Affenpinscher

The affenpinscher is a small breed of dog, often characterized as either a terrier or a companion dog by kennel clubs and books. The name translates to "monkeys pinscher" in German, which refers to how their mane resembles that of some monkeys and their facial features. Some books say that they are known in French as diablotin moustachu, or "moustached little devil" due to their spunky nature and characteristic moustache. However, the French wiki article on them calls them Affenpinscher first and Zwergaffen second (which translates to "dwarf monkeys" in German), with no mention of them being called moustached devils. Furthermore it claims that Affenpinscher translates to "Griffon Monkey" and has since 2005. which is probably in reference to a related breed, the Brussels Griffon. This means that some French people are under the delusion that these dogs are named after griffons when it's actually another breed, and it shows how mistranslations can go in circles.

Personality wise they are considered to have "huge personalities", being energetic, attentive, and mischievous. They are noisy and aggressive, with most online breed guides suggesting they not be left alone with small children due to their tendency to angrily assert their boundaries. According to a 1994 book on dog intelligence, they are slightly above average. As far as books go, I cannot find any that reference them as characters. But there seems to be a large amount of breed-based journals published specifically for an owner recording their life spent with the breed, as well as coloring books. Going by books and my memories, I suspect that it may act similarly to a Shih-Tsu, with a curious nature and a bit of sass.

They are most often black, with some places, such as the U.K, refusing any other color in their standard. The American Kennel Club accepts "belge", black, clack & silver, black & tan, and red. These are not the only available colors for the dogs, as I've seen gray ones on Tiktok.

## History

The ancestor of affenpinscher by Hans Hoffman of the 1500s (above) and Albrecht Dürer (below).]]
The affenpinscher is a dog breed that originated in 16th century or younger Germany. The Japanese Kennel Club and other sources recognize the dog in the woodworks of Albrecht Dürer, a 14-1500s artist. However, the dog of these works that resemble the Affenpinscher have a curly tail laying against its back, something that the modern affenpinscher does not have. Additionally they do not list all of the works it is depicted in, merely mentioning that he has them in the works, but it seems they are in at least two. One blog post misattributes it to a Portuguese Water Dog. However it does not fit the size, and they attribute multiple dog breeds he depicts to the same breed. Fanboy of Dürer and official artist for Rudolph II, Hans Hoffman (also of the 1500s), also drew one, but much more realistically. They are noted as being ratters and typically owned by women. The famous painting "Luncheon of the Boating Party" by Pierre-August Renoir also shows an affenpinscher.

## References

1. ↑ https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=Affe&oldid=66210188
2. ↑ https://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pinscher&oldid=207992061
3. ↑ https://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Affenpinscher&oldid=218485883
4. ↑ Dogs Unleashed by Pickeral, Tamsin; 2014 Thunder Bay Press, pg 228, isbn=978-1-68412-666-8
5. ↑ https://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=My\_Friend\_Grompf&oldid=181096017
6. ↑ https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=Zwerg&oldid=68772229
7. ↑ https://fr.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Affenpinscher&oldid=2070370
8. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The\_Intelligence\_of\_Dogs&oldid=1100004493
9. ↑ https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=affenpinscher&qid=vES4gD32fB
10. ↑ https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/breed-standards/toy/affenpinscher/
11. ↑ https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/affenpinscher/
12. ↑ https://www.jkc.or.jp/archives/world\_dogs/2767
13. ↑ https://www.dogsglobal.com/breeds/affenpinscher/FCI-standard
14. ↑ http://stephan-zielinski.com/dwa/2014/06/01/three-dogs-by-albrecht-durer/
15. ↑ https://www.albrechtdurerblog.com/gone-to-the-dogs-the-secret-durer-dogs/
16. ↑ https://cheznamastenancy.blogspot.com/2020/10/hans-hoffman-16th-century-german.html?m=0
17. ↑ https://www.getty.edu/art/collection/person/103JVG
18. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Luncheon\_of\_the\_Boating\_Party&oldid=1099559661