“This isn’t a breed you train. He’s like a human. You befriend him.” So said Ernest Lara of “Banana Joe,” the first Affenpinscher to win Best in Show at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show back in 2013. 
We use Banana Joe as a springboard to talk about the Affenpinscher’s head coat which gives the breed its enchanting, impish appearance. The hair on it is less coarse than on other parts of the body, tousled from the occiput forward and blended into the cheeks and mustache which combines with the beard. Though this isn’t mentioned in the breed standard, layering the hair this way helps the groomer create the image of a “blooming Chrysanthemum.” The Affenpinscher is a wonderfully discerning dog, and this “Chrysanthemum look” enhances the appeal of a dog nicknamed the “mustachioed devil.”
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