the dog is well-acquainted before proceeding to the next command word. Effectively housebreak the Affenpinscher by creating a feeding schedule, potty training and crate training.
Affenpinscher Personality | Temperament
- Alert.
- Loyal.
- Inquisitive.
- Curious.
- Stubborn.
- Adventurous.
- Playful.
- Outgoing.
- Lively.
- Protective.
- Charming.
- Fearless.
- Confident.
Affenpinscher Exercise
The Affenpinschers are moderately energetic dogs that need regular exercise. A brisk walk once or twice a day, indoor play between the owner and the dog, and just playing alone with the toys. These form of exercise will meet the physical and mental needs of this breed.
Affenpinscher Barking
The Affenpinschers are less vocal dogs. However, they tend to bark when overstimulated, attacked, anxious, or excited.
Affenpinscher Height
The Affenpinschers have a height of 9 to 11.5 inches ( approx. 23 to 29 cm ).
Affenpinscher Weight
Mature Affenpinschers have a weight of 7 to 10 pounds ( approx. 3.2 to 4.5 kg ).
Affenpinscher Size
An Affenpinscher is a toy-sized pinscher toy breed that has a height of 9 to 11.5 inches ( approx. 23 to 29 cm ) and a weight of 7 to 10 pounds ( approx. 3.2 to 4.5 kg ).
Affenpinscher Health Issues
The Affenpinschers are relatively healthy and robust dogs that have a life expectancy of 12 to 15 years. However, they may suffer from certain health issues such as hip dysplasia, Legg-Perthes Disease, eye problems such as cataracts, breathing problems during hot weather, patellar luxation, collapsed trachea, and heart murmurs.
Apart from Affenpinschers, other dog breeds include:
Affenpinscher Names
The Affenpinscher pet parent may decide to get a name for the pup before it comes home from the age of 8 weeks or a few days later after joining them home to ensure they understand the personality of a particular dog. Owners may get name inspirations from the German heritage of the breed, the coat color, temperament, celebrity Affenpinschers, movies, books, music, food, nature, historical figures, etc.
Regardless of where they get the inspiration, parents should ensure that the name freely rolls off their tongue and won’t make them embarrassed when uttered out loud in parks or malls. If a pet owner settles with a long name, he or she should ensure they find a cute nickname for the adorable pup. Affenpinschers and other dog breeds better understand names that have vowels.
Avoid giving your puppy or dog a name that rhymes with the command words to prevent confusion. If the Affenpinscher shares a name with any of the family member or guest who frequent your home, it may result to confusion. Some of the names that Affenpinschers parents give to their pets include:
- Koko.
- Carly.
- Babsy.
- Octavia.
- Astor.
- Cooper.
- Max.
- Lily.
- Angela.
- Bret.
- Duke.
- Lola.
- Bosco.
- Aspen.
- Benji, etc.
Affenpinscher Colors | White | Brown
According to the breed standard, the preferred coat color for Affenpinschers is black. Although, some may have other coat colors such as black and tan, gray, belge, red, or silver. The red coat color may vary from brownish red to an orangey tan. Whereas, the belge coat has brown, black, and/or white hairs mixed with the red.
Affenpinscher Food
The amount of food that the Affenpinscher feeds on depends on its age, activity level, metabolism, size, and body build. Puppies tend to eat little portions of food (3 or 4 times a day ) due to high metabolism rates from when they start weaning until the age of 6 months. From the age of 6 months, Affenpinschers should feed on a total two meals a day. Look out for the weight level and calorie consumption to avoid overfeeding especially with treats.
Affenpinschers may feed on dry food, wet food, home made, or a raw diet depending on the budget and time of the pet parent. Regardless of the food type, parents should ensure that an Affenpinscher feeds on a balanced diet to maintain a good health eventually allowing it to develop cognitively and physically. If the Affenpinscher parent decides to feed the pet with the commercial dry or wet food, he or she should ensure the first three ingredients are proteins from a known source.
The dry or wet dog food should not contain preservatives, chemicals, additives, meat by-products, generic meat products, and fillers. The same goes to the snacks. Dry or wet food should also be formulated for toy-sized, puppies, adults, and senior depending with the age your Affenpinscher. Check the physique of your pet to tell whether it is overweight or underweight.
If you can see the ribs, chances are the pet is underweight. However, if the ribs are not visible but can be felt without pressing hard, an Affenpinscher has an ideal weight. If the ribs can’t be felt, the pet is overweight and should be exercised. Pet owners who want to switch to another quality food should gradually do this over a period of one month by mixing both new food and old food. As the weeks progresses, the amount of old food reduces as the new food increases until the Affenpinscher is only feeding on new food during the fourth week.
Do Affenpinschers Shed
Yes. Affenpinschers shed all-year round. Although, Female Dogs of this breed tend to shed more due to seasonal flank alopecia especially during winter.
Are Affenpinschers Hypoallergenic
Yes. Affenpinscher is one of the breed considered hypoallergenic. Although, they tend to shed a bit of hair all-year round. However, frequent grooming helps to reduce the amount of hair released into the environment.
Affenpinschers Quick Facts
- Although, Affenpinschers have a lifespan of 12 to 15 years, they have a shorter lifespan as compared to other breeds of their size.
- They are somewhat possessive of their food and toys hence not good for homes with small children.
- If attacked or threatened, Affenpinschers can become very excited and are fearless toward any aggressor.
