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Dog Breeds

Affenpinscher Grooming.

Informtion on how to groom your Affenpinscher

DBT highly recommends the How To Professionally Groom Your Dog At Home ebook when learning to groom your dog or pet.

DBT highly recommends the How To Professionally Groom Your Dog At Home ebook when learning to groom your dog or pet.

The Affenpinscher is a wiry-haired terrier whose name means "monkey-like." It has rough and shaggy coat that stands up around the face. This dog needs frequent grooming.

Wire-haired dogs have a coat that will not stand up to frequent brushing or washing. They need combing and plucking.

Tools: Greyhound Comb (1/2 medium-toothed, ½ fine-toothed), Slicker, Fine-toothed stripping knife, Powder or Chalk, Rubber Glove or finger caps

Specific instructions for a show coat are at the end of this article.

Comb your Affenpinscher weekly.

Hand Plucking and Stripping Basics:

Wiry-haired dogs are supposed to look rough and their hair is meant to be coarse. These top-coat hairs grow to longer length than the undercoat and then fall out from the root. The hair doesn't "blow out" or drop as normally shedding hair does: it needs help.

Wiry hair is naturally water and dirt resistant. Clipping this hair instead of plucking or stripping it causes its color to change dramatically over time and it will become soft, cottony, bumpy and too fluffy.

Clipping also leaves a wire-haired dog itchy all-over and irritated because the dead hair shafts remain behind.

Always pluck or strip before a bath. Wet hair is impossible to grasp and it's a good idea to bathe away irritation and clean any cuts or abrasions that may occur.

Perfectionists always hand pluck. This involves holding the pelt down with one hand, grasping some hairs between thumb and forefinger, and giving a firm, fast tug in the direction of hair growth.

Never twist the wrist. This cuts the hair rather than pulling it from the root.

It also results in the hair being of even length which is not the aim.

Dead hair comes out easily. If needed, apply powder or chalk to the dog's fur or your own fingertips for a better grip. Some swear by a rubber glove.

Stripping is plucking with a tool. Make sure this knife is blunt. The purpose is not to cut the dog, the hair or yourself but to grip the hair.

Grasp the stripper and hold it perpendicular to the dog's hair growth. Grab some hair between the stripper's teeth and your thumb, rotating the blade away from the thumb and give a quick pull.

Hand plucking and stripping are time and labour intensive. Work in sections as your dog can only tolerate it for a short length of time.

Eyes: Check your dog's eyes daily.

Debris is flushed to the corners of the eyes and daily wiping with a wet cloth or paper towel can prevent the build up of bacteria.

Ears: Check ears once a week.

It is common to trim the hair in front of the eyes of the Affenpinscher.

Your dogs ears should be pink and healthy inside. If not, don't do anything to them until you see a vet. Keeping your dogs' ears clean minimizes odour, removes dirt, bacteria and mites trapped in wax. Never use a cotton swab on the inner ear.

Tools: cotton wool balls or soft cloth and ear solution.

There is solution made specifically for dogs but substitutes include: hydrogen peroxide, alcohol, mineral oil, witch hazel, and tea tree oil.

Place a few drops of ear solution in ear and rub and massage to loosen wax. Swab out with cotton wool balls or cloth.

The Affenpinscher needs its ear hairs plucked regularly to prevent infection. This hair comes out easily.

Teeth: Regularly.

80% of 3 year old dogs have periodontal disease. Cavities and gum disease are painful for your dog; they diminish its pleasure and ability to eat. Bacteria that develops can infect the heart, kidney, liver and brain. Really bad breath is usually a sign of gum disease.

Tools: Toothbrush/finger cap/cloth, doggie toothpaste, tooth scraper.

Never use human toothpaste. It is not edible.

Starting a dog off with this practice takes patience. Reward it constantly, no matter what its behavior so that it will enjoy being groomed.

Start off by getting it used to its mouth being handled.

Progress to touching the teeth with your finger.

Get some meat-flavoured toothpaste and apply with your finger.

Then introduce the brush. Clean a few teeth at a time and soon you will have a routine that takes just minutes.

Brush in a circular motion and get under the gum line.

If you don't want to brush everyday, use a tooth scraper once or twice a month to get rid of the build up of plaque. It accumulates mostly on the outside of the teeth and on the back molars. This won't be much fun for your or your dog though. Lots of bones and hard, crunchy foods can minimize plaque but not to a truly effective degree.

Nails: Every two weeks.

Nails that aren't trimmed can splinter and infect the quick or grow and curl into the flesh. This can be painful for your dog to walk on. It will affect its gait, posture, and eventually it's skeletal and ligament health.

