Affenpinschers are appearing more frequently in the obedience ring. For many years it was mistakenly believed these little dogs were "too stubborn to train". The truth of the matter is they are very intelligent little dogs, easily bored with repetitive or forced training, and, like their terrier forebears, inclined to think independently. While they can be stubborn, like terriers, they are generally eager to please.

Affenpinschers can become dominating little presences in their homes so even if your goal is not to compete in the obedience ring, a puppy kindergarten class in strongly encouraged for your pet Affen. The Affenpinscher must learn he is NOT the leader of his pack; however, he will be happy to assume that role if his owner fails to exercise authority.

A good puppy class not only will reinforce the pack relationship between you and your Affen, it also will socialize him with other puppies. In a good puppy class, the puppy will learn very basic commands which will make him a much better pet: sit, down, stay and controlled walking.

A trained dog is much more pleasant around the house. The trained dog is an asset and a welcome addition to your home and not a general nuisance. You and your guests will appreciate having a dog who knows and obeys basic obedience commands.

Like most other breeds, the Affen responds far better to positive training than to negative methods. Most Affens respond readily and happily to food and praise. When training an Affenpinscher, whether in class or in your home, always reinforce desired behavior and try, if possible, to ignore undesirable behavior or to discourage it with minimum impact to the dog.

Try to make training a pleasant time for both you and your dog. Be consistent and repeat commands but keep the training interesting and challenging. Your success as a trainer may be dependent on your choice of a trainer. Check the credentials of any doq club or dog school in which you are interested. Ask to attend a class to watch the interaction of instructors), students and dogs.

Directions for all exercises should be specific and understandable. The instructor should be prepared to suggest alternate methods of training the same exercise. Not every dog will respond identically to each method and a good instructor will not insist on using the same method for every breed in his or her class.

See if there are small dogs in the classes. Find out how the instructor feels about training a toy dog. There are some instructors who have never trained toy breeds and may not be familiar with some of the different techniques needed. Ask graduates of the class about their training experiences. Don't settle for an instructor or trainer if you are not happy with your discoveries. Keep looking until you find the school and class which is right for you and and your Affenpinscher.

While you may be an excellent trainer, training in a class is important if you intend to compete in obedience trials. The dog must become accustomed to group exercises (long sits and downs) and to distractions which cannot be provided in a home environment. For more information on obedience regulations, see the American Kennel Club website "Obedience Rules and Regulations" page.

Agility is a fun and exciting sport. The affen is  an intelligent little dog and inclined to think independently.  They love to run, jump and climb making agility the perfect sport to show off your affens talents. 

Training an affen in agility takes a little creativity on your part.  Affen's tend to get bored with repetition so making it new and fun will be helpful.  Affens are a breed that is eager to learn and please their owner.   The training sessions should be short and positive.  The use of food, toys, and praise along with a positive and enthusiastic attitude from the trainer will motivate your affen to learn.  The key to success is to have fun and enjoy being with your affen!

You can be successful with a few training commands; a solid come, sit, down, and stay.  You can teach these at home or take a basic obedience class.  When these have been accomplished, the next step is to attend an agility training class.  There are several methods of training in agility.  Checking out the training school to find an instructor that best fits your style of training and learning will be important for success. If possible observe a few classes to find the best fit for you.  

If you are interested in competing, you will find many organizations to choose from:  AKC (American Kennel Club), USDAA (United States Dog Agility Assc.), NADAC (North American Dog Agility Council), UKC (United Kennel Club), ASCA (Australian Shepard Club of American) and CPE ( Canine Performance Events).  Affens earn titles depending on which organization is sponsoring the trial.  They all will have a "standard" course and a "jumpers" course. In addition to these, each organization  will have their own version of games.  Such as Gamblers or FAST (distance work), Time 2 Beat or Steeplechase (speed), Tunnelers (tunnels only), and many more.

Agility is fun, whether you plan to compete or not.  Proper training for you and your affen is very important. If this sounds appealing, I encourage everyone to go out and give this fun and exciting sport a try!  It is so rewarding to watch your affen learn all these skills and doing their best to please you.  When it all comes together it will bring a smile to your face.