Affenwich Terrier

The Affenpinscher is a sturdy, compact toy dog with a distinctive monkey-like expression that gives the breed its name, as "affe" means ape or monkey in German. Standing between nine and eleven and a half inches at the shoulder and weighing seven to ten pounds, this small but robust dog presents a square profile with well-balanced proportions. The breed possesses medium bone structure and exhibits a confident carriage, holding its head upright with an air of self-importance. The skull is domed with a pronounced forehead, and the muzzle is short and blunt without being flattened enough to cause breathing difficulties. The coat is one of the breed's most distinguishing features, consisting of dense, rough, harsh hair approximately one inch long on the shoulders and body, with shorter coverage on the rear and tail. The head, neck, chest, stomach, and legs display longer, less harsh furnishings. Mature dogs develop a characteristic mane or cape of strong hair around the neck and shoulders that blends into the back coat at the withers. The longer hair on the head, eyebrows, and beard stands away from the skull, framing the face to emphasize that signature simian expression. Acceptable coat colors include black, gray, silver, red, black and tan, and belge, which features black, brown, and white hairs mixed with red. The eyes are round, dark, and sparkling with a keen, mischievous expression. The ears may be cropped to stand erect or left natural, appearing either erect, semi-erect, or dropped. The tail is traditionally docked to one to two inches and carried erect, though natural tails curve gently over the back. The overall impression is of a neat but shaggy dog with a terrier-like appearance despite being classified in the Toy Group.

The Norwich Terrier is one of the smallest working terriers, presenting a spirited, stocky appearance with a slightly foxy expression that distinguishes this hardy little dog. Standing ideally no more than ten inches at the withers and weighing approximately twelve pounds, the breed displays good bone and substance packed into a compact frame. The body proportions are nearly square, with the distance from withers to ground approximately equal to the distance from withers to the base of the tail. Despite their small size, Norwich Terriers possess the sturdy build and substance of a true working terrier capable of going to ground after quarry. The head contributes significantly to the breed's characteristic expression, featuring a broad, slightly rounded skull with good width between the ears and a well-defined stop. The muzzle is wedge-shaped and strong, measuring about one-third less than the length from occiput to stop. Small, dark, oval-shaped eyes with black rims are placed well apart, displaying a bright, keen expression. The signature prick ears are medium-sized, set well apart with pointed tips, standing upright when the dog is alert. This erect ear carriage is the defining feature distinguishing Norwich Terriers from their close cousins, the drop-eared Norfolk Terriers, which were once considered the same breed. The coat is weather-resistant and functional, consisting of a hard, wiry, straight outer coat lying close to the body at approximately one and a half to two inches in length. A definite undercoat provides additional protection. The neck and shoulders display a longer protective mane forming a ruff at the base of the ears and throat. Legs have moderate harsh-textured furnishings, while the hair on head, ears, and muzzle is short and smooth except for slight eyebrows and whiskers. Acceptable colors include all shades of red, wheaten, black and tan, and grizzle. The tail is traditionally docked to medium length and carried level with or slightly above the topline.