The Borzoi was bred by the Russian aristocracy possibly as early as the
thirteenth century to hunt wolves, thus the name it was originally known
as: Russian Wolfhound. The breed was introduced into England when they were
presented as gifts to the British monarchy in the mid 1800s. The first Russian
Wolfhounds were imported into the United States in the 1880s. In the 1936,
they came to be called Borzoi, which in Russian means swift and agile.
The Borzoi is a sight hound that, on one hand, is a very tough hunting dog
but on the other hand, a very graceful, dignified animal. He is very affectionate
to his family and enjoys playing with adults and children alike. A large
dog, he needs plenty of room and exercise. Today, he is often seen in lure
coursing trials where his grace in motion thrills the spectators
The Borzoi head is long, tapered and distinctly wedge-shaped. The eyes are
almond shaped and dark in color. The ears are small and fine, lying back
on the neck. The body is long and narrow with a deep chest and arching back
at the loin. The legs are long, muscular and powerful. This enables the
Borzoi to move with a ground-covering stride.The coat is long and silky.
It may be flat, curly or wavy and any color but often has a white base.
The tail is long, profusely feathered and carried low gracefully curved.
The minimum height of the males is 28 inches while the female is 26 inches.
Name withheld by request of Pennsylvania writes:
A special dog.
A Borzoi is a deep dog. They are deeply sensitive, intelligent, perceptive,
loving, and loyal. There are certain dogs in most any breed that have those
outstanding qualities, but almost all Borzoi have them.
A Borzoi is a big dog, with males often 33 inches or more at the shoulder,
and females smaller. They are especially beautiful and aristocratic. They
frequently appear in ads, in opera productions, and in plays. People ooh
and ahh over them, so don't walk one in public when you're in a hurry.
Borzoi are clean dogs who are easy to housebreak. Just highly praising
them when they do it outside is all they need. Their coats are easy to
keep with just a once a week brushing, and a twice per year bath, keeps
them in good condition. Unless they spend ample time on concrete, their
toenails should be trimmed at least twice a month. The Dremmel electric
grinder, with #408 sanding wheel, makes keeping their nails simple. They
shed all of the time, and, usually twice a year, their copious undercoat
comes out by the handful. Dog hair is 100 percent protein.
A Borzoi needs to be trained with gentleness. They resent harshness. The
best book on training a Borzoi is Patricia Gail Burnham's, "Play Training
Your Dog."
Borzoi are sighthounds, and very fast, and they can strike without warning.
Therefore, the owner needs to firmly establish leadership so there is never
any danger from the Borzoi. Their fantastic speed also necessitates a fenced
yard. Unfenced, they will, sooner or later, see a squirrel across the street,
and take off after it, getting hit by a car as they cross the street. They
will not even see the car, because they are zeroed in on the squirrel.
They are strong enough to jerk their leash right out of their owner's hand.
Besides showing a Borzoi in Breed classes and in obedience classes, an owner
can enjoy their dog participating in open field coursing, in a few western
states, lure coursing throughout the country, and oval track, as well as
straight, racing. Experienced dog owners are awed by their first Borzoi.
They are very special.
FlWhippetMom@aol.com of Tampa, FL writes:
Beautiful and very unique.
While I think this is a five-star breed, my fantasy dog is not for every
household. The Borzoi is large, intelligent, clownish, goofy, playful, affectionate,
and bonds strongly to his special person. They are not the appropriate pet
for the average busy family. They require special considerations due to
their strong instincts and impressive size. Truly a magnificent canine,
the Borzoi is a prince among dogs.
Zoes@aa.net of Seattle, WA writes on 1/5/00:
Intelligent and independent.
1) "Elegant". Bah. Borzoi are gooberhead clowns to the core, do
not be deceived by their racing-car exterior. They are dogs, not statuary!
That is just fur and shape. Borzoi have an intricate, understated, detailed
sense of humour, especially physical humour, and love to tell jokes. More
than anything they love to have their humour appreciated. They are also
fans of bald slapstick, and contortionism.
2) "Giant". Well, yes they are. However Borzoi are absolutely
placid indoor dogs, they do not pace or fret in the house (well if you do
not include the 'Mom's Home! Celebratory House Races' that they perform
every evening). For this reason their large height, and sometimes mass,
is not as intrusive in the house as with many large dogs. They are happy
to lie around and watch TV or read with you for hours, or all day. An adult
borzoi is perfectly suited to an apartment, so long as it gets good long
walks during the day.
