Affenpinscher dog

History of origin

“Not a mouse, not a frog, but an unknown little animal,” these lines fit the description of the affenpinscher perfectly. Sometimes, when you see these funny dogs on medieval canvases, you don’t immediately understand what kind of creature is depicted here: an almost human face and a dog’s body covered with stiff sticking hair.

It is now impossible to say when and how this breed arose, it is only known that the first mention of dogs with monkey faces (and “affe” in German means “monkey”) appeared in Germany. There, affenpinschers were originally used to exterminate rats, hamsters and other harmful rodents. Although then they were much larger than modern ones, and their colors were diverse – there were spotted, red, fawn and red individuals. Many could notice white spots on the chest and legs. There is an opinion, and many cynologists are inclined to it, that Affenpinscher appeared by crossing European small terriers and oriental decorative dogs, like pugs. From the former, they inherited a hard, protruding coat and hunting instincts, from the latter, a flattened muzzle and small size.

How it happened that aristocrats noticed funny rat-catchers, history is silent, however, from about the beginning of the XNUMXth century, affenpinschers became regulars in castles and palaces of European nobility. Every self-respecting nobleman and, moreover, a noblewoman considered it mandatory to have one or more affenpinschers. At the same time, the breed begins to grow smaller – dogs that could be carried on hands were in special demand.

In the 1935th century, the popularity of Affenpinschers in Europe declined significantly, but in America they were recognized as soon as the breed was shown at an international exhibition in XNUMX.

Today, monkey-faced dogs reign supreme in the hearts of many lovers of decorative breeds. In our country, affenpinschers appeared relatively recently, but have already gained popularity.

Breed description

Small dogs are very unusual, and therefore recognizable in appearance. The muzzle is short, flattened, the eyes are large with an intelligent and attentive expression. Ears are triangular, erect. The back is absolutely straight, the lines of the abdomen and back are parallel. In general, the Affenpinscher fits into a square (the length of the body is equal to the height at the withers). The tail is docked (usually 3 vertebrae are left), although this procedure is not now considered mandatory.

The coat is hard, uneven length. Unlike other wire-haired dogs, Affenpinschers cannot boast of a pronounced beard and mustache, but the hair on their head sticks out like a lion’s mane, framing the muzzle in a circle and making it really look like either a monkey or a fabulous brownie. That is why, when looking at a non-affenpinscher, it is not always possible to immediately realize that there is a dog in front of you.

Solid black is considered the traditional and best color for the breed, however, black and tan, red and silver dogs are also allowed to participate in exhibitions.

Photos

Character

Having settled in the house of this “old man-houseman”, be prepared for the fact that he, like a real brownie, will be very jealous of both his house and the owner of this house. He will selflessly fight for undivided attention to himself, and it doesn’t matter if his enemies are children, other animals, or even a flower on the window. Despite their funny appearance, Affenpinschers consider themselves big serious dogs and behave accordingly, so you should not treat them like sofa cushions. Each such creature is a self-sufficient person to be reckoned with.

With a zealous attitude to the attention of the owner, affenpicchers are not intrusive. They always behave with dignity, so if the dog sees that at the moment you do not have the opportunity to devote time to her, she will step aside and wait for a more favorable moment.

But Affens love travel with all the fibers of their souls, so wherever you go, take your pet with you – and you will have more fun, and he will be happy, and give others positive emotions, because the funny appearance of this creature is unlikely to leave anyone indifferent.

Care and maintenance

The Affenpinscher is the most comfortable dog for apartment maintenance: it almost does not shed and does not need a large living space. True, once every six months, you still have to pluck out dead hair so that it does not form ugly dreadlocks.

As mentioned above, Affenpinschers are very fond of walking, so the more often you take the dog with you, the better – she needs both physical activity and new experiences.

But if you are a lover of domestic rodents – rats, chinchillas or hamsters – it is better to immediately decide who you want to see in your house more: them or the affenpinscher. The fact is that initially the breed was bred specifically for hunting barn pests, and they perceive all rodents as personal enemies. So in this case, there is every chance that a four-legged friend will one day solemnly present you with a strangled beloved chinchilla as a hunting trophy and will wait for praise for his heroism.

Also, do not specifically provoke the dog to jealousy: do not stroke the cat with her and do not mess around with children – this can deeply hurt the possessive soul of the affenpinscher.

Education and training

Many believe that pet dogs do not need training – they say, it is enough to know their name, “place” and “go eat.” But this is fundamentally wrong. The fact is that in the dog world there is no concept of size, and the most important thing is not the biggest and strongest, but the most self-confident. Remember: “Oh, Pug, know she is strong, if she barks at an elephant”? This is exactly the case, and even these small creatures, reminiscent of brownies, are full-fledged dogs with all their inherent habits and instincts, the main of which is the feeling of the pack. It is very important for any dog, be it a giant St. Bernard or a small Affenpinscher, to clearly understand its place in the pack, otherwise the animal becomes nervous and unbalanced. Imagine that you got a new job, but you have not been assigned a position, and you do not even know if you will receive a salary at the end of the month. It definitely won’t benefit the nervous system, right? The same goes for dogs of all sizes.

Therefore, train your funny baby in the same way as if you were the owner of a shepherd dog or a Doberman. Learn all the main commands with him, teach him to walk nearby and fetch “fetch”, and you will see how happy your dog will become.

Health and disease

Affenpinchers cannot be called a sickly breed, but they also have their own characteristics. So, for example, in a hot climate, they suffer because of their short nose – the hot air on the way to the lungs simply does not have time to cool, and the dog can get overheated. Therefore, if you live somewhere in the Crimea or the Caucasus, it’s better not to walk with your pet on an August afternoon, but postpone the promenade until the evening.

Another Achilles’ heel of Affenpinschers is their activity. Sometimes they turn out to be careless and get dislocations or even fractures, so you need to watch them vigilantly while walking. And not only on walks – as statistics show, more than half of the injuries to people and animals occur at home.

And, of course, remember that in no case should you feed the dog food from your table. Of course, four-legged manipulators are very good at putting on an unhappy and hungry look, but you should not be led by these provocations. Better choose a balanced diet for your dog and stick to it, and then your little friend will be able to live to an advanced 15 years.

Word to the breeder

Nadezhda Lozina, owner of the kennel “Spirit of the Black Forest on Rublyovka” shares:

– For the first time I saw an affenpinscher back in Soviet times, when I was a student at a Moscow medical university. Imagine a picture: a foreign car stops (this is in Soviet times!) And a luxurious lady comes out with an unusual, monkey-like dog in her arms. I was embarrassed to ask what kind of breed it is, but I have never seen such breeds at exhibitions. Since then, the affenpinscher has become my dream.

I bought my first Affen, a beauty named Xandra, from a German breeder much later.

What is he, affenpinscher? Small, but bold, fearless, and sometimes formidable, this is a real protector for his adored masters. And the one who dares to harm his loved ones will be sorry, because for him his house is his fortress. At the same time, the Affenpinscher has no equal in the comedy genre, but he himself will decide who to please with his art.

Popular questions and answers

We asked to answer questions about the content of affenpinschers zoo engineer, veterinarian Anastasia Kalinina: