The Affenpinscher

The Affenpinscher is a small dog breed that originated in Germany. By crossing the Schnauzer, Pug, German Pinscher, Miniature Schnauzer and the Miniature Pinscher, along with some other German breeds, the Affenpinscher was created.

Farmers of the 16th century needed dogs that could protect their homes, farms and stables from rodents. While ratting terriers were very common at this time, smaller dogs were needed to control the problem of mice. In the early 17th century, efforts began to create a smaller version of the ratting terriers. While the Affenpinscher did start out as a form of rodent control, the lovable personality of the Affenpinscher enabled them to gain popularity as household pets. Now, the Affenpinscher is a family dog, but they have retained their mice-catching skills and it is not uncommon to find them working on a farm. Affenpinschers date back hundreds of years, and are one of the oldest dog breeds known to man.

Affenpinschers seem to have a face that resembles a monkeys, and they have a cheeky and mischievous personality to match.
Their small pointed ears are sometimes cropped in North America, and they often have docked tails. The Affenpinscher is a toy breed, which has been seen in many painting dating back to the 14th century.