3) "Standoffish". Borzoi adore, crave, deeply desire your attention
affection and adoration. Many of them do not require this from strangers,
which is where the reputation comes from. (There are also certain individuals
in certain kennel lines that are rather afraid of people, who dislike being
away from their pack. These individuals should be watched for as they do
not make as good pets.) Outside of the home, the Borzoi switches into busy
hunter mode, always scanning the environment in the hopes of sighting something
to chase down and kill. He or she cannot always be troubled to socialize
when so otherwise engaged.
However for this reason, Borzoi cannot EVER be allowed off-leash where there
is any road or traffic nearby. Even the best obedience-trained dog cannot
be called off of the chase of a squirrel or a bird; they actually cannot
hear you when they are prey-focused and in pursuit. They can reach 35mph
in two strides, can maintain that speed for several miles, and will be killed
instantly long before they can learn to avoid cars. They are simply too
fast.
4) "Dumb". I have trained Borzoi to all levels of obedience, hunting
and racing. Of course there is much individual variation between different
kennel lines, but do not confuse a lack of intelligence with being intensely
opinionated. Borzoi have a very strong innate sense of themselves, and form
their own opinions about everything. This means that they need to be convinced
of something, will not believe it is a good idea just because you say so.
You can't train a Borzoi without real confidence that the training you are
engaged in is worth doing. If you can speak to their intelligence, and not
simply try to manipulate them like circus seals, you will be shocked at
what they can do and learn.
5) "Passive and gentle". Male Borzoi occasionally maim and injure
people. This is quite rare, but it does happen, and usually for this reason:
A male Borzoi, typically under 3 years old, is given too much freedom in
the house in terms of his place in the social hierarchy. A person in his
house, frequently a smaller woman whom he feels beneath his status, does
something he feels impugns his superior status in the house. He decides
to put her in her place.
Borzoi are pack dogs and they are absolutely lightning fast, very tall and
can easily reach the face of even a tall person. When a borzoi disciplines
another within its pack hierarchy, he or she does so by snapping and slashing
at them while making a loud roaring noise. If the object of discipline is
another borzoi, it of course is equally fast and can almost always get out
of the way with minimal damage. A person cannot, and may have their face
bitten rather badly.
Again I emphasize that this rarely ever, ever happens. However you must
not mistake the generally placid nature of Borzoi for submissiveness; they
are not submissive. They are intelligent and low-key, but never forget that
they were bred to live, hunt and work as a tightly organized pack, and will
always look for pack-dynamics in their household first. (For this reason,
Borzoi must never be trained in protection work or Schutzhund, they are
not suited for it.) As charming and delightful and intelligent as a Borzoi
is, he or she is very much a pack-oriented hunting machine, and not a pretty
toy.
That being said, Borzoi make exquisitely intelligent companions. If raised
with small children, small dogs or cats, they can be extraordinarily gentle,
delicate and careful dogs, often finding the difference in their relative
sizes to be a really delightfully funny joke which they are happy to appreciate
over and over again. They are easily bored, and learn very fast, so training
must be tailored to their abilities. They are profound conversationalists,
and good travelers if started young. To my mind they are the most perfect
of companions.
skyridgedogs@hotmail.com of Arkansas writes on 10/10/99:
Unique beauty, quiet, clean and so awesome to watch running!
I like the love the looks of a Collie, yet I love the gait of the Greyhound.
When you see them on the streets, you turn your head. They are not just
pretty and aristocate dogs, they are so easy to contend with. They are rather
tall dogs that don't eat any more than a medium sized dog, learn house breaking
rather easily, are quiet, clean and oder-free and have a personality that
no other dog breed posesses. They love their owners but don't drive them
nuts for attention & are good with other dogs and children. They love
to run and when you see it, it is so awesome, you thought you just seen
a deer. They are about the best mannered giant breed dog at many dog shows
that I have visited and I have owned one as well. They can be very comical,
yet not so over-bearing to the point that it gets on you nerves. They aren't
great watch dogs, but due to their size, they ward off strangers. Because
of their silky coat, mud and dirt doesn't stick to it and they are rather
easy to groom. Yes they do shed, but it's a lot easier to pick up after
than a cat. I love to have an animal that is so unique in looks as well
as temperment. They are simply a class of their own. Not cheap to purchase,
but well worth the price and rarely have medical problems since they are
not over-bred. Yes they are big dogs, but can curl up in a small ball and
are not the ones to get under-foot. When I have had dozens of people to
want to visit not because of me, but to see my dog ... that tells you something.
Awesome in nature and a site to behold!