Jerry Zalon, who started Walhof Kennels in the 1950s, founded Eblon Kennels in New York City in the 1970s. He specialized in producing the various Affenpinscher colors. His breeding program continued into the 1980s with the help of Osmin and Marjorie Montjovier, whose Osmer Kennel name is behind many of the dogs in Canada and the United States. His Am. and Can. Ch. Eblon Seal Noir was the winningest Affenpinscher in 1976. This dog was often shown by Mrs. Jane Forsyth. During the late 1960s, Mrs. Zalon and Mrs. Montjovier began writing an Affenpinscher newspaper called Monkey Shines. This publication continued for a short time, but it reflected the interest and enthusiasm for the breed.

In Canada during the 1970s and 1980s, Vicki Garrett-Knill started with Osmar Affens and added the Hilane bloodlines to produce excellent show and obedience dogs. Her cattery name was Wicksteed. One of her offspring owned by the author, Ch. Wicksteed’s Red Capuchin, was one of the highest producing dams with seven champions. She was out of Can. Marmoset Rouge from Ch. Wicksteed crossed with Tiny Tim from Ch. Sharpette. Another of her contributions was in the colors red and wild boar or Belgian. These colored specimens were of excellent type. Vicki and Carl Knill and their family have moved to Georgia and are no longer active in the breed. Marjorie and David Reynolds continue these lines in Canada under the Reyson prefix. A red female from Zulu of Hilane from Ch. FMK and Tekahionwake from Wicksteed, Sunshine Too V Hilane from Ch. Reyson is behind some important and successful show dogs.

In the mid-1960s Mrs. Lillian Brandi, of Hackettstown, New Jersey, started Affenpinschers from Walhof Kennels and Brandicreek dogs bred by Helen Barbeau. Mrs. Brandi showed her Ch. Walhof Blackberry Brandi to prestigious victories in 1967 and ’68. She has been credited with changing the grooming style of the Affenpinscher show by grooming and shaping the outline and reducing the amount of body fur. This new image for the breed caught her attention. Of course, controversy arose, and the debate over what is the correct “look” for the breed continues today. Her breeding program continued into the 1980’s with a dog she bred, Ch. Brandicreek Frisky Whiskey, which she earned quite a bit. Frisky Whiskey was owned and operated by Howard and Joyce Stadele of Middlesex, New Jersey.

Mrs. Emily Kinsley of Easton, Pennsylvania, was another one who started the Harringtons’ dog breeding program. On June 25, 1966, This Week, the newspaper’s Sunday supplement, published a photo of Mrs. Kinsley’s puppy, Aff-Airn A Go Go Kins, on its front page. This gave the breed some much-needed publicity. The winningest Affenpinscher of 1966, owned by Mrs. Kinsley, was Ch. Aff-Airn Wee Winnie Winkie, who also hailed from the Harringtons. Winkie had the photo of him in National Geographic. This bitch won Best of Breed at the International Dog Show with 21 entries, the largest entry for the breed at the time. She was also the second Affen owner to be ranked first in the Toy Group. Over the next 25 years, Mrs. Kinsley’s Aff-Kin line produced many champions and had a positive impact on the breed. The can of her. Ch. Aff-Kin’s Licorice Chewy, owned by Mrs. Lorna (Thompson) Spratt of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, became the first Affenpinscher to win Best in Show in Canada. Later in 1991, the son of Chewy and Ch. Hilane’s Lonesome Cowboy, Am. and Can. Ch. Ceterra’s Rock-N-Robbie won a US national Best in Show. Robbie was shown by Mrs. Dolores Burkholder, who at the time of this writing is an AKC dog show representative. Most recently, Robbie’s son, Can. Ch. Ceterra’s Billy the Kid joined his grandmother to be the second Affenpinscher to win a Canadian All Breed Best in Show. Another of the Rock-N-Robbie sons, Little Black Sambo out of Ch. Ceterra, out of Kischia Frolics out of Ch. Aff-Kin, is the sire of several of today’s top show dogs. Lorna Spratt and Sherry Galagan continue to breed and show in Canada.

Starting with Affens of Aff-Kin, Sue and Don Spahr of Scottsdale, Arizona developed the Su-Dawn line. His most famous dog was multiple Best in Show and National Specialty winner in 1992, Pee Wee Herman of Ch. Su-Dawn. This great show dog did a lot for the breed, especially in the West in the early 90’s. Pee Wee’s dam was Ch. Su-Dawn’s Affins Krystal, bred by Emily Kinsley. She became a top producer with eight champions from another one of her fine dogs, Ch. Su-Dawn’s Where Thear’s Smoke. Using the Su-Dawn lines, Judith Benjamin also bred Affenpinschers in the Southwest. She owned Ch. Subira’s Whoopie Goldberg, who she did very well in the ring in the early 90’s.

Another important early breeder, Lucille E. Meystedt, who came from Missouri and later moved to Texas, started Affenpinschers in 1962. She started with a dog bred by the Kauffmanns named Walhof Hi Quotation and females from the Cassel Hills kennel, which was also bred. tracing back to Walhof lines, he kept the breed in the southern and western parts of the United States during the 1980s. In 1967 he brought a dog from Germany. This male, Ch. Vinzenz v Greifensee, was the most titled Affenpinscher in the history of the breed. He had his International, German, American, Canadian, Mexican and Colombian championships. Another of his servants, Arkady Herzchen Katze of Ch. Balu, who was called “Sugar”, became the fifth Affenpinscher to win an all-breed Best in Show. Mary and Bill Wasson and George and Phyllis Willis from Texas owned Sugar.

Mrs. Meystedt’s Balu kennels continued until her death in 1991. In almost 30 years in the breed, she had a major influence on the Affenpinscher, not only with her breeding program, but also through her writings in Popular Dogs magazine. and as an AKC dog show judge. She exported dogs to England, Ireland, Australia, and Germany. Lucille Meystedt showed and finished one of the first Affenpinschers with natural ears.

Another exhibitor and breeder from Texas is Elizabeth Muir-Cham-berlain, who started with George and Phyllis Willis’ dogs. She then she produced Am., Mex. , World and Int. Ch. Perwinkle Godzilla, whose father and mother are Little Black Sambo from Ch. Cetera and Midnight Munchkin from Ch. Tajar. Godzilla did well in the show ring and produced several of today’s top show dogs. These include Ch. Yarrow’s Mighty Joe Young, bred by Beth Sweigart, Letisha Wubbel and Doris Tolone and owned by Dr. and Mrs. William Truesdale and Ch. Hilane’s Harry Potter, Canada’s winningest Affenpinscher, owned by Sandra Lex.

In New Mexico, Patricia Bouldin continues the Balu bloodlines and added King’s Royal dogs from the late Kay Wurtz. Bouldin’s Tajar Affenpinschers have made an impact in both England and America. Barbara and Jenna Gresser in Arizona have used and exhibited Tajar dogs and Marilyn Holt’s dogs in Oregon to develop their breeding and exhibit program under the Black Forest name. Among his important dogs is Ch. Black Forest Cookie Monster.