Affenpinscher
German kitchens, stables and shops kept the Affenpinscher to kill rats, and the breed has never entirely given up the idea. The name means monkey terrier, after a face that really…
About the Affenpinscher
German kitchens, stables and shops kept the Affenpinscher to kill rats, and the breed has never entirely given up the idea. The name means monkey terrier, after a face that really does look simian: round dark eyes, a short blunt muzzle, a fringe of harsh hair and an expression of permanent indignation.
It is a small, square dog of roughly 25 to 30 cm, carrying a rough, harsh coat about two centimetres long, longer and shaggier on the head, neck and shoulders, most often black but permitted in other shades. The coat should be plucked rather than clipped if the texture is to survive. Affenpinschers are bold, funny and quite tough for their size; a stud should be confident and level, since sharpness in a dog this small is easy to overlook and easy to pass on.
Ask the owner for a patella examination, as luxating patella is the commonest orthopaedic complaint in the breed, and for a current eye certificate. The short face means breathing is worth watching: a stud with open nostrils and quiet, easy breathing after exercise is a better prospect than one that snuffles at rest. Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease and heart murmurs both occur in small breeds of this type and are fair questions, as is the state of the dog's teeth.
Health & breeding
We check every hip, elbow, eye and DNA result you give us against the Royal Kennel Club’s public records by hand, and we record who checked it and when. The Royal Kennel Club’s public records may not include all the screening a dog has had, so a dog with no Royal Kennel Club record showing is not necessarily untested.
Breed Right’s summary — under The Royal Kennel Club Health Standard
Health tests for the Affenpinscher
This panel is Breed Right’s summary of the testing that matters for the breed under The Royal Kennel Club Health Standard. The Health Standard is the Royal Kennel Club’s guidance for breeders, not a registration rule. It describes tests to ask about — it is not a report on any individual dog. The Royal Kennel Club’s public records may not include all the screening a dog has had, so a dog with no Royal Kennel Club record showing is not necessarily untested.
Breed club schemes listed in the Health Standard
Run by the breed club, not the Royal Kennel Club, which does not record their results. The Standard lists them as schemes to be aware of.
| Test | Type | Scheme | What’s involved |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patella examination (breed club scheme) | Other | Breed club | Putnam grade 0–4 per stifle. |
Breed hip median
Breed median 15 (BVA Hip Dysplasia Scheme breed statistics 2025 — 15 years, 11 dogs scored — indicative only, from a small sample). Lower is better. Source · How hip scores work
At stud now
Affenpinscher stud dogs
No Affenpinscher studs are listed right now
When an Affenpinscher on the Royal Kennel Club Breed Register is listed at stud, it will appear here.
Also available
Affenpinscher litters
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Litters appear here as breeders list them. Check back soon, or browse other breeds.
