A Brief History of the Affenpinscher
By Toni Teasdale, Secretary of the Affenpinscher Club
Affenpinscher history is not documented like that of the sporting dogs owned by the nobility and landed gentry of the past but records of dogs of similar type have been noted throughout the centuries. Small, short faced, rough coated dogs of Affenpinscher type have existed since at least the 16th century and were illustrated in the woodcuts of Albrecht Durer from Nuremberg (1471-1528). The small dog in Jan van Eyck’s painting of the Arnolfini Marriage has Affenpinscher type characteristics – also claimed by other toy breeds – but would he have been in the home of a wealthy Italian merchant? These dogs were valued as stable and farm dogs and selected for their vermin catching skills. Their ability to keep the granaries free of rodents was more important than their looks. Over time the dogs were encouraged into the house by the women who, amused by their comic antics, allowed them to become lap dogs acting as a hot water bottle and mouser at the same time.
Affenpinschers are comical and comical tales of their origins abound – a monkey and a dog mating to produce the breed is one! Another that Affenpinscher breeding was encouraged in an area of Germany that was overrun with rats, as cats had been banned, is equally fanciful.
In the 19th century an interest in breeding dogs of a recognisable type was developing and the Affenpinscher, in common with other breeds, became more standardised. From accounts of German dog shows in the 1870s and 1880s it is evident that the breed was well established in Southern Germany, particularly around Frankfurt and Munich. Towards the end of the 19th century, Kennel Club records detail a few Affenpinschers being shown, some with foreign owners. In 1886 ‘monkey terriers’ were shown at the Royal Aquarium Show in London and at Cruft’s in 1896 Affenpinschers were exhibited. By the turn of the century, Affenpinschers shown in the 1880s and 1890s had disappeared from the British show scene. Certainly the Illustrated London News drawing of the monkey terrier from one of the shows had cropped ears so I expect the dogs became victims of the 1895 Kennel Club regulation banning the exhibition of cropped dogs.
Affenpinscher breeding in Germany was chaotic at the end of the 19th century. Although under Bismarck, the numerous independent states had united to form the German Empire, its dog breeds remained uniquely regional with independent breed clubs. Numerous pinscher and schnauzer-type including Affenpinschers were recorded and promoted by small regional clubs. The first standard was published by The Berlin Lapdog Club in 1902. Josef Berta was a champion of German breeds who felt a united effort was the best hope to save native pinscher breeds and in 1895 formed the Pinscher Klub (PK), based in Cologne later amalgamating with the Munich based Bayerischer Schnauzer Klub creating the Pinscher-Schnauzer Klub (PSK) in 1918. Volume 1 of their Stud Book covered the years from 1917 to 1923.
The situation for the Affenpinscher worsened as dedicated German breeders were discouraged, even though Affenpinscher type was accepted elsewhere in Europe. At Brussels Dog Show in 1886 there were two full classes of Affenpinschers or ‘Monkey Nippers.’ The PK Stud Books and later those of the PSK included comprehensive guidelines for breeders and type stabilised resulting in 260 registrations detailed in the 1923 PK Stud Book. After the Second World War registrations fluctuated but never recovered to that level.
Fortunately, there were renewed efforts to establish the breed in America following on from the earlier imports in 1935 but it would be 1949 before the next Affenpinschers landed in the US.
It was more than half a century before Affenpinschers would be seen in Britain again. In the 1950s the Tiwoo kennel, known for specialising in rare breeds, imported Affenpinschers from America. It is uncertain if Mrs Woods intended to have the breed but she bred Portuguese Water Dogs and swapped one for an Affenpinscher. However, it would be another 20 years before the imports arrived that were to be the foundation of the British Affenpinscher.
In the 1970s Wendy Boorer (Furstin). Jeni Wiggins (Scapafield), Betty Hargrave (Shelbor) and Toni Teasdale (Tonsarne) decided to pool their resources to import Affenpinschers. At this point they had never seen the breed in the flesh. Wendy, a writer, researching for one of her dog books came across a picture of an Affenpinscher in Hutchinson’s Dog Encyclopaedia published in the 1930s. The little dog appealed to her and further research revealed the breed was in danger numerically and she persuaded friends to join her in the project. German breeders were reluctant to sell to the UK because of quarantine but American breeders were more sympathetic and with help from Sharon Strempski, Secretary of the Affenpinscher Club of America at the time, the first Affenpinscher arrived in 1975.
The Affenpinscher Club was registered in 1982 by The Kennel Club following an initial meeting of enthusiasts at UK Toydog Society Championship Show in 1981. Miriam Dickinson was the first Secretary and after her death in 1985, Toni Teasdale, then Treasurer, took over the position.
As the Import Register did not exist in the 1970s, various toy dog societies were able to schedule breed classes. In 1979 UK Toydog Society was the first championship show to schedule Affenpinschers and Bath the first general championship show to do so two years later. A pinnacle point was in 1992 with the first set of Challenge Certificates at Crufts judged by Pamela Cross-Stern and the first breed club championship show judged by Ann Argyle – sadly the last show she would judge.
Only two of the original ‘four’ remain but both are still active in the breed. We have excellent breeders with quality stock but they are breeding fewer litters, possibly due to Government legislation. Annual registrations are too low to guarantee the breed’s future. We need more committed breeders.
Affenpinscher history
By Toni Teasdale, Secretary of the Affenpinscher Club
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