“This isn’t a breed you train. He’s like a human. You befriend him.” So said handler, Ernesto Lara, of “Banana Joe,” the first Affenpinscher to win Best in Show at the Westminster.

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 the head is less coarse than on other parts of the body. Tousled from the occiput forward and blended into the cheeks and mustache, the hair blends in with the beard and helps a groomer create the image of a blooming Chrysanthemum” which heightens the appeal of a dog nicknamed the “Mustachioed Devil.”