An Affens coat is naturally quite scruffy looking being made up of shaggy, harsh hair which means they are quite low maintenance on the grooming front. With this said, a weekly brush is all it takes to keep their coats shiny albeit tousled looking and their skin in good condition. It's also a good to have their coats handstripped two or three times a year which is best left up to a professional dog groomer.
Puppies need to be introduced to grooming tools from a young age so they get used to them and look forward to the one-to-one attention they are given when they are being pampered and brushed. They need to have their paws, ears and other parts of their body touched on a regular basis so that when it comes to trimming their nails and checking a dog's ears, it is not a stressful experience for them to have to cope with.
It's also important to check a dog's ears on a regular basis and to clean them when necessary. If too much wax is allowed to build up in a dog's ears, it can lead to a painful infection which can be hard to clear up. In short, prevention is often easier than cure when it comes to ear infections.
Affenpinschers like to be kept busy and love being out and about exploring their environment. With this said, if the weather is bad, these little dogs are quite happy being given a short walk. Ideally, they need anything from 20 to 40 minutes exercise a day and this has to include lots of mental stimulation throughout the day so that boredom does not set in which could lead to an Affen developing some destructive behaviours around the home. This includes excessive barking and tearing up the place.
Puppies should not be allowed to jump up or down from furniture nor should then be allowed to go up and down stairs until they are at least 6 months old because it puts too much pressure on their growing joints and they might just end up breaking a bone.
If you get an Affen puppy from a breeder, they would give you a feeding schedule and it's important to stick to the same routine, feeding the same puppy food to avoid any tummy upsets. You can change a puppy's diet, but this needs to be done very gradually always making sure they don't develop any digestive upsets and if they do, it's best to put them back on their original diet and to discuss things with the vet before attempting to change it again.
Some dogs are known to be fussy or finicky eaters, but it's important not to spoil them because it could lead to more problems feeding them later on. It's best to feed a mature Affen twice a day, once in the morning and then again in the evening, making sure it's good quality food that meets all their nutritional requirements. It's also important that dogs be given the right amount of exercise so they burn off any excess calories or they might gain too much weight which can lead to all sorts of health issues. Obesity can shorten a dog's life by several years so it's important to keep an eye on their waistline from the word go.
