Affenpinscher

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7-10 lbs
9-11"
Germany
African Terriers, Ape Terriers, Affens, Monkey Dogs

Originally, the Affenpinscher was commonly known as the monkey dog because that is what Affenpinscher means in German. Presumably, the breed was named this because of their apish looking face. They were bred to hunt rats, so they were also known as ratters. The breed originated in Germany from different types of small terriers in the 17th and 18th century. They were so small and cuddly, women decided they would make good lapdogs and Affens were soon bred to be more compact, to make them a better size to be companion dogs. They are small dogs, only about 9 to 11 inches tall and they weigh about 9 pounds. Their fur is medium length and wiry, usually beige, tan, red, silver, gray, or black. It is not a very common dog now and is even considered to be rare. It is best not to have these dogs in a home with small children because they do not like to be squeezed or chased.
purpose Purpose
Hunting Rodents, Companion Dog
history Date of Origin
1600s
ancestry Ancestry
Brussels Griffon, Miniature Schnauzer

Affenpinscher Health

Sketch of Affenpinscher
Average Size
Male Affenpinscher size stats
Height: 9-11 inches Weight: 7-10 lbs
Female Affenpinscher size stats
Height: 9-11 inches Weight: 7-10 lbs
Major Concerns
  • Patellar Luxation
  • Hip Dysplasia
  • Lick Granuloma
Minor Concerns
  • Cataracts
  • Tracheal Collapse
  • Heart Problems
Occasional Tests
  • Knee
  • Hip X-Rays
  • Eyes
  • Skeletal

Affenpinscher Breed History

The Affenpinscher is a very unique breed of dog and they are still quite rare in the United States. When they originated in the 1600s, these dogs were bigger (12 to 13 inches tall) and were used to keep the rats and mice out of the stables. Early breeders crossed a different type of Schnauzer ratting dog with the Affenpinscher for ratting but they were later crossed with Silky Pinschers, smooth haired German Pinschers, and Pugs in hopes of producing a smaller lap dog. This led to the Affenpinscher being the forebearer of other terriers such as the Miniature Schnauzer and Brussels Griffon. The first Affens were brought to the United States by Mrs. Bessie Mally who lived in Cicero, Illinois. The first of this breed to be registered with the American Kennel Club was from the first litter of Mrs. Mally’s dogs. This dog’s name was Nolli v Anwander and she was accepted into the AKC in 1936. The breed almost died out as World War II came to an end and the last litter was whelped in June of 1940. It was not until 10 years later that the breed started to be built back up by importing dogs from Germany that were descendants from the same litter as Mrs. Mally’s dogs. According to the AKC, this breed is not as popular as most breeds, but with their confident and spunky personality, they seem to capture the heart of their owners right away.

Affenpinscher Breed Appearance

The Affenpinscher is a small bundle of fur with a long-haired mane around their head that blends into the rest of the fur, which is only about 1 to 2 inches long. It is this longer hair with the beard, mustache, and eyebrows that give them the appearance of a monkey. They are small and sturdy, only about 9 to 11 inches tall, with a square body, short legs, and a medium bone structure. The ears are cropped to make them pointed, they are erect and set high. The curved tail is set high and if docked, it is about 1 to 2 inches long. The muzzle is short and narrow with a blunt nose and a slightly undershot bite. The Affenpinscher has small round feet with black nails and paw pads. Their eyes are brilliantly dark with black rims, perfectly round and medium-shaped. The colors range from tan, red, silver, gray, and black. The red can have tints of brown or orange. A black coat can have white and silver hairs mixed in or a rusty cast.
Appearance of Affenpinscher
Eye Color Possibilities
brown Affenpinscher eyes
Brown
Nose Color Possibilities
black Affenpinscher nose
Black
Coat Color Possibilities
black Affenpinscher coat
Black
brown Affenpinscher coat
Brown
red Affenpinscher coat
Red
fawn Affenpinscher coat
Fawn
silver Affenpinscher coat
Silver
brindle Affenpinscher coat
Brindle
Coat Length
coat
Short Medium Long
Coat Density
coat density
pin
Sparse Normal Dense
Coat Texture
coat texture
Affenpinscher straight coat texture
Straight Wiry Wavy Curly Corded

