EARLY HISTORY OF THE BREED

The Affenpinscher has its origin in Germany. The progenitor of the breed was probably a rough-coated little ratter that survived in the central European countries by its clever personality and its rodent-killing abilities. The Flemish artist Jan Van Eyck (1390–1441) included in his paintingThe Marriage of Giovanni Arnolfini and Giovanna Cenami a scruffy terrier-type dog, placed facing the audience between the newlyweds. This is an example of the type of dog that probably was the ancestor of both the Brussels Griffon and the Affenpinscher. Albrecht Durer (1471–1525) from Nuremberg, Germany included a small dog in several of his woodcuts that suggest the existence of this “Long-haired Dwarf Terrier.” Seventeenth-century painter Gabriel Metsu (1629–1667) portrayed a little dog that looks very much like our contemporary Affenpinscher in his celebrated workA Soldier Receiving a Young Woman, which today hangs in the Louvre. Other dog enthusiasts claim these representations as early examples of their own breeds. One thing certain is that a small rough-coated household dog similar to the Affenpinscher existed and was admired for several centuries.

In addition to the Affenpinscher, the Miniature Pinscher, the Miniature Schnauzer and the Brussels Griffon were all probably generated from this same type of dog. Later, with the infusion of other breeds plus selective breeding, the specifics of breed type developed and were promoted. For example, breeders crossed in the Pug to develop the Brussels Griffon, while others added the English Black and Tan Terrier to create the Miniature Pinscher. By adding a small, dark schnauzer-type hunting dog from southern Russia, the Miniature Schnauzer was created. In each of these breeds’ histories there were times when it became necessary to cross back into the associated breeds to keep the newer breed viable. In any case, the Affenpinscher is an old breed.

Official records or formal breeding programs for this breed did not exist until the late 1800s. Dog show records from the 1870s and ‘80s in southern Germany, around Frankfurt and Munich, reflect that the breed was firmly established and exhibited. In an 1889 publication,The Canine Chronicle, there is a description of a special show in Frankfurt sponsored by a club for the German Toy Rat-terriers (Affenpinschers). “Affenpinscher” was first used for the name of the breed at this time. Until then the word “Affenpinscher” was used as an adjective. At this show there were classes for dogs weighing under 5 pounds and over 5 pounds. By the early 1900s these two size classifications seemed to disappear. The smaller ones assumed the former nickname, Affenpinscher, with the larger type being absorbed into the Miniature Schnauzer breed. Instead of its earlier function of being a “ratter,” the smaller Affenpinscher is more of a “mouser.” However, even today a large specimen of between 13 to 16 inches might appear in a closely line-bred litter. These larger throw-backs generally have great personalities and are of good breed type, except for the size and the fact that their muzzles may be a bit longer. This larger type usually makes an excellent companion for a family with young children.

A Vic