Over the years, Poodle hybrids have become increasingly popular. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of different ones out there, and an incredibly popular one is the Affenpoo. But what exactly is an Affenpoo dog?
I was curious about this question, so I did a bit of research to find out what precisely they are and get a better understanding of their physical and temperamental characteristics.
Affenpoo dogs are hybrids between an Affenpinscher and a Poodle. First created in the 1990s, the Affenpoo has since become a very sought-after pet. Traits such as intelligence and hypoallergenic fur come from the Affenpoo’s Poodle parent, while the Affenpinscher often passes down loyalty instincts.
Hybrid and designer dogs are quite complex and exciting once you begin to look deeper into them. Affenpoos are no exception either; these little dogs are great in so many different ways, and there are many nuances to them.
Let’s go ahead and dive right into the information you came here for and look at precisely what an Affenpoo dog is.
What Is an Affenpoo Dog?
As I previously mentioned, an Affenpoo dog is a hybrid between a Poodle and an Affenpinscher. Usually, Affenpoos are first-generation, which means their parents consist of a purebred Poodle and Affenpinscher. The parent dogs of Affenpoos are typically NOT Affenpoos themselves.
Because most designer dogs are F1 (first-generation), including Affenpoos, their characteristics and traits are highly predictable. But we’ll talk more about this later on in this article.
To fully understand what an Affenpoo is, it is essential to look at the two parent breeds of the designer dog, Poodles and Affenpinschers.
Poodles originated in Europe and are known for their incredible intellect. They might just be one of the smartest breeds of dogs out there, and they usually pass on some of their smarts to their Affenpoo offspring.
The other parent breed, Affenpinschers, are known to be very confident and even display some guard dog qualities, despite their small size. Affenpinschers pass on a lot of their confidence to their Affenpoo offspring, as well as most of their overall build and looks.
First developed in the United States sometime in the 1990s, the Affenpoo has already established itself as a favorite among dog lovers. Compared to other designer dogs who have been around since the 1950s, it is quite impressive the overall popularity of Affenpoos for just being around a couple of decades.
Affenpoo Dog Breed Characteristics
While each dog has its own physical and temperamental characteristics, Affenpoos are designer dogs (both their parents are purebred dogs), which means they are highly predictable.
Since a true Affenpoo will always have a purebred Poodle and a purebred Affenpinscher as parents, we can look at both the parent breeds and have a good idea of how their offspring will look and act like.
Like any dog, though, each individual is unique and will have a slightly different personality, appearance, health, or other characteristics. You should look at these characteristics as general traits that this breed is known to have, but does not always possess.
Anyways, let’s just get right into some of the significant characteristics of Affenpoos, which will hopefully answer any remaining questions you might have about the breed.
Appearance
Many of the physical qualities displayed by Affenpoo dogs are reminiscent of an Affenpinscher. Although, physical characteristics of Poodles can be seen in Affenpoos as well but to a lesser extent.
Affenpoos are pretty small and compact lap dogs, coming in full-grown at around 10-18 inches tall at the shoulders. They will usually weigh about 10-25 pounds depending on how tall they are. This broad range of different weights and heights is due to the many variables present when breeding Affenpoos.
Besides the regular unknowns that come with crossbreeding dogs, Poodles come in three different sizes. Miniature Poodles are usually used in the breeding of Affenpoos, but depending on the size of the parent dogs, the size of their offspring can vary pretty dramatically.
When it comes to an Affenpoo’s coat, there are, again, many variables. Usually, Affenpoo’s coats are a solid darker color, but there are ones with patterns and with lighter coats. It all depends on the color of the parent dogs.
While you can groom them and cut their fur differently, Affenpoos have hair that’s medium in length (about an inch long) and becomes longer around their facial area. When you just look at an Affenpoo, their face sort of looks like a fuzzy ball stuck on a dog’s body!
Temperament
Both of the parent breeds of an Affenpoo are very friendly and love being around humans. This quality is passed on to Affenpoos because they love to interact with people and get attention.
However, sometimes they love attention a little too much. There have been problems with owners leaving their Affenpoo at home when they leave the house due to some severe separation anxiety that they can develop.
With proper obedience training and enough toys to keep them occupied, Affenpoos can usually stand being alone at least for a little while without getting into too much trouble. Just know, they love to be around humans at all times, if at all possible.
Affenpoos are also very territorial and protective. This trait likely stems from their Affenpinscher parent, but just know this could come up if you have many strangers around your dog or you take your dog into public a lot.
Overall, despite their small and forgivable shortcomings, Affenpoos are very likable and friendly dogs that just love to be around people and have fun. They are great around kids (although you should make sure to keep a close eye on them, just like with any dog), are very energetic, and overall well-tempered dogs.
Purpose
Affenpoos are pretty small and not the hardiest dogs in the world, which makes them perfect companion dogs. An Affenpoo’s primary purpose is to be a companion dog.
However, while on the surface, it might seem like they are only cute and cuddly, they have some quite practical and pretty great instincts due to their parent breeds.
One of the parent breeds of Affenpoos, Affenpinschers, were initially bred in Germany to keep rodents out of barns and stables. Poodles, the other parent breed of Affenpoos, were originally hunting dogs as well.
This just goes to show you that the parent breeds of Affenpoos are, in fact, specialized and hard-working dogs. The hunting and chasing instincts that the two parent breeds of Affenpoos have developed are usually passed down to Affenpoos themselves.
So, while an Affenpoo’s main purpose these days is to be a fantastic companion dog, they can have other purposes because of their unique heritage and instincts.
Health
Overall, Affenpoos are very healthy and energetic dogs.
Affenpoos can get sick just like any other breed, but there are no underlying medical conditions that you need to worry about with this type of dog as a whole.
Another great health-related perk that Affenpoos possess is the fact that they are hypoallergenic. A dog being hypoallergenic pretty much means that they produce FAR less dander than other dogs and are ideal for people who are allergic or sensitive to dog dander.
As always, you must take your Affenpoo to the vet for a scheduled check-up often to make sure your dog is in proper condition and isn’t sick.
According to Pets.WebMD.com, it’s advised that you take your adult dog (1-10 years) to the vet for a check-up at least once per year. If your dog is younger or older, vet check-ups should probably be more regular.
It is also important to note that Affenpoos are very energetic dogs. This energy makes it absolutely critical that they get enough exercise, water, and food to stay in peak condition and healthy. Outdoor exercise for 30-60 minutes per day should be enough for most Affenpoos.
Affenpoo dogs usually live for 12-16 years.
Do Kennel Clubs recognize Affenpoo Dogs?
Most kennel clubs only recognize purebred dogs. This means that the vast majority of kennel clubs do not recognize Affenpoos because they are considered hybrid dogs due to their parents being of different breeds.
Both the Affenpoo’s parent breeds, Poodles and Affenpinschers, are recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC) and almost every other kennel club because they are purebred dogs.
However, there are some clubs and associations which DO recognize Affenpoos and other designer dogs.
There is no possible way that I could list all of the clubs and associations that recognize Affenpoos and other designer breeds. Still, some of the major ones are the Dog Registry of America (DRA), the Designer Breed Registry (DBR), and the International Designer Canine Registry (IDCR).
So, while kennel clubs that only deal with purebred dogs don’t recognize Affenpoos, there are plenty of other options out there to get your Affenpoo registered if you choose to.
