Affenpinscher. Jerome Cushman
two-and-a-half, Solar showed signs of stiffness and the veterinarian reported he had been infected with Lyme’s disease, which left him with severe arthritis. He was a stoic little dog who enjoyed life with only minor accommodations.
Though he was not used a lot for breeding, he has produced some great dogs. His offspring include national specialty winners Ch. Hilane’s Harpagon, later owned by Shirley Howard and Jim and Kathy Herman, Ch. Yarrow’s Lucy in the Sky (Moraina), owned by Jackie Stacy and Ch. Yarrow’s Super Nova (Cosmos), owned by Dr. and Mrs. William Truesdale.
“Moraina” and “Cosmos” hold the records for most Best in Show wins for their sex in the breed. Cosmos also was the top toy and number-five top-winning all-breed show dog for 2001. Ranked as the number-eight all-time top-winning toy dog, he was the first Affenpinscher to win the Toy Group at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. A brother of Cosmos is multiple group winner and top producer Ch. Yarrow’s Over The Moon. His sister is Ch. Kyleakin Maid At Yarrow, who has produced several top-winning champions. Ch. Yarrow’s Lucy in the Sky’s littermate is Ch. Yarrow’s Rocketman, who lives with Sharon Sapp in Georgia, and he too has sired some nice dogs.
One of Mighty Joe Young’s kids, Ch. Yarrow’s Thrill Monkey, owned by Dr. and Mrs. William Truesdale and bred by Beth K. Sweigart and Letisha Wubbel.
Other of Solar’s sons who have done well in the show ring is Ch. Tamarin Trevor, owned by David and Pamela Peat. Trevor’s brother Ch. Tamarin Tanz, owned by Joseph Reinisch, also has been a fine show dog.
Another son, Ch. Hilane’s The Sun Also Rises, owned and exhibited by Rebecca Brandon and Babettta P. Veater in Alaska, has won several groups and a Best in Show. His littermate Ch. Hilane Spring’s Awakening has sired a number of fine champions including Ch. Hilane’s Just Look At Me, owned by Sandra Lex from Canada, and Ch. Hi-Tech Girlrilla Of My Dream, owned by Beth Sweigart and Letisha Wubbel. Two of Solar’s granddaughters, Ch. Hilane’s Betty Boop and Ch. Hilane’s Loose Cannon, also are group winners.
An English import bred by Rita Turner, Ch. Gerbraes Maid In Splendour, or “Doris,” is the dam of Cosmos and is related to most of today’s top Affens. Owners, Beth K. Sweigart and Letisha Wubbel.
Ch. Hilane’s Lonesome Cowboy, winning Best in Show with owner/handler Jerome Cushman.
Solar also sired some quality belge bitches, including Ch. Hilane’s Molley Sugden, who has produced three champions for her owner Mavis Weatherwax of California, and Ch. Hilane’s Present, owned by Jerome Cushman. Solar sired Ch. Hilane’s Marlane, the first group-placing Affenpinscher with natural ears and tail.
While visiting Crufts Dog Show in England Beth Sweigart and Peter Green spotted a young female Affenpinscher owned by Rita Turner. They purchased her and brought her back to show and add to their breeding program. She finished her championship fast and won some large breed competitions. She is the dam and granddam of many of today’s top-winning Affenpinschers. Her name is Ch. Gerbraes Maid In Splendour, whose call name is “Doris,” and she is owned by Beth Sweigart and Letisha Wubbel. Her littermate Ch. Gerbraes Maid in Heaven at Zipaty, owned by the late Pat Patchen, was a top show bitch in England.
Bred to Solar, Doris produced other important Affens in addition to Cosmos and Moraina. These include Ch. Yarrow’s Over The Moon and Ch. Kyleakin Maid At Yarrow. Doris also has more champions bred to other males. Ch. Yarrow’s Mighty Joe Young won the specialty in 2004. Two more fine champions who are winning Bests are Ch. Bukany Streakmeister Tamarin and Ch. Yarrow’s Action Jackson.
