Affenpinscher in the Modern Era

Website design By BotEap.comJerry Zalon, who started Walhof Kennels in the 1950s, founded Eblon Kennels in New York City in the 1970s. He specialized in producing the various colors of Affenpinschers. His breeding program continued into the 1980s with the help of Osmin and Marjorie Montjovier, whose kennel name Osmer is behind many of the dogs in Canada and the United States. His Am. and Can. Ch. Eblon Seal Noir was the winningest Affenpinscher in 1976. This dog was often shown by Mrs. Jane Forsyth. During the late 1960s, Mrs. Zalon and Mrs. Montjovier began writing an Affenpinscher newspaper called Monkey Shines. This publication continued for a short time, but reflected interest and enthusiasm for the breed.

Website design By BotEap.comIn Canada during the 1970s and 1980s, Vicki Garrett-Knill started Osmar Affens and added the Hilane bloodlines to produce excellent show and obedience dogs. Her kennel name was Wicksteed. One of her pups, owned by the author, Ch. Wicksteed’s Red Capuchin, was one of the highest producing dams, with seven champions. She was out of Can. Marmoset Rouge by Ch. Wicksteed crossed with Tiny Tim by Ch. Sharpette. Another of her contributions was in the colors red and wild boar or Belgian. These colored specimens were of excellent type. Vicki and Carl Knill and their family have moved to Georgia and are no longer active in the breed. Marjorie and David Reynolds continue these lines in Canada under the Reyson prefix. A red female of Ch. FMK’s Zulu of Hilane and Wicksteed’s Tekahionwake, Ch. Reyson’s Sunshine Too V Hilane is behind some major and successful show dogs.

Website design By BotEap.comIn the mid 1960’s Mrs. Lillian Brandi, of Hackettstown, New Jersey, started Affenpinschers from Walhof Kennels and Brandicreek dogs bred by Helen Barbeau. Lady. Brandi showed hers Ch. Walhof Blackberry Brandi to prestigious victories in 1967 and ’68. She was credited with changing the show Affenpinscher’s grooming style by grooming and contour shaping and reducing the amount of body fur. This new image for the breed caught her attention. Of course, controversy arose, and the debate over what is the correct “look” for the breed continues today. Her breeding program continued into the 1980s with a dog she bred, Ch. Brandicreek Frisky Whiskey, which she earned heavily. Frisky Whiskey was owned and operated by Howard and Joyce Stadele of Middlesex, New Jersey.

Website design By BotEap.comLady. Emily Kinsley of Easton, Pennsylvania, was another who started her breeding program with the Harringtons’ dogs. On June 25, 1966, This Week, the newspaper’s Sunday supplement, ran a photo of Mrs. Kinsley’s pup, Aff-Airn A Go Go Kins, on its front page. This gave the breed some much-needed publicity. The winningest Affenpinscher of 1966, owned by Mrs. Kinsley, was Ch. Aff-Airn Wee Winnie Winkie, who also hailed from the Harringtons. Winkie had the photo of him in National Geographic. This bitch won Best of Breed at the International Dog Show with 21 entries, the largest entry for the breed at the time. She was also the second Affen owner to rank first in Toy Group. Over the next 25 years, the Mrs. Kinsley’s Aff-Kin line produced many champions and had a positive impact on the breed. Her can. Ch. Aff-Kin’s Licorice Chewy, owned by Mrs. Lorna (Thompson) Spratt of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, became the first Affenpinscher to win Best in Show in Canada. Later in 1991, the son of Chewy and Ch. Hilane’s Lonesome Cowboy, Am. and Can. Ch. Ceterra’s Rock-N-Robbie won a US National Best in Show. Robbie was shown by Ms. Dolores Burkholder, who at the time of writing is an AKC dog show representative. Most recently, Robbie’s son, Can. Ch. Ceterra’s Billy the Kid joined his grandmother in becoming the second Affenpinscher to win a Canadian All-Breed Best in Show. Another of Rock-N-Robbie’s sons, Ch. Ceterra’s Little Black Sambo, out of Ch. Aff-Kin’s Kischia Frolics, is the sire of several of today’s top show dogs. Lorna Spratt and Sherry Galagan continue to breed and show in Canada.

Website design By BotEap.comStarting with Affens of Aff-Kin, Sue and Don Spahr of Scottsdale, Arizona developed the Su-Dawn line. His most famous dog was multiple winner of Best in Show and National Specialty in 1992, Ch. Su-Dawn’s Pee Wee Herman. This great show dog did a lot for the breed, especially in the West in the early 1990s. Pee Wee’s dam was Affins Krystal out of Ch. Su-Dawn, bred by Emily Kinsley. She became a top producer with eight champions of another of her fine dogs, Ch. Su-Dawn’s Where Thear’s Smoke. Using Su-Dawn lines, Judith Benjamin also bred Affenpinschers in the Southwest. She owned Ch. Subira’s Whoopie Goldberg, who she did very well in the ring in the early ’90s.

Website design By BotEap.comAnother important early breeder, Lucille E. Meystedt, who came from Missouri and later moved to Texas, started Affenpinschers in 1962. She began with a Kauffmann-bred dog named Walhof Hi Quotation and females from the Cassel Hills kennel, who also Tracing back to Walhof lines, he kept the breed in the southern and western parts of the United States during the 1980s. In 1967 he brought a dog from Germany. This male, Ch. Vinzenz v Greifensee, was the most titled Affenpinscher in the breed’s history. He had his International, German, American, Canadian, Mexican and Colombian championships. Another of his breds, Ch. Balu’s Arkady Herzchen Katze, who was called “Sugar”, became the fifth Affenpinscher to win an all-breed Best in Show. Sugar was owned by Mary and Bill Wasson and George and Phyllis Willis of Texas.

Website design By BotEap.comLady. Meystedt’s Balu kennels continued until his death in 1991. In nearly 30 years in the breed, he had a major influence on the Affenpinscher, not only with his breeding program, but also through his writing in Popular Dogs magazine and as AKC dog show judge. She exported dogs to England, Ireland, Australia, and Germany. Lucille Meystedt showed and finished one of the first Affenpinscher with natural ears.

Website design By BotEap.comAnother exhibitor and breeder from Texas is Elizabeth Muir-Cham-berlain, who started the dogs of George and Phyllis Willis. She then produced Am., Mex. , World and Int. Ch. Perwinkle Godzilla, whose father and mother are Little Black Sambo by Ch. Cetera and Midnight Munchkin by Ch. Tajar. Godzilla did well in the show ring and produced several of the best show dogs today. These include Ch. Yarrow’s Mighty Joe Young, bred by Beth Sweigart, Letisha Wubbel and Doris Tolone and owned by Dr. and Mrs. William Truesdale and Ch. Hilane’s Harry Potter, Canada’s winningest Affenpinscher, owned by Sandra Lex.

Website design By BotEap.comIn New Mexico, Patricia Bouldin continues the Balu bloodlines and added King’s Royal dogs from the late Kay Wurtz. Bouldin’s Tajar Affenpinscher have made an impact in both England and America. Barbara and Jenna Gresser in Arizona have used and shown Tajar’s dogs and Marilyn Holt’s dogs in Oregon to develop their breeding and show program under the Black Forest name. Among his significant dogs is Ch. Black Forest Cookie Monster.