Among the most impressively beautiful of all dogs, the aristocratic Borzoi is cherished for his calm, agreeable temperament. In full stride, he is a princely package of strength, grace, and glamour flying by at 35 to 40 miles per hour.
Borzoi are large, elegant sighthounds. A mature male stands at least 28 inches at the shoulder and weighs 75 to 105 pounds. Females will be smaller. Beneath the luxurious silky coat, Borzoi construction follows the ancient Greyhound template. One known as the Russian Wolfhound, Borzoi were bred to be swift and tough enough to pursue and pin their ferocious lupine quarry. In their quiet, catlike way they can be stubborn, and training is best accomplished with patience, consistency, and good humor. Affectionate family dogs, Borzoi are nonetheless a bit too dignified to wholeheartedly enjoy a lot of roughhousing. The sight of a cat or squirrel on the run will quickly stir their pursuit instinct, and fenced-in running room is a must.
History
During the centuries of Romanov rule in Russia, wolf hunting was an all-consuming passion of the Russian aristocracy. Nobles would stage ritualized hunts—festivals, really—on their vast estates, with their guests, horses, and hounds ferried in on special hunt trains. It wasn’t unusual for a hundred Borzoi and just as many servants to be employed in these extravagant affairs, which traditionally concluded with a great feast at the manor house.
“It is difficult today to even imagine the grand scale and magnificence to which the gentle Borzoi is heir,” wrote a breed historian. “Before 1861, and to a lesser extent after that time up to the Russian Revolution in 1917, the time, effort, and money expended on these ‘hunts,’ as they were called, is surely unequaled in the development of any breed.” Russia’s great novelist Leo Tolstoy, himself a devoted Borzoi fan, immortalized one of these grand spectacles in his War and Peace.
With the Revolution came the wholesale slaughter of the Romanov family, their nobles, and their aristocratic hounds. This was a disaster that set back Russian breeding of Borzoi and other national breeds for much of the 20th century. If not for the Borzoi’s devotees abroad, the breed might have gone extinct.
In the years leading up to the Revolution, dog fanciers in England and America had begun the importation of Borzoi to their shores. These early imports ensured the breed’s survival. In the English-speaking world, the breed name was Russian Wolfhound. In America this changed in 1936, when after a long and spirited debate pro and con among the U.S. breed fancy, the breed was officially rechristened the Borzoi, from the Russian borzyi, meaning “swift.”
By all accounts, this noble breed of haughty looks and sterling temperament is little changed from the hounds Tolstoy described so movingly in his writings.
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What To Expect When Caring For a Borzoi
Owning a dog is not just a privilege; it’s a responsibility. They depend on us for, at minimum, food and shelter, and deserve much more. When you take a dog into your life, you need to understand the commitment that dog ownership entails.
Health
Borzoi are generally healthy dogs,and a responsible breeder will screen breeding stock for health conditions such as elbow and hip dysplasia, osteochondritis dissecans, and progressive retinal atrophy. Like other large and deep-chested dogs, they can experience bloat, a sudden and life-threatening stomach condition. Owners should educate themselves as to what symptoms indicate this is occurring and what to do if so. Sighthounds, including Borzoi, are more sensitive to anesthesia than other breeds. As with all breeds, a Borzoi’s ears should be checked regularly, and the teeth should be brushed often.
Recommended Health Tests From the National Breed Club:
- Ophthalmologist Evaluation
- Thyroid Evaluation
- Cardiac Exam
- Degenerative Myeolopathy DNA Test
