Affenpinscher

Alert and clownish; devoted but can be stubborn.
An Affenpinscher
Photo: Pleple2000
Adult weight
4–6 kg
8.8–13 lb
Lifespan
9.3 yrs
Class · Lap dog
also Companion

What it's like

In temperament the Affenpinscher is alert, self-assured and often clownish. It is devoted to its household but can be stubborn, and it will stand up to much larger dogs without hesitation. Though usually quiet, it can become very excited when threatened.

Day to day
Activity
A good daily walk and play
Intelligence
Learns readily, likes games
Handler demand
Needs steady training
With people
Affection
Affectionate on its own terms
Loyalty
Bonded to its family
Independence
Decides for itself
Around the home
Sensitivity
Average
Voice
Barks to alert, then settles
Prey drive
Chases; needs managing
Breed explains only about 9% of how individual dogs differ in behaviour1. Meet the dog. A good breeder breeds for temperament as well as health, and matches each puppy's personality to the right home2,3.
Is an Affenpinscher right for you?
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Living with one

It has a wire or harsh coat. Loose hair stays caught in the coat until it is brushed, stripped or clipped out. Plan on a brush once a week, plus hand-stripping two or three times a year. It needs a moderate amount of exercise compared with other breeds.

Size and growth

An Affenpinscher is a small dog, about the weight of a grown Yorkshire Terrier. It is one of the lightest small breeds.

This is a compact, square-built little dog with a domed head, a short muzzle, round dark eyes and a slightly undershot jaw. Its coat is rough and wiry, shorter and denser on the body and longer and shaggier on the head, where it forms bushy eyebrows, a beard and a loose mane. Black is the usual colour, but grey, silver, red, black and tan, and belge, a mix of black, brown, red and white hairs, are also seen.

Puppy growth

Reference curve · community data appears as owners log
By about 3 months, a male Affenpinscher puppy is already as heavy as a grown Chihuahua. They grow fastest between 3 and 4 months old.
Fully grown
10 mo
Both sexes, at 99% of adult weight6
Male
Female
Shaded: expected range
02462m4m6m9m12m18m
02462m3m4m6m9m12m18m
Age
Male
Female
2 months
1.3–1.9 kg 2.9–4.2 lb
1.4–2.1 kg 3.1–4.6 lb
3 months
1.6–2.4 kg 3.5–5.3 lb
1.7–2.6 kg 3.7–5.7 lb
4 months
2.1–3.2 kg 4.6–7.1 lb
2.2–3.3 kg 4.9–7.3 lb
5 months
2.5–3.8 kg 5.5–8.4 lb
2.5–3.8 kg 5.5–8.4 lb
6 months
2.8–4.2 kg 6.2–9.3 lb
2.8–4.2 kg 6.2–9.3 lb
7 months
3.1–4.6 kg 6.8–10.1 lb
3.0–4.5 kg 6.6–9.9 lb
8 months
3.2–4.9 kg 7.1–10.8 lb
3.2–4.8 kg 7.1–10.6 lb
9 months
3.4–5.1 kg 7.5–11.2 lb
3.3–4.9 kg 7.3–10.8 lb
10 months
3.5–5.2 kg 7.7–11.5 lb
3.4–5.1 kg 7.5–11.2 lb
11 months
3.6–5.3 kg 7.9–11.7 lb
3.5–5.2 kg 7.7–11.5 lb
12 months
3.6–5.4 kg 7.9–11.9 lb
3.6–5.3 kg 7.9–11.7 lb
15 months
3.8–5.7 kg 8.4–12.6 lb
3.8–5.6 kg 8.4–12.3 lb
18 months
4.0–5.9 kg 8.8–13.0 lb
3.9–5.9 kg 8.6–13.0 lb

Health and lifespan

Flat face and breathing

The Affenpinscher is one of the flat-faced breeds. In UK vet records, flat-faced dogs were more likely to have breathing and airway problems than dogs with a medium-length muzzle, and lived shorter lives on average. Noisy breathing at rest is worth raising with a vet.

Lifespan

In UK vet records, the typical Affenpinscher lived to about 9 and a half years, shorter than the typical small breed. Flat-faced breeds as a group live shorter lives than breeds with a longer muzzle.

Where it comes from

The Affenpinscher began as a house dog in southern Germany, and Albrecht Dürer's woodcuts show its forerunners. A toy dog developed from the rough-coated pinschers, it was first recorded in 1879 and was much in favour around 1900. Harsh hair framing the face sets off its monkey-like look4.

The Affenpinscher takes its name from the German for monkey pinscher, and in France it is known as the little moustached devil. Its numbers fell sharply during the Second World War and the breed became rare for a time. It is widely believed to have played a part in creating the Brussels Griffon. It was bred to work as a ratter, keeping mice and rats out of stables, kitchens and granaries, before it settled into life as a companion.

Breed standard

The Affenpinscher is judged against standard no. 186, in group 2, Pinscher and Schnauzer, Molossoid and Swiss Mountain Dogs4.

Questions people ask

General guidance for dogs rather than a measured Affenpinscher figure: most females have a first season somewhere between six and fifteen months, and cycles then settle to roughly every 180 days. Smaller breeds tend to start earlier and larger ones later, so a small breed is most likely at the early end.

Compare with related

Brussels Griffon
Companion & toy · Toy
Miniature Schnauzer
Pinschers & molossoids · Small
Miniature Pinscher
Pinschers & molossoids · Small
German Pinscher
Pinschers & molossoids · Medium
Or compare the Affenpinscher with any breed you choose
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Sources

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