Affenpinscher breed guide

AKC says this is not a breed you train but one you befriend. Affenpinschers are independent minded and sometimes willful and domineering, yet mostly loyal and affectionate.

They are courageous, bold and often feisty. AKC calls their reputation for being hard to train undeserved, since they are intelligent and eager to please the humans they bond with.

An Affenpinscher lives 12 to 15 years by AKC's count and breeders screen for luxating patella, heart anomalies, vision problems and hip dysplasia.

Like other shorter-faced breeds, Affenpinschers may have breathing trouble in hot weather if they overheat and cannot pant to cool down.

The wiry medium-length coat wants grooming twice a week, first with a brush and then a metal comb and mats are pulled apart with the fingers. Hair on the head is brushed forward and cut in an inverted V to expose the eyes and hair on the nose bridge is trimmed into a fan.

Small size makes the Affenpinscher an apartment fit. AKC classes it as moderately active, with indoor play covering much of the exercise. Training sessions should stay short because the breed is easily bored.

Affenpinschers were bred to work like terriers, killing rats and other pests in German stables in the 1600s. They moved indoors to clear mice from the kitchen and became ratters by day and bed-warming companions at night.

AKC thinks the breed influenced the Brussels Griffon and the Miniature Schnauzer. It welcomed Affenpinschers into its ranks in 1936.