Borzoi

This article is about the domestic dog breed. For the rural locality in the Chechen Republic, see Borzoy.

The Borzoi or Russian Hunting Sighthound is a Russian breed of hunting dog of sighthound type. It was formerly used for wolf hunting; until 1936, the breed was known as the Russian Wolfhound.

Etymology

Historically, Russian sighthounds were named through descriptive terms as opposed to actual names. [[:wiktionary:борзой|Template:Transliteration]] is the masculine singular form of an archaic Russian adjective that means 'fast'. Template:Transliteration ('fast dog') is the basic term for sighthounds used by Russians, though Template:Transliteration is usually dropped. The name Template:Transliteration derived from the word Template:Transliteration, which means 'wavy, silky coat', just as Template:Transliteration (as in hortaya borzaya) means shorthaired. In modern Russian, the breed commonly called the Borzoi is officially known as Template:Transliteration. Other Russian sighthound breeds are Template:Transliteration (from the steppe), called Template:Transliteration; and Template:Transliteration (from the Crimea), called Template:Transliteration.

History

The Borzoi originated in the sixteenth century Russia by crossing Saluki and European sighthounds with thick-coated Russian breeds.

The Borzoi was popular with the Tsars before the 1917 revolution. For centuries, Borzois could not be purchased but only given as gifts from the Tsar. Grand Duke Nicholas Nicolaievich of Russia bred countless Borzoi at Perchino, his private estate.

The Russkaya Psovaya Borzaya was definitively accepted by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale in 1956.

• Borzoi owned by Max Hartenstein, Berlin, Germany, 1879
  Borzoi owned by Max Hartenstein, Berlin, Germany, 1879
• Borzoi by a Chair (St George Hare, 19th century)
  Borzoi by a Chair (St George Hare, 19th century)
• Wolf hunting with borzois (1904), Efim A. Tikhmenev
  Wolf hunting with borzois (1904), Efim A. Tikhmenev
• Sarah Bernhardt, portrait by Georges Clairin
  Sarah Bernhardt, portrait by Georges Clairin

Description

Appearance

Borzois are large Russian sighthounds that resemble some central Asian breeds such as the Afghan hound, Saluki, and the Kyrgyz Taigan. Borzois come in a variety of colours. The Borzoi coat is silky and flat, often wavy or slightly curly. The long top-coat is quite flat, with varying degrees of waviness or curling. The soft undercoat thickens during winter or in cold climates, but is shed in hot weather to prevent overheating. In its texture and distribution over the body, the Borzoi coat is unique. There should be a frill on its neck, as well as feathering on its hindquarters and tail. Borzois have a uniquely long snout, likely originating from Greyhound ancestry.

Temperament

The Borzoi is an affectionate and athletic breed of dog with a calm temperament.

In terms of obedience, Borzois are selective learners who quickly become bored with repetitive activity, and they can be difficult to motivate. Nevertheless, Borzois are definitely capable of enjoying and performing well in competitive obedience and agility trials with the right kind of training.

Coat gallery

• Coat colours
• Red
  Red
• Black
  Black
• Black (with Irish Spotting)
  Black (with Irish Spotting)
• Brindle
  Brindle
• Red and white
  Red and white
• Black and white
  Black and white
• White and brown
  White and brown
• White and grey
  White and grey
• White and sandy
  White and sandy

Health

A 2024 UK study found an average life expectancy of 12 years for Borzois, with a sample size of 43, compared to 12.7 for purebreds and 12 for mongrels.

An American study looking at echocardiographs of clinically healthy Borzoi found 53.8% to have heart murmurs, 30.2% to have trace or mild mitral regurgitation, 36.1% to have mild tricuspid regurgitation, and 14.4% to have cardiac disease.

Borzois, along with other sighthounds, recover slower from anesthesia due to a lower volume of distribution and their lean muscle mass and low body-fat percentage.

Due to primarily affecting large-breed dogs, Borzois have a predisposition to developing Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus (GDV). A 2020 study identified an association between GDV in Borzois and RNA Binding Motif Protein 26 (RBM26), although of unknown significance.

References

Further reading

• Chadwick, Winifred E. (1952). The Borzoi Handbook. London: Nicholson & Watson. Including a translation of The Perchino Hunt by His Excellency Dmitri Walzoff (1912).
• Martin, Nellie L. (2005). Borzoi—The Russian Wolfhound: Its History, Breeding, Exhibiting and Care. Read Books. ISBN 978-1-84664-042-1.
• McRae, Gail C. (1989). Borzoi (New ed.). TFH Publications. ISBN 978-0-86622-676-9.
• Savenkova, V. (2003). Russkaya Psovaya Borzaya. Moscow. ISBN 978-5-17-016974-0.