The Borzoi: An Elegant Dog From Russia
The borzoi is a graceful and elegant looking dog, selected as a dog for hunting in open ground. Due to its nature, this breed has keen eyesight and reaches great speeds.
It had its moment of greatest glory during the reign of the Tsars. In the Russian court he was masterfully trained to be employed in hunting the Siberian wolf.
Excellent hunter even of small animals, he is an affectionate and obedient dog with his master, but extremely distrustful of strangers. It is also known as a Russian hunting dog.
History and ancestors of the borzoi in Russia
For hundreds of years, the Russian aristocracy had borzoi or Russian greyhounds as dogs. The name of this breed comes from the Russian word borzyi , meaning “fast”.
In the 12th century, hare hunting was a popular sport among the nobles. After two or three centuries, it was common for hunting dogs to mate together to obtain larger, better-coated breeds.
The earliest specimen of borzoi was documented in a 17th century hunting rule book. There are several records of the attentive care given to these hunting dogs at the Russian court.
The importance of this breed is revealed in one of the documents found which describes a hunting trip of the Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolaevič. For the occasion, over a hundred borzoi dogs, horses and hunters traveled long distances by train to take part in the event.
By the late 1800s, there were as many as seven different subtypes of the borzoi breed in Russia. Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolaevich retained the subtype that descended from the Perchino breed.
Most of the subsequent imports into America came precisely from the Grand Duke’s farms. The Russian Tsar gave many borzoi to visiting royalty. The Russian Revolution, however, put an end to the prosperity of the aristocracy and, as a result, numerous specimens of borzoi died.
In the United States, the breed became famous as a companion dog to movie stars. The borzoi is popular as a pet and is particularly prized for its elegant appearance and hunting and show dog skills.
Physical characteristics and temperament
The borzoi has an elegant and aristocratic bearing. It has a long and silky hair that can be curly, smooth or wavy. His beautiful coat is essential to him for harsh climates.
This breed is very fast and is more portly than the classic greyhounds. His powerful jaw, in fact, allows him to get the better of a wolf.
The borzoi is generally good with children and shy with strangers. It is an ideal specimen as a companion animal due to its docile character.
When in the open air, it runs wild and even chases small animals. This hound is distinguished by its independent and sensitive nature.
Borzoi care and health
If kept indoors, it is advisable to always leave it easy access to the yard or garden. The borzoi easily resists outdoors during the winter season as long as it is offered a warm shelter and soft blankets or sheets. The coat of this breed should be brushed two or three times a week.
The borzoi must be able to get plenty of exercise every day. Due to his hunter nature, he has a lot of energy.
On top of that, it enjoys a life expectancy of around 10 or 12 years, but tends to suffer from serious health problems such as gastric torsion. He can also suffer from less severe conditions such as myocardiopathy and hypothyroidism.
Borzoi exhibits adverse reactions to barbiturate anesthesia. To detect these health problems, the vet will need to have regular thyroid and heart tests.
