Affenpinschers need to be closely groomed at least two or three times per week to make their 1 inch coat clean and nice smelling. These little dogs are fun loving animals. It’s very easy to create a wonderful relationship with them, they are very adventurous, active, curious and, at times, stubborn. The great thing about them is the fact that they are playful and fun loving animals and that is what makes them such great company and pets, especially for children.

Photo: puppydogweb.com

Owners will easily develop great camaraderie with them as they are an affectionate bunch, especially to family members and they display it by being protective of their owners.

They need continuous and consistent training because of the difficulties involved in housebreaking or house training them. The training methods should be changed constantly as they easily bore when asked to do repetitive tasks. They also possess the qualities of being territorial with their food and toys so having them play with little children is not recommended.

Affenpinschers are generally quiet, but they can be very nervous or excited when attacked, surprised or threatened. They show no sign of fear towards aggressors. They will be greatly appreciated by a family who longs for a good humored dog breed and who likes to be entertained by shows put up by their pet dogs.

The Affen is prone to a health condition called dysphasia. Just like with other smaller breeds of dogs, they are subject to a case of collapsed trachea and the best way of avoiding this is to walk your dog by using a harness instead of the traditional dog collars. Cataracts can sometimes occur in this breed.

Owners should bear in mind that their dog craves the utmost attention and it will easily adopt one of the family member as their leader. If there is a lap available, chances are it would want to sit on that lap. They tend to wander around finding a more comfortable place to sleep it’s recommended that owners set up a comfortable sleeping place for their little bundle of love.

When you have two or more Affenpinschers, one tend to get jealous of the other for attention. It can also happen if you have other pet animals like a cat. But mostly they get along with other pets like cats and other breeds of dogs.

Overall this is are a very easy breed to own and live with. They like to play with their master, especially in the park, and they care for their owners. They are a great source of entertainment for those who likes seeing lively dogs.

Affenpinschers have an average lifespan of approximately 11.5 years; most, if taken well care of, can live even longer… old enough for them to share a lot of wonderful memories with the rest of the family and be an active, much loved part of the family.

Taking good care of your little monkey dog will reap great rewards as this breed knows how to express its love and respect for their masters and owners.

You can read more about the affenpinscher at Sarah’s Dogs, http://www.sarahsdogs.com/breeds/affenpinscher/ . Sarah’s Dogs features comprehensive articles on a variety of dog breeds. Breed specific articles include detailed information such as appearance, personality, grooming, exercise, special needs and a good chunk of breed history.

While many people may assume that choosing a dog is simply finding one you like (and perhaps can afford) there really is much more that should be considered before you make a final decision. Pet owners who fail to consider all the ramifications of their choices are often left with an unhappy relationship with their dog that can lead to serious consequences for both dog and owner. So if you are considering adding a dog to your home here are some tips for choosing a dog.

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Choose the Right Breed

Before you adopt or buy a dog, it is extremely important that you know what type of breed would be best for your lifestyle and family. Don’t narrow your choices to quickly as there are a lot of dogs out there. Records show that there are approximately 200 breeds of dogs that come in all shapes, colors and sizes. Each of these dogs was bred for specific traits. Having the right information on the traits of different breeds will help you choose the type of dog that will blend with your family and become a lifelong companion and friend. It is important to keep in mind though that this choice entails a lifetime responsibility, as you will commit yourself to loving and caring for this animal for ten years or more. Pet advocates recommend using an online dog breed selector to help you find several breeds you like and then you can read about the breeds in books to learn more.

Choosing Puppies Is Harder than it Looks

If you have decided that your new dog will enter your life and your home as a puppy it is important to know which type of puppy will work best for you. Everyone knows that puppies are cute, adorable, and hard to resist but if you want to choose the right puppy, do not fall in love with the first one you see. Experts recommend that before you choose a new puppy you should take a look at the entire litter and see how they interact. If some of the puppies are excited and others are not the more docile ones may actually make the most even-tempered and easy-going adults. But like people the puppies that are in the middle, which are neither too aggressive nor overly docile, are probably your best bet. Keep in mind that most puppies are trusting, curious, playful and friendly and if the puppies you are looking at are not, the breeder may not have spent enough time with them, and therefore may never really fit into a family. Remember, to use your instinct-if the puppies do not seem right, well-cared for or happy pass these on by to continue your search.

Think Outside the Box

Often times pet owners may have their heart set on a certain dog breed but feel the dog may be too large or require too much care. Before giving up entirely you may want to consider a miniature dog of the same breed. For example, if you love Collies but you simply don’t have the room for a dog that size think about getting a Sheltie, which is a smaller breed that closely resembles a Collie but doesn’t need as much space or grooming as its full-sized cousin. If your chosen dog breed does not have a miniature variety, look at breeds in the same family (such as the herding or toy families) to find other dogs with many of the same characteristics of the dog breed you love. Dog breeds in each breeding family tend to share many characteristics, so chances are that you will find other dog breeds similar to your favorite but a more practical fit for your particular needs and lifestyle.

Debbie J. Gretsch is a work-at-home writer and mom. Her interests are parenting, education, pets and relationships. She lives in San Diego with two German Shepherds, two cats, two kids and her husband.

Read http://home-and-garden-today.com/dogs-for-adoption/how-to-choose-a-dog.html for more.

Dogs like human beings are of different types. While some are found to be more aggressive, there are also many who are simply bovines. For this reason, if you have a desire to have a guard dog, you shall have to depend on the very breed. Now who can be a guard dog? Any dog that is properly trained to prevent the intrusion of the burglars and also unwanted visitors is known as a guard dog. But the success of this depends on the mode of training and accordingly it depends on the trainer.

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Now, if you are the owner of a dog, you can also be the best trainer. The reason is ostensible since as the owner you can comprehend your pet than anyone else. However you shall have to depend on the breed since any other kind of dog may fail to go through the training. In this case the most popular breeds are of the Doberman Pinschers and German Shepherd. They are found to be worthy candidates due to their inherent natures to guard and can also adopt aggressive stances whenever necessary. Well there are some essential conditions that must be fulfilled. While on one hand the very dog must be courageous, sharp and committed to work, the owner must have the requisite determination, prowess and also endurance. The ideal combination of these two can turn out a successful guard dog.

This is just the beginning. But you don’t have to be anxious since adequate process may satisfy your purpose without more ado. For this there is the need of a careful handling and also a decisive planning. Now there are various types of guard dog training and at the same time there are also different levels depending on the adaptability of the dog. You should decide this as you are the trainer. You can also search for the needed method of training on the Internet. But all depend on how much effective you want to make your dog. I presume that you want the best and so the training ought to be rigorous. You should begin with both of obedience and command training as these forms the basis of a prolific coordination. Nevertheless you must establish yourself as the leader.

It’s necessary for you to be clear to yourself. If you want that your dog should guard a specific area of the house, the training pattern must be of one form. But it will be different if you want to assign more similar responsibilities. You, therefore, should train it to keep itself unresponsive to other dogs, cats and also insects. It may often interact with them and thus its concentration may be distracted. It’s also the high time to control its barking since ceaseless barking of a guard dog may trivialize the entire issue. It should be restricted and should be used only to make you alert regarding any strange development. You should also train it to jump or attack whenever necessary.

But through the training you must make it self-possessed and also energetic. It’s the cardinal principle.

Save yourself a lot of time as a dog owner and train your dog to be obedient. It gets so much easier for both you and your dog when you have trained your dog´s obedience. Click here to learn more about training your dog.