Affenpinscher Breed Maintenance

The Affen needs to be brushed a couple of times per week with a soft bristle brush and metal comb to keep the coat smooth. Starting at the sides, brush in a downward motion and work up the sides to the back, down the legs, and then the tail. Pay special attention to the beard and whiskers and carefully comb the cheeks with the metal comb. The hair on top of the head should be brushed forward towards the nose. Use your fingers rather than the comb to separate the mats if you find any. They do not need to be trimmed often; twice a year is sufficient. However, it is best to trim the bangs as soon as they get long and need to either be trimmed or held up with a barrette or clip to keep them out of the eyes. Their nails need to be trimmed often to prevent cracking and overgrowth. At this time, you should also check their ears for wax or dirt and clean them as recommended. Tooth brushing should also be done on a regular basis. As a small breed, they can be kept in an apartment and get all their exercise needs taken care of indoors. But, they do like to take walks once in awhile. Your Affenpinscher needs a high-quality dog food appropriate for their size and age.
Brushes for Affenpinscher
Pin Brush
Pin Brush
Comb
Comb
Deshedder
Deshedder
Nail Clipper
Nail Clipper
Brushing Frequency
fur daily fur weekly fur monthly
Affenpinscher requires weekly brushing
Daily Weekly Monthly

Affenpinscher Temperament

These dogs are usually docile and friendly but they do not like to be teased so they would not fare well in a house with small children. They tend to be snappy with those who chase them or squeeze them. In addition, because they are hunters at heart, Affenpinschers should not be left alone with small animals like hamsters, guinea pigs, mice, ferrets, rabbits, and even cats. They actually believe they are bigger than they are and may even go after larger dogs if provoked. This makes them a good watchdog and they are protective of their family members. This breed is independent and has a strong will, so they may take a lot of time and patience to train. It is not because they are not smart; they are very intelligent, but stubborn. Affens are usually a quiet dog but they sometimes get excited and it takes a little while to calm them down. In addition, they are funny dogs that will spend hours entertaining you and your family.

Affenpinscher Activity Requirements

Curious and eager to have fun, the Affenpinscher is always ready for a walk. Always ready to join in the fun, they will enjoy a leisurely stroll or a game of fetch and also will be content to romp in a fenced yard. This breed should always be monitored when outside; they love to hunt and may formulate an escape plan if they see an opportunity for a chase on the other side of the fence.
Activity Level
low activity medium activity high activity
Low Medium High
Rec. Walk Mileage Per Week
6 miles
walk mileage
Minutes of Activity Per Day
30 minutes
activity minutes

Similar Maintenance Breeds to Affenpinscher

Similarly Sized Breeds to Affenpinscher

Affenpinscher Food Consumption

Cups Per Day
1 cups
cup per day cost
Daily Cost
$0.75 - $1.00
food bowls daily cost
Monthly Cost
$25.00 - $30.00
food bag monthly cost

Affenpinscher Height & Weight

6 Months
Sketch of Affenpinscher at six months
Male Affenpinscher size stats at six months
Height: 7.5 inches Weight: 4.0 lbs
Female Affenpinscher size stats at six months
Height: 8.0 inches Weight: 4.0 lbs
12 Months
Sketch of Affenpinscher at 12 months
Male Affenpinscher size stats at 12 months
Height: 8.5 inches Weight: 6.0 lbs
Female Affenpinscher size stats at 12 months
Height: 9.0 inches Weight: 6.0 lbs
18 Months
Sketch of Affenpinscher at 18 months
Male Affenpinscher size stats at 18 months
Height: 10.0 inches Weight: 8.0 lbs
Female Affenpinscher size stats at 18 months
Height: 10.5 inches Weight: 8.0 lbs

