Let me begin by saying, "there are no absolutes in grooming". Many methods exist to arrive at the same result. While I am sharing what has worked for me, I wish to make it clear that my techniques are not the only ones that will turn out a well-groomed Affenpinscher.

Learn to maintain your dog’s appearance. Ear, nail, mouth and skin care are routine grooming procedures, and often the best ways to monitor your pet’s health.

The Affenpinscher is a coated breed. Coated breeds are segregated by type of coat: single or double, broken (wire/harsh), or smooth. Affenpinschers are usually, but not always, double coated as well as broken coated.

Hair growth in the ear canal is common. Remove it on a regular basis, to allow air circulation and removal of waxy build-up. Left untended the ear will have an excess of both and may develop fungal or bacterial conditions. Moist ears with excess hair are conducive to ear mites. If your Affen has natural (uncropped) ears, you must be observant to avoid these problems.

Hair removal is not a pleasant experience, but it is important. If done regularly, Affens will learn to tolerate it. Ear powders are for application in the ear canal. Most powders have a drying agent and provide traction for pulling waxy hairs. Use forceps for hair removal. Dogs have considerably longer ear canals than humans, but still use care when putting anything in the canal. I prefer short forceps for just this reason. When you have a firm grip on a batch of ear hair, rotate or twist in a clockwise direction and the hair will come out after you have completed the full rotation. Repeat if necessary.

Nail care is a basic grooming issue. I recommend twice monthly trimming of dogs’ nails. Either a nail cutter or grinder will achieve the desired result. If you cut the "quick" (or cause bleeding) several products are available to stop the bleeding. Most commonly used is a copper sulfate or silver nitrate compound. Avoid this situation if possible. On black dogs with black nails this will be difficult. Be persistent and be calm, If you accidentally cut the quick, treat it as calmly and rapidly as you can.

Different points of view on the frequency of bathing dogs exist. I bathe my show dogs once a week. I bathe older dogs at two week intervals. Puppies get a bath on an "as needed" basis; usually once a week or more depending on how much dirt and mischief they get into.

Bath time is the appropriate time to examine your dog’s skin for insect bites, eczema, or dermatitis. Many skin products and shampoos are available for pets. It is impractical to discuss them all. Seek medical attention if your dog has any of these skin conditions. Over the years I have used many products for skin and could write a small book on the effectiveness of each. "Oxy-Dex", a prescription shampoo, delivers noticeable relief from inflamed skin. If you have a dog that has not responded well to other methods of topical skin treatment, ask your Veterinarian if he or she has had any occasion to use or evaluate it.

Perhaps he or she will be willing to try it. Use extreme caution while bathing the face of the Affenpinscher. Never spray water directly in their face. With their short face and short trachea they tend to choke if water is directed into the face. Use a sponge to apply shampoo. Rinse with a common meat baster, sponge or similar device to keep water away from the nose.

With maintenance grooming out of the way. I will discuss grooming techniques that define the monkey terrier’s persona. Discussion in the breed standard describes type of coat texture desired. Harsh coats are genetically programmed. If your dog has a softer texture you must work a little harder to stimulate wire coat growth. This means no short-cuts, no clippers, thinning shears, or scissors. Those of you fortunate enough to have wonderful wire coats may get away with using some or all of the above implements, but you will have other problems to contend with.

The back and sides of an Affenpinscher require stripping, removal of old. longer, soft hair. There are many stripping knives. What works for one person may not necessarily work for you. Find a knife that is comfortable to hands. I have owned many stripping knives, I still prefer my "twenty-something" year old Macknyfe "coarse toothed" stripping knife. The "Muckraker," also by Macknyfe, is the most valuable tool I own. It is a bi-level toothed knife that removes blown (excessively long and open) coat while leaving the shorter and tighter new coat undisturbed.

Learn to use tools effectively. Practice until you are certain you are not cutting hair, but are successfully pulling it. You will be able to tell if you raise a knife full of coat to the light and look for root bulbs. If you are cutting the coat you will see cut ends.

Hold your wrist rigidly as if immobile or you may damage the wrist. Use a steady pulling motion, using the elbow and shoulder. Check frequently to be sure you are pulling the hair instead of cutting it. The Affen himself may object vigorously to this procedure. Reassure him and give him many breaks. Be firm and complete your task.

If you stop because of his histrionics, you are teaching him how to control his owner. (Affens as a rule are very good at that anyway.) Set realistic goals for yourself. It may not be possible to completely strip your dog in one session. Older experienced dogs will tolerate it without complaint, but young pups should have stripping done in increasing increments of time.

It is a bone of contention among Affenpinscher breeders/handlers on whether or not to leave the "shawl" or "mane" that extends from the back of the skull down the back of the neck and finishes at the withers. Since the breed standard makes a reference to the mane, it is not a matter of preference, otherwise I would say "to each his own". Volume and length of hair in the shawl/mane vary according to personal preference but it should be obvious to the viewer.

The face of the Affenpinscher is a characteristic that contributes to its name. It is round in outline but should not be so round as to be mistaken by the informed judge or breeder as a Brussels Griffon. The area across the bridge of the nose should be free of straggles of hair. Remove hair found growing at the inner canthus of the eye.  The hair on the top of the head is less coarse than on other parts of the body. A topskull covered by hair at least the length of a cropped ear is an acceptable guide.  Fluff or tousle hair from the occiput forward. This gives the appearance of a blooming Chrysanthemum. The hair from the topskull should blend into the cheeks (beside eyes), and further blend into the mustache which combines with the beard.

The coat behind the withers is coarse and tight and lies fairly close to the body. Length of coat will vary according to coat type and time elapsed since the last stripping. The traditional coat is longer and not as tight as that of the Affen’s cousin, the Brussels Griffon. The Affen’s coat should be longer than that of the Griff and slightly more open. The coat should blend down the ribcage of the dog and into the hair beneath the brisket and loin. While we want to keep some length of furnishing beneath the chest and loin, trim the tuck-up sparingly to maintain a more natural look. The coat on the shoulders should be shorter than the back and the shawl, but not as close as the areas designated as "flat work" on our terrier cousins.

The rear of the Affenpinscher does not have a true "skirt". Blend very short hair from near the base of the tailset into the moderately short hair at the "shelf" formed by the musculature of the rump. Blend those longer hairs into a brief cover over the genitals. The coat lies close to the back of each leg blending right into the furnishings. The anus should have hair removed "careful from around the opening. Use blunt nosed scissors.

Furnishings on the legs should resemble four straight little stove pipes. Trim around the foot keeping it round, not "barefooted". Scissor the bottom of the foot using care not to cut the pad. Do not remove the hair from between the toes; that contributes to the full rounded appearance of the foot. Remove hair from around the large pad behind the toes. Hair can and does become matted there. With a slicker brush, comb the leg furnishings in an upward direction, shake the leg gently to see where the hair would fall during movement, then trim into the stovepipe described above.

Grooming is just that; but it is also a "hands on" experience with your pet, a time to notice changes in attitude, or symptoms that might indicate subtle changes in health. Observe your Affen at play and on the grooming table. Learn what body posture is normal for him/her. If his/her behavior deviates from the norm, i.e. head down instead of up, guarding his/her underside from your touch, roaching the topline (if it never did before), holding ears down, tail down, or appearing to lack pep, take his/her temperature. Start keeping track of appetite, activity, and note avoidance behavior. Those are signs of depression. You should make a visit to your Vet and share these observations.

You will enjoy this special time, you and your Affen, as you both strive for that "winning look" and build a relationship of trust and love.