Borzoi

They have been appreciated for their gentle, dignified manner and their impressive abilities as swift lure coursers. Lure coursing is a sport in which a hound chases after a lure of three plastic bags speeding over a course, or track. Borzois enjoy long runs and cold weather, but are quiet in the house.

Borzoi breed facts

The Borzoi originated in 17th-century Russia, when Arabian greyhounds were crossed with a thick-coated, Russian breed.

The Borzoi was once known as the Russian Wolfhound.

In 1650, the first Borzoi standard was written.

Information you should know before owning a Borzoi?

The Borzoi's coat is known to shed.

Borzois require vigorous exercise to keep them in fit condition. Due to their sight hound heritage, Borzois should never be left off a leash or let to roam outside of a fenced yard.

Borzois are very quiet dogs who seldom bark. Although the Borzoi is a large dog, it will happily curl up in a corner very comfortably.

The Russian aristocracy bred the Borzoi, also known as the Russian Wolfhound in America prior to 1936, for hundreds of years. There are accounts of hunting expeditions of several Mongol rulers from the time of the conqueror, Genghis Khan, in the 13th century, in which long hounds were mentioned as principal coursing dogs. In Russia, the precursors of the Borzoi were thought to be of several different types including the long-coated, smooth-faced bearhound of early Russia, the Southern coursing hounds of the Tatars, the Owtcher-a tall Russian Sheepdog, as well as other ancient sight-hound types. By 1260, the coursing of hare for sport is mentioned in connection with the Court of the Grand Duke of Novgorod, and in 1650 the first Borzoi standard was written (which did not differ greatly from the modern standard).

By 1861, hunting with Borzoi reached the level of the national sport of the aristocracy, and development of the breed was unequaled. Hunting parties would consist of over one hundred Borzoi representing several kennels, with many kennels breeding their dogs for a specific coat color. When a wolf was spotted, a trio of dogs, normally a dog and two bitches, were slipped to pursue the wolf and capture, pin it and hold the creature until the hunter on horseback arrived to finish the kill.

In 1889, the first Borzoi arrived in America from England. In 1903, Joseph B. Thomas (representing the Valley Farm Kennel) went to Russia 3 times to import dogs from the Perchino & Woronzova kennels that became part of the establishment of the breed in this country. Today the Borzoi is highly prized for its beauty, intelligence and gentle nature, making it a wonderful companion. In Western states it is still used by farmers to control coyote populations, tapping in to the breed's original heritage.

Is this a vulnerable breed? Yes, No	No
What size is this dog? Small, Medium, Large	Large
How much excercise is required? 30 mins a day, 1 hour a day, Over 2 hours a day	1 hour a day
How long is this dog's coat? Short, Medium, Long	Medium
How much grooming is required? Once a week, More than once a week, Every day	More than once a week
Does this dog shed? Does shed, Does not shed	Does shed
What area is this dog best suited to? Town, Country, Either	Country
What size house is required for this breed? Flat/Apartment, Small House, Large House	Small House
What size of garden is required? Small Garden, Large Garden, No Garden	Small garden

	General Appearance Well balanced, graceful, aristocratic, dignified and elegant.
	Characteristics A coursing hound which must be courageous, powerful and of great speed.
	Temperament Sensitive, alert and aloof.
	Eyes Dark with intelligent, keen and alert expression. Almond-shaped, set obliquely and placed well back but not too wide apart. Eye rims dark. Eyes not light, round, bulbous or staring.
	Mouth Jaws strong with a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws. Full, strong dentition desirable.
	Neck Slightly arched; reasonably long and well muscled. Free from throatiness, flattened laterally, set at an angle of 50-60 degrees to the longitudinal axis of the body.
	Forequarters Shoulders clean, sloping well back. Muscular but not loaded. Fine at withers but not accentuated. Forelegs clean and straight. Seen from front, narrow like blades; from side, wider at elbows narrowing down to foot. Elbows directed backwards, neither turning in nor out. Pasterns slightly sloping, strong and flexible. Length of forearm nearly equal to half total height at withers.
	Body Chest, ribs of narrow oval cut, great depth of brisket reaching to elbows, giving great heart and lung room, especially in mature dogs. Breastbone slightly pronounced with adequate width between elbows and abdomen very tucked up. Back rather bony, muscular and free from any cavity, rising in a graceful curve with well balanced fallaway. Highest point of curve is situated over last rib. Curve is more pronounced in dogs than bitches. Loins broad and very powerful with plenty of muscular development. Fallaway long and well muscled. Width between hip bones at least 8 cm (3 ins).
	Hindquarters Quarters wider than shoulders, ensuring stability of stance. Thighs long, well developed with good second thigh; hindlegs long and muscular; stifles well angulated, hocks broad, clean and well let down. Posterior line of hock vertical. Seen from side, legs slightly set back.
	Feet Front feet oval, toes close together, well arched over strong, thick pads, turning neither in nor out. Hind feet hare-like, i.e. longer and less arched.
	Tail Long, rather low set, when measured between thighs reaches up to top of nearest hip bone. Well feathered, carried low in a graceful curve. From level of hocks may be sabre- or slightly sickle-shaped but not ringed. In A not rising above level of back.
	Gait / Movement Well balanced, graceful, aristocratic, dignified and elegant.
	Coat Silky, flat, wavy or rather curly (but never woolly). Short and smooth on head, ears and front of legs; much longer on body with heavy feathering on backs of legs and hindquarters, tail and chest. Neck carries a large curly frill. More profuse in dogs than bitches.
	Colour Any colour acceptable.
	Size Minimum height at withers: dogs: 74 cms (29 ins); bitches: 68 cms (27 ins).