Top Affenpinscher Breeders

Check out who made our list for the most reputable Affenpinscher breeders of 2023.
Top Affenpinscher breeder Bauhaus Kennels
Bauhaus Kennels
Tempe, Arizona
Top Affenpinscher breeder Xela Show Dogs
Xela Show Dogs
Kansas City, Missouri
Top Affenpinscher breeder Pramada Kennels
Pramada Kennels
San Francisco, California
Top Affenpinscher breeder Crisanda Papillons & Affenpinschers
Crisanda Papillons & Affenpinschers
Billings, Montana
Top Affenpinscher breeder Mary's Precious Puppies
Mary's Precious Puppies
Uniontown, Kansas

Affenpinscher Owner Experiences

Ngakau (Now deceased)
5 Years
2 People
House & Yard
Health
Grooming
Friendliness
Energy
Trainability
Pastimes
Sleeping
Sitting on or next to one of his humans
watching people
I was given Ngakau by a local breeder. He was such a lovely boy. So gentle and funny. He loved licking peoples noses, would think he was a rottie and bark at people passing by and enjoy sitting on his humans laps just watching the world go by. Ngakau didn't seem himself last year, so we took him to the vet. The vet knew straight away something wasn't right and sent him for a x-ray and performed tests. He was diagnosed with ?intestinal cancer and there was nothing they could do. They let us take Ngakau home to say goodbye to the other dogs and to all his humans who loved him before we took him back to the vet to have him be put to sleep. The pain of losing him is still fresh and we miss him still everyday. We have had a lot of dogs in our life and this was the most painful loss.
4 months, 3 weeks ago
Toby now deceased
14 Years
1 People
House & Yard
Health
Grooming
Friendliness
Energy
Trainability
Pastimes
none
2008 left in my yard. Indominable, funny, loveable, and a great guard, he lived a life of luxury until he developed sores all over his body and lost the function of his back legs in September 2022, He would rally and fade and finally after bloody diarrhea and failure to eat was euthanized while I held him. Loved this dog. So loved this dog!
5 months ago
Half Pint
6 Years
2 People
House & Yard
Health
Grooming
Friendliness
Energy
Trainability
Pastimes
Amazing! Very loyal and loving, super intelligent, gets along with our shtzu and five cats
10 months, 2 weeks ago
Deanza
1 Year
5 People
House & Yard
Health
Grooming
Friendliness
Energy
Trainability
Pastimes
Dog Parks
Mushing
Hide & Seek
Dog-friendly events
Hunt
Groom
Walk
Go to Park
Playful and is extremely affectionate to their owner and is loyal to the owner family members
1 year, 6 months ago
5 Years
People
Health
Grooming
Friendliness
Energy
Trainability
Pastimes
Walk
Play
In my experience, Affenpinshers can be quite stubborn. They like to keep watch of the house and tend to bark quite a bit. However, they are very protective and a more "serious" breed.
5 years, 3 months ago
2 Years
People
Health
Grooming
Friendliness
Energy
Trainability
Pastimes
Chase
Play
Catch treats
Walk
Dog Parks
I walked an affenpinscher duo, one a little less than a year old and another that was upwards of 8 years old. Their personalities are absolutely fantastic though they are a noisy bunch. Without any sort of obvious cause, the duo would, on occasion, start howling together. This behavior seemed to be some sort of bonding ritual between the two of them, but was striking and quite unusual. In the presence of any larger dog or particular stranger both dogs, and particularly the young one, would bark incessantly (he would stop if he was picked up). They're unconditionally friendly to strangers and quite good on the leash. They'd gleefully trot down the street and would say hello to anyone who was interested in doing so. I really adore these guys.
5 years, 2 months ago
10 Years
People
Health
Grooming
Friendliness
Energy
Trainability
Pastimes
Scenting
Walk
Marking
These little guys are very friendly, but can be opinionated and stubborn. They decide where they want to walk, and when the walk stops. They tend to bark when one is approaching or leaving their home.
5 years, 2 months ago
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