The tidal wave event in the modern history of the Affenpinscher was the birth of the famous Hawaiian trash. This happened when Ellen and Gil Stoewsand of Geneva, New York, bought a male named Deer Run Goblin Del Cocagi from Tobin Jackson. After completing the Goblin championship, Ms. Storesand searched for several years before landing a Lucille Meystedt female, Schwartz Diamant from Ch. Balalu. Unexpectedly, the Stoewsand received a six-month appointment to go to the University of Hawaii. Dr. Gil Stoewsand is a researcher at Cornell University. Within a few days of the new year in 1976, Gil, Ellen, and their two daughters, Corrine and Cathy, with their two Affens landed in Honolulu. Because Hawaii is rabies-free, the dogs had to be quarantined for four months. In February 1976, while he was in quarantine, a litter of six puppies was delivered by cesarean section to Schwartz Diamant de Ch Balu, who was named “Dema”. Dr. and Mrs. Stoewsand highly praised the concern and care their dogs received while they were in quarantine. They were allowed to visit them daily and the facilities were excellent. This information is included here to allay some of the fears associated with quarantining dogs, as required in England, parts of Europe, and many of the rabies-free islands. Dogs, according to most reports, emerge from experience in good condition and well adjusted.
Of these six Goblin and Dema cubs, one did not survive the first week. Another male was very weak and lived only thanks to the heroic efforts of the Stoewsand’s youngest daughter, Cathy, and was later kept in their home as a pet. A third male was sold to a woman in Hawaii, who later took the dog to Germany. Of the four brought to the mainland, two were kept and displayed by Ms. Stoewsand, Ch El Cocagi Alii, whose name means “Royalty”, and Ch El Cocagi Eli Eli Wahine, which means “Black Girl” in Hawaiian. Alii was called “Taz” and was later sold to Julianna Bitter in California. “Posey,” which was the nickname for Eli Eli Wahine, had a prestigious show career, beginning with winning the Best of Breed award in the Affenpinscher Club of America’s first specialty match in 1976. She was even more influential as one of the women of higher production.
The fourth cub was a male bought by professional caretaker Robert Sharp for his daughter Jennifer. This dog was called Ch. El Cogagi Kamehameha (named after the last king of Hawaii) and his name was “Bear.” He was the winningest Affenpinscher for several years. On June 11, 1978, Bear became the first Affenpinscher to receive a Best in Show of all breeds, under Judge Robert Wills at the Tonawanda Valley Kennel Club in upstate New York. In 1980 he won the Best of Breed award for the first officially supported entry for Affenpinschers. The champion El Cocagi Kamehaneha was a wonderful show dog and attracted many enthusiasts to the breed.
Mr. Sharp’s assistant at the time, who set up, prepared, and then owned Bear, was Bonnie’s (Hawkins) salesman. She has had a long and continuing association with the breed as a manager, owner, and breeder. His kennel name is Wyn Willow. Various dogs from his Kamehameha brood or offspring have had an impact on the breed. Giancarlo Volante, from California, featured Kamehameha’s triple great-grandson, Ch. Puff Von Apache Rauchen, who became the third Affenpinscher to win a Best in Show of all races. He repeated this feat with several more Bests, including two in Mexico.
The second Best in Show winner of all races Affenpinscher, and the first woman to do so, was Ch. Christina v. Silver Wald, owned by Jack and Joann Beutel of Portland, Oregon and managed by Paul and Pauline Booher. Because there were so few Affenpinschers in the area where “Chrissy” lived and performed, he had to finish his championship by winning the Toy Group. Margret Lewis of Tuxedo, New York raised Chrissy. Ms. Lewis came from Germany and imported her original breeding cattle from there. Chrissy’s father was My Pal Joey from Ch. Von Tiki and her mother was Primrose v. Silber Wald. Linda and Dorothy Strydio, who raised and exhibited various Affens during the 1970s and ’80s, raised the father.
During the 1980s, the Stoewsand continued the El Cocagi line and bred the best show dogs, as well as the best producers. Most of the top earning Affenpinschers in the ring during the 1980s and 1990s had one or more of the three champions from that Hawaiian litter in their pedigrees. These three dogs significantly changed the quality and type of breed around the world. Another notable dog was Ch. The Cocagi Black Baron, who had been purchased and shown by Quentin and Blanche Roberts from California. They made him one of the best show dogs in the early 80’s.
Marjorie and David Saylor, who had finished several Deer Run Affens, bought Ch El Cocagi Vampira that was out of Ch Balu’s Schwartz Zucker and El Cocagi Scarlet O’Hare. She became one of the best producers with nine champions. She was raised with the Saylor’s red dog, Eric the Red, from Ch.Deer Run. Saylors’ Mountain View Affenpinschers are behind a series of fine red and black Affens.
One of Ch.Flo-Star’s Little Tiam’s Vampira children, Ch El Cocagi Wilhelm, went to England, where he joined other of the Flo-Star Affens at Wendy Boorer’s Furstin Kennels. Wilhelm and a grandson of Ch. Hilane’s Lonesome Cowboy have contributed greatly to the Affenpinschers in the UK. Mrs. Rita Turner, whose kennel name is Gerbrae, and the late Mrs. Pat Patchen, whose prefix was Zipaty, imported five American Affenpinschers. These Hilane and Tajar dogs added to the Balu, Flo-Star, Vroni Kleine and El Cocagi lines included most of the American influence in England. According to The First Fifty Affenpinscher Champions, compiled by Dr. M. Brown and Mrs. S. Pirrie, all current champions can be traced back to these lines.