Affenpinscher

Affectionate with their own people and often quite attached, but they carry themselves with more dignity than a lapdog - this is a dog who chooses to sit with you, not one who melts into you.

Best with calm, older children who understand not to roughhouse. Affenpinschers are small enough to be hurt easily and confident enough to snap back if they are.

Mixed. Dogs they're raised with are usually fine; cats and small pets can trigger real prey drive, and Affenpinschers won't back down from a bigger dog either.

Loud for their size and proud of it. An excellent alarm system, which is exactly the problem in an apartment with thin walls.

Moderate. They want a real walk and some play, not a marathon - twenty to forty minutes a day covers it.

Low. The wiry coat sheds very little, though it mats if it isn't kept up.

Genuinely funny to watch - mischievous, a little theatrical, and happiest when they've got an audience.

Essentially none. A dry, tidy little mouth.

Bright but opinionated. They'll learn fast for a reward and dig their heels in against a correction - reward-based training isn't optional here, it's the only thing that works.

Excellent, and fearless well past the point common sense would suggest. They will announce - and stand their ground against - anything.

The wiry coat needs hand-stripping or clipping every six to eight weeks, plus regular brushing between visits.

Settles into apartments and houses equally well. What they don't adapt well to is being ignored - they want to be part of whatever's happening.