Nails should never touch the ground. When your dog is standing its nails should rest above the ground. If you hear clicking on the kitchen floor, clipping is overdue.

Tools: Doggie Nail Clippers (scissors, pliers, guillotine), Dremel or file, Styptic or Kwikstop.

Introducing your dog to nail clipping should start off by getting it used to its paws being handled. Touch, stroke and manipulate your Affenpinscher's paws whenever you are giving it affection.

Getting it used to the Dremel is your best bet to avoid clipping altogether.

Sit beside your dog and put your arm around its shoulders if you can so that you are clipping from underneath and at the right angle.

Lift the paw and press on it to expose the claw.

If it has a clear nail you should be able to see the quick: a dark bundle of nerves and blood vessels. Clip from underneath close to the quick but do not cut into it. If you do, your dog will soon let you know. Use Styptic pencil or Kwikstop to staunch the bleeding.

Buff the ragged edge with a file or Dremel.

If it has a dark nail, clip just under the curve of the nail and then you will be able to look inside and see the quick if you look close enough. Clip using tiny snips at a time.

Don't forget to check for dewclaws: an extra claw dogs may have farther up on the leg that works like a thumb.

It is better to clip your dog's nails frequently as this causes the quick to recede farther away from the tip.

Paws: Check daily/Trim every two weeks.

It is very important to check between dog pads for foreign objects that may have wedged there and to check the pads themselves for cuts, scrapes and infection.

Tools: Small, blunt scissors, slicker brush or comb.

The Affenpinscher has hair that grows between its pads. This hair can mat and trap bacteria, besides becoming painful to walk on.

Trim hair around the paws to keep them clean. Only do this when the dog is standing on the paw.

Then, push feathers growing on top of the foot down through the toes to the pad.

Lift the paw at the wrist bend, brush out the hair and trim to pad level.

Push feathers back up through the toes and trim from the top.

Hygienic trimming: 2 to 4 weeks.

Tools: Blunt-nosed scissors, Thinning Shears, Electric clippers

Trimming at the front of ears, under the tail and around the privates keeps your dog feeling better as well as keeping it and your house cleaner.

Expressing Glands: Every 2 to 4 weeks

This is a task normally done when you take your dog in for professional grooming. Your dog uses scent glands in the anus to mark its territory.

These glands also excrete when your dog defecates. At times, they may get impacted. Signs of this include: increased doggie odour, excessive licking and chewing of the behind and worst of all, scooting (when your dog drags its bottom along the floor or carpet).

There is no risk of overly expressing these glands so it's best to get accustomed to doing it regularly as it will lessen dog odour.

Tools: Warm cloth

Lift the dog's tail and hold the cloth against it's behind. Place your fingers at 5 o'clock and 7 o'clock and press inward and squeeze to expel.

Bathing: As needed

Affenpinschers do not need regular bathing. Their wire coat loses texture and color with washing and dries their skin.

Daily combing and spot washing of the face and beard is recommended.

With regular brushing, ear cleaning and gland expression, dog odour will remain minimal.

Bathing a few times a year is usually adequate.

Tools: Non-slip mat, sprayer hose, dog shampoo, leash, towels.

Choose a place where you can block escape routes and expect 1-3 water-spraying shakes.

A leash tied to a higher point than your dog's head will keep it standing and prevent it from escaping. This is highly recommended as it's really difficult to hold a slippery dog.

Never bathe your dog in standing water and never use human shampoo.

If you choose to bathe your Affenpinscher outside, attach the hose to the tap of your kitchen sink for warm water. Grooming salons often offer self-service use of their well-equipped facilities.

Wet your dog using your hand so as to massage and lift the hair to get to the undercoat.

Avoid getting water into the eyes, nose and ears.

Cotton wool can be stuffed into the ear canal to deter water.

Massage lather down to undercoat.

Rinse thoroughly as leftover shampoo can severely dry out and irritate your pet's skin.

Squeeze out excess water by running your hands along its body and pressing.

Dry with a towel.

The Salon Treatment:

If you'd like to trim your Affenpinscher at home rather than taking it to a salon, practice makes perfect. Trimming in this case means hand plucking or stripping, which is time and labor intensive.

Tools: Slicker, Greyhound Comb, Straight scissors, Stripping knife or rubber glove, powder or chalk

Body: The hair should be longest at the mane and behind the shoulders and become shorter towards the rear.

Tail: If your Affenpinscher has an undocked tail use thinning shears on it and trim it so that it is curved like a quarter moon.

If your Affenpinscher has a docked tail, trim it so that it looks like an inverted ice cream cone.

Ears: Should be trimmed very closely.

Head: Brush the hair forward. From the eye corners cut so that you create an upside down U. Make a fan across the bridge of the nose to show the eyes.