Affen Tzu Breed Details
Below are details and specs for the Affen Tzu dog breed.
Affen Tzu Dog Breed
The Affen Tzu is a designer dog conceived by cross-breeding the Affenpinscher and the Shih Tzu. They are very small dogs, but they tend to be very proud too — especially if they inherit more of their Shih Tzu parent's personality. In any case, they may be difficult to train, and while it is always advised to train and socialize them early, they must be done so with patience even as you should be persistent. Despite their proud demeanor, they don't like to be left alone.
Affen Tzu Breed Description
Affen Tzus are very small dogs that are classified as toy dogs; they tend to be around 8 to 11 inches high and are rarely weigh more than 14 pounds.
Your Affen Tzu is bound to be a great family pet able to adapt to apartments, massive estates and most any home size therein as well as be comfortable among other pets and children of all ages.
Affen Tzus tend to be high-maintenance dogs that need nothing less than daily brushings, medium-length walks and rather frequent play time. Respiratory problems are not uncommon, but their scissor underbite should not be a concern. Be sure to check their ears for bad odors, their eyes for redness and/or wetness and the hair around their mouths (and other openings) for debris — as well as to gently clean their ears at least once a week.
Despite their oft-thick and long-haired coats, Affen Tzus are not comfortable in extreme climates; they have a parent breed accustomed — for no fewer than 2,000 years — to being pampered. Nevertheless, if they are kept healthy, happy and well-groomed, they tend to have a life expectancy of 10 to 15 years.
Affen Tzu Health
An Affenpinscher Shih Tzu mix will most likely be healthier than either purebred parent and live well into their teens. This is because when there is greater genetic variation between the two parents (in this case, 2 separate breeds) there is a wider gene pool and less of a chance to inherit genetic defects. We recommend reading up on the health issues of both the Shih Tzu and the Affenpinscher to familiarize yourself with all possible conditions for your Affen Tzu puppy-- pay special attention to the ones that overlap both breeds. Also, keep in mind some of the ones listed are rare but are occasionally seen. We have listed the basic health concerns for each parent breed below:
Shih Tzu
- Elongated Soft Palate
- Stenotic Nares
- Collapsed Trachea or Larynx
- Intervertebral Disc Disease
- Patellar Luxation
- Hip Dysplasia
- Eyelid Prolapse
- Hypothyroidism
- Eye dryness and inflammation
- Cataracts
- Progressive Retinal Atrophy or detachment
Affenpinscher
- Hip Dysplasia
- Patellar Luxation
- Heart problems
- Cataracts
- Allergies
- Retained puppy teeth
- Retained testicles
- Hair loss
- Progressive Retinal Atrophy
- Persistent Pupillary Membrane
- Corneal Dystrophy
Affen Tzu Health Concerns
Below are potential health concerns associated with Affen Tzus.
Cataracts
Hip dysplasia
Patellar luxation
Collapsed trachea
Progressive retinal atrophy
Allergies
Distichiasis
Dry eye
Retained baby teeth
Snuffles
Reverse sneezing
About this Article
Updated:February 4, 2019