what they offer in terms of developing a sound breeding program. Everyone has misses in judgment, but a good mentor can help to keep those to a minimum. At some point, breeders will likely want to develop a relation - ship with another breeder who may have a puppy, bitch or sire to incor- porate into their breeding program. Remember, they are guarding their reputation as well, so respect that and go into the relationship educated and aware of potential pitfalls. As in most purebred breeds, ama- teur handlers can feel disadvantaged and discouraged from venturing into showing their own dogs. One of the reasons we love breeding and showing Affens is the camaraderie that devel - ops between other owners, handlers, pet owners, and breeders. Fortunate - ly, there are many longtime breeders and handlers who are more than will - ing and generous with helpful hints to improve grooming and handling. We have always maintained that, outside the ring, we absolutely enjoy our re - lationships with other Affen fanciers and are quick to share a glass of wine or a story. But, in the ring, the gloves come off and we compete the best way we know how. Is it all serious competition? Hardly! This is a comical breed, so we learn to laugh at ourselves and our little dogs—and those we encounter along the way. Who hasn’t missed a ring call or been caught snoozing when supposed to be in the ring? Oh, and did we mention how notoriously un - predictable Toy Dogs can be? It only takes a time or two of not realizing that your dog has decided it’s time for a break and you just have to acknowl - edge the applause until they’re done. After all, they’re only human!
the show ring, improving the breed, or paying careful attention to maintain- ing a relatively healthy breed. Spe- cifically, reputable breeders of Affens have an almost maniacal attention to avoiding eye and joint problems. Many years ago, a friend of ours fell in love with “Tequila” and wanted an Affen of her own. She wasn’t willing to wait, so found several breeders selling “Quality Affenpinschers” online for a fraction of the cost of a monkey dog from health-tested, AKC champion dam and sire. She purchased a female that grew to be nearly four inches over the height standard and almost unrecognizable in facial expression, coat, and temperament relative to the Standard and Affenpinschers seen on the show circuit. To a great extent, there is truth and danger in the adage about getting what you pay for! Because of the Affen’s small size, it isn’t uncommon for litters to be as few as one puppy, but more typically in the 3-5 range. Survivability can sometimes be an issue with any lit - ter, but as litters get larger, so does the probability of mortality. We’ve had our share of heartache, so hav- ing a strong genetic foundation can’t be overstated. Knowing this, breed - ers are always scouring the country and the world for genetic compatibili - ties to strengthen the breed. This is a sturdy little breed, but genetic weak - ness can be an insidious threat if not managed proactively. For the new breeder, it can truly be daunting to enter the world of Affens. Start with love of the breed and add in healthy doses of education, diligence, willingness to listen, and hard work; it pays off. Reputation is hard fought and hard won. There aren’t any short - cuts, but it helps to latch on to a will - ing mentor and listen religiously to
active lifestyles, wonderful at Agility, or content to be couch potatoes. We absolutely love our Bouvs, but come bedtime it is much easier to fit six Af - fens on the bed! As in so many things in life, getting our first Affen fifteen years ago was a combination of planning and sheer luck. Monkey dogs are relatively uncommon, and getting one usu- ally means going on a waiting list of a somewhat limited field of breed - ers. So, we were thrilled when our long-time handler friends, Jorge and Susie Olivera, contacted us to ask if we would be interested in adopting a stunning little Champion, Tamarin Tequila. She certainly wasn’t perfect, but she was perfect for us. Comical, fearless, adorable, and eager to insert herself into our pack of Bouvs; she be- came our introduction to the breed that has slowly taken over our lives. Compared to most of the AKC breeds, there are only 500 or so Affenpin - schers in the United States. This rar- ity presents its own set of challenges for judges, breeders, and pet fanci- ers because it can be difficult to get hands-on experience getting to know their unique set of traits, correct phe- notype, temperament, and attitude. As previously mentioned, there are profound differences among the Stan - dards, between the United States and international Standards, regarding dentition and color. So, what a judge may see at Crufts may not correlate to what is seen in the United States. A strong judges’ education program helps to develop competent, objective evaluations of our breed. In our opinion, one of the developing threats to the quality of purebred Af- fenpinschers stems from their scarci- ty and the unscrupulous cashing in by commercial breeders not interested in
28 • T op N otch T oys , J une 2022
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