TOY GROUP BREEDERS Q&A
“The Affenpinscher Club of America is looking forward to developing a successful Breeder Mentoring program that will support new breeders and relieve the fear that some feel regarding breeding ‘delicate’ Toy Breeds. The Affen is definitely not delicate, and the club hopes to dispel this notion by supporting new breeders and being a resource for them.”
Any special nutritional needs? This is a whole “can of worms” that will remain unopened here. Every breeder has an opinion on the best type of food to raise a healthy Affen. My recommendation to puppy buyers is to purchase food of high quality from a reputable manufacturer that tests nutritional content of their food. In my opinion, is my breed in good condition overall? Any trends that warrant concern? More and more Affen breeders are realizing the value of testing and openly sharing the results of those tests. More tools are available now to breeders who are concerned with and dedicated to preserving the health of the breed, and this bodes well for Affens. I would encourage all breeders to get on board with testing and open reporting of results. Is my breed well-suited to be a family dog? Who are the best candidates to own my breed? Many of our puppies have been placed as “family” dogs, with children of various ages. We usually recom- mend the starting age for a child as school age, only because raising a toddler is a full-time job for any parent, which doesn’t leave much time for raising a puppy. Raising a puppy successfully takes a good deal of time that may not be available to parents of younger children. Anyone who has fallen in love with this breed will make a good candidate. This breed is versatile, not particularly a “one man dog,” and enjoys being at the center of family activities. If you do not plan on integrating your Affen into all family activities, you will probably not be the best candidate to purchase one nor will you enjoy having one as much as those who do consider their pup as another member of the family. Do I feel that my breed is supported by a sufficient number of preservation breeders? Affens are listed as a rare breed because we have fewer of them registered than most any other breed. This expands to the breeders as well—the fewer dogs registered, the fewer dogs owned, the fewer number of dedicated breeders. The Affen- pinscher Club of America is looking forward to developing a suc- cessful Breeder Mentoring program that will support new breeders and relieve the fear that some feel regarding breeding “delicate” Toy Breeds. The Affen is definitely not delicate, and the club hopes to dispel this notion by supporting new breeders and being a resource for them. For a bit of fun, what’s the most amusing thing I’ve ever experi- enced with a Toy Dog? Our foundation bitch, “Poppit,” was extreme- ly intelligent and made up her own games to play with us. She slept in our bed, of course, and one of her favorite games was to plop her furry little fanny smack dab on her “dad’s” face to wake him up in the morning. Got an immediate response, that’s for sure. She would also play hide and seek, and not come out until we called, “Where’s Poppit?” Hiding, by her definition, could also mean simply stick- ing her head under a pillow with her little fanny quite visible to all. Apparently, it qualified as hiding in her vocabulary.
All the pups stay here until they reach 16 weeks and have received their third DHPP shot before releasing them to new homes. At that point, we have a good idea of the “keepers” vs. the “placers.” How do I prepare my pups for the show ring? Does my breed require any special preparation? Because we have looked for atti- tude first, we don’t worry about developing it later on. All pups need socialization and they need to get out and explore their environment, to gain confidence by learning that new situations are not threats but opportunities for fun and attention. We try to provide this for all pups in a litter and continue on with the regimen for the one(s) we keep to show. They are already familiar with a grooming table as part of the socialization process, so we add the bite examination, toleration of body touching, and build the patience to hold a stack for longer and longer periods. Many breeders believe in stripping out the puppy coat completely to encourage the growth of the adult coat. We strip the jacket com- pletely down and begin slowly working on the head, the cape, and the furnishings. Can I share my thoughts on how my breed is currently presented in the show ring? Unfortunately, we are seeing more and more of the scissor-sculpted look than the natural coat that has been patiently rolled by regular stripping. Some gait problems have been cropping up that are causing concern as well. The breed is to move with a light, free gait, but this comes from the shoulder and not the elbow as in a hackney-type gait seen in some Toy Breeds. In addition, we have enjoyed the ability to import Affens from countries outside the United States, but this has brought an unexpected consequence regarding gait. Many of these imports compete under FCI regula- tions in Group 2 that is comprised of large, working breeds as well as the smaller Affen. To be competitive with the large breeds, these Affens have developed a sweeping, ground-covering gait with the extra rear angulation required to produce that gait. Our Standard calls for rear angulation that is moderate, to match the front, and when viewed from the side, the hind legs are set under the body to maintain a square appearance. Excess angulation detracts from the square appearance called for in the Standard. Are there any health-related concerns within my breed? There are no consistently apparent single issues within the breed. How- ever, being Toys, the Affens can be randomly afflicted with the same problems many Toy Breeds face; abnormal heart development, liver shunts, tooth/mouth problems, thyroid issues, and skeletal problems such as slipping patellas and hip dysplasia. This is why health testing for all breeding stock is highly recommended by the parent club and is so necessary to preserve and protect the breed. Coming from the larger breed, Dalmatians, we routinely health-tested our stock and have continued the practice with the Affens.
184 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, APRIL 2022
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