Russian Borzoi

The Borzoi was probably first brought from Arabia to Russia in about 1600. There, this elegant sight hound was adopted by the nobility, crossed with longer haired sheepdogs and used as a fierce and brave wolf hunter, earning the name Russian Wolfhound. The Russian nobility bred and hunted with these dogs for hundreds of years. Eventually the Borzoi's popularity spread throughout Europe. Queen Victoria owned Borzoi's, and many of the British aristocracy soon followed suit. The breed became favored for gifts among royalty. The Borzoi became more docile as his use as a companion dog increased.

They were famous for hunting and killing wolves. The dogs would be sent out on hunts in packs of three or more. Borzoi in Russian means "swift." They are very fast animals with short bursts of speed in access of 40 miles per hour. Borzoi has been known to run after animals for five miles straight. When the Russian wolfhounds saw a wolf during a hunt, the pack would go for the kill. The faster dogs would take down the wolf and the strongest (usually the "alpha") would grab the wolf by the neck with his jaws to make the kill.

The Borzoi was used by the Russian aristocracy for coursing wolves, hare, and other game. The Tzar's family owned over 130 Russian wolfhounds and the breed was known as the "pet of the rich." When the Tzar and his family were killed during the Russian Revolution of 1917, many Russian wolfhounds were also killed because of their association with the aristocrats. A few of these dogs were saved and were sent to England where the original stock of Borzoi are still bred today.

The Borzoi is a tall, aristocratic dog with a long, thin, narrow head. A slightly arched muzzle and a long, low-hanging curved tail. Heavy-necked ruff is characteristic. The nose is black and the eyes are oblong and dark. The ears lie back on the neck but may prick up partially when the dog is alert. The back is gracefully curved. The chest is narrow, but very deep. The longish silky coat may be wavy or with large curls, with a heavy mane at the neck. The colors are white, golden, tan or gray with black markings, in either solid or mixed colors.

The Borzoi is a sweet, intelligent dog. They are proud and self aware dogs that are extremely loyal to their family. They are quite affectionate with people they know well. They can be trained in obedience, but it should be remembered that they are hounds, and as such are more free-thinking, and less willing to please humans than some breeds. They are, however, very intelligent, and capable learners. But the training of this breed has to be based upon mutual respect. Borzoi are often quite cat-like, often keeping themselves quite clean. They are quiet dogs, rarely barking. Like all other sighthounds, they are very fast, and have little-to-no territorial instinct. Therefore, they cannot be trusted off leash, unless in a securely fenced area. Good with other dogs but should be supervised with small non-canine pets such as cats and rabbits. Spending time outdoors with small animals is not advised. Socialize them very well with cats and other pets at as young an age as possible, but remember the Borzoi will always be a hunter that may race after a fleeing animal. His lightening snap can kill a small animal in a second. The Borzoi is a noble dog that gets along fairly well with children, but it is not ideally suited for being a child's companion as it does not take well to rough-housing play, and prize their rest. During the growing stage, these dogs need a highly nutritional diet.

To Maintain their fitness these dogs need plenty of exercise, including regular opportunities to run off the leash, however in some countries it is forbidden to allow all the dogs in this fleet-footed hunting category off the leash. The Borzoi make excellent jogging companions and usually enjoy running alongside a bicycle but beware, a Borzoi is quite likely to shoot off after any prey it catches site of. If this happens you will need to react very quickly.To be continued...

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