After Moraina earned her championship, Beth Sweigart gave her to Jackie and Terry Stacy, who have used her to start their Tamarin lines. Doris’s other daughter, Ch. Kyleakin Maid At Yarrow, was also given to the Stacys and Doris Tolone of Calkerry Affenpinschers. These two foundation bitches along with Ch. Periwinkle En- La Ms. Munster, bred by Elizabeth Muir-Chamberlain, were the source for the Affenpinschers at Tamarin and Calkerry. These bitches were bred to Hilane, Periwinkle, Doch’s and Ceterra males to produce some highly campaigned Affenpinschers. Doris Tolone’s Ch. Tamarin Talullah (out of Ch. Periwinkle Godzilla and Ch. Kyleakin Maid At Yarrow) won the national specialty in 2001. Ch. Ceterra’s Little Black Sambo, bred to Ch. Tamarin Tulip, produced Ch. Tamarin Travis (2002 and 2003 national specialty winner) and Ch. Tamarin Tip-Off (2005 national specialty winner).
Son of Godzilla, here’s top-winning Ch. Yarrow’s Mighty Joe Young, bred by Beth K. Sweigart, Letisha Wubbel and Doris Tolone and owned by Dr. and Mrs. William Truesdale.
The future for the Affenpinscher looks bright. More good champions are placing in and winning Groups across North America. Let’s hope that the breed does not become too popular and that the new breeders stay focused on producing healthy, happy and well-adjusted dogs who fulfill the function of the fun-loving family pet.
This Affenpinscher uses his agile front limbs to give his Bedlington Terrier friend a hug.
“Look at that scruffy little dog! Isn’t that an adorable face?”
“That’s so ugly, it’s cute. What kind of dog is that?”
“Look at him prancing around, just like a little old man!”
People who own, exhibit and breed the Affenpinscher hear these kinds of comments all the time. This relatively uncommon, but old, breed is slowly gaining respect by the dog fancy and the public as well. One experienced dog enthusiast, after living with and showing his first Affenpinscher, was heard to say, “This breed is the best-kept secret in the dog world, and I hope it stays that way.” The Affenpinscher has a small but loyal following in North America and Europe. Its history and development as a respected member of the canine community is an interesting but unfamiliar story.
WHAT IS THE AFFENPINSCHER?
This German tot is a clever, sturdy little dog who loves to frolic with his master in almost any kind of environment. The Affen, which is the nickname that many friends of the breed use, adapts well to a variety of living arrangements, from small city apartments to lavish homes with acres of land in which to romp. The word Affen, in the German language, means to ape or to mock. From this it came to mean monkey-like behavior or appearance. Therefore, the name is often translated as “monkey terrier.” Interestingly, both its looks and actions are reflected in this name. The viewer quickly gets a decidedly “simian” impression from his scruffy whiskers and eyebrows, which frame the full, dark and intense eyes. This image is reinforced by an Affen’s willingness to walk or hop on his hind legs and bat the air with his front paws in a comical dance. The inquisitive tilting head and the devilish stare, followed by a sudden dashing off in a playful gallop, can’t help but bring a smile to an observer’s face. Because of the penetrating stare and these mischievous antics, the breed is called the “Diablotin Moustachu” or the “mustached little devil” in France. The distinctive round head with full, dark eyes, short muzzle, slightly undershot lower teeth, pouting mouth and hard shaggy coat are important characteristics for the typical “monkey-like terrier.”
The Affenpinscher is a toy breed ranging in height from 9 to 12 inches at the shoulder, ideally 10.25 inches. The body is moderately thick and square. The rib cage is generally more egg-shaped than barrel-shaped. The mature dog will weigh between 7 and 12 pounds. The back is short and level. The lengths of the upper and lower front legs are equal,