The Breed Archive / Borzoi
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Borzoi

Elegant, dignified, loyal and of aristocratic appearance

The elegant Borzoi is often counted among the most striking dog breeds – not least because of its distinctive slightly domed, extremely long and lean head. These large sighthounds embody elegance and dignity with their beautiful long and silky coats and slender frames. But Borzois have a lot more to bring to the table – which they can easily reach, just keep that in mind – than just their fancy looks.

Borzois cherish being surrounded and loved by their humans. They make loyal family dogs and are generally good with older children, as these dogs can be quite goofy themselves.

Good-natured, calm and gentle in their every-day demeanour, Borzois make for lovely companions inside the home. Given their history as hunting dogs, their hunting instinct must always be taken into account while you offer them the opportunity to run and stretch their legs, but usually Borzois are content to do this for a fraction of the day. If not, who else would keep their favourite spot on the sofa warm?

While you might be captured by the Borzoi's elegance at first, what will ultimately make you fall in love with this breed is its fun-loving, mischievous and silly personality.

In 19th century Russia, Borzois, also called Russian wolfhounds, were kept by the Russian aristocracy to hunt wolves. The Borzoi was named for the Russian word for 'swift'.
The breed has a noble heritage, as it was originally exclusively associated with the Russian aristocracy. The Tsar gave Borzois as gifts to such famous names as Queen Victoria and King Edward VII.
The Borzoi has long, slender legs, a narrow body, deep chest, arched loin and that distinctive lean head. His coat is long and silky, either wavy, curly or straight.
There exists a photo of the captain of the Titanic and his white male borzoi called 'Ben' on the ship. However, the dog was not on the maiden voyage.
The Borzoi is an avid hunter and will chase any smaller fleeing animal. He is very sensitive and obedience training will be taken with humour and only done as a favour to you.

Borzoi characteristics

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history

The history of the Borzoi breed is inextricably linked to the Russian aristocracy and the developments that shaped the country in the 19th and 20th century.

The Russian aristocracy had been breeding Borzois for hundreds of years to hunt hares, foxes and wolves. The Borzois were bred in vast estates and their speed and intelligence were tested in lavishly organised wolf hunts.

Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolaevich was a well-known breeder of Borzois, which he bred in large numbers in his estate called Perchino, a luxurious hunting lodge.

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In 1861, however, the serfs – who, as the unfree labour force, had upheld the estates and made the hunting events possible – were granted their freedom when Alexander II declared their emancipation. Without the work force of the serfs – a total of 23 million people across Russia – many breeding kennels could no longer be maintained and the number of Borzois declined over the next decade.

The Russian Revolution swept across the country in 1917, further deteriorating the breed's state in its country of origin. The violence directed against the Tsar and the aristocracy did not stop at their pets and many Borzois were killed along with their owners.

What could have been the end of the Borzoi breed was prevented by them having been given to royals in England as presents, but also because Borzoi friends had already brought these dogs from Russia to their countries in the time before the revolution. In Great Britain it was the dog lover, the Duchess of Newcastle (kennel "of Notts"), who bought valuable Borzois and of course also received them as gifts. But at this time, European breeders such as the German Dr. Arthur Wegener (kennel "Ural") and American breeders such as Joseph B. Thomas (kennel "O'Valley Farm") were also in Perchino and bought foundation animals for their own kennels, many of which can still be found in most pedigrees today.

While the FCI definitively recognised the breed in 1956, the American Kennel Club did so as early as 1891. It was listed as the Russian Wolfhound up until 1936, when the breed's name was changed to 'Borzoi', an archaic Russian word meaning 'swift'.

Breed facts

Group
FCI: Sighthounds - Group 10
AKC/KC: Hound Group
Colour
Various colours
View colour distribution
Sports
Lure coursing, Racing
To get them interested in other dog sports, such as Obedience or Agility, they need to be trained with a lot of patience and a sense of humour.
Origin
Russia
Size
Very large
Coat type
long, silky
Breed standards

health

As with many large breeds, cancer, especially Osteosarcoma (bone cancer), is a frequent cause of death in the Borzoi (see our health statistics). Their deep-set chests also make them susceptible to bloating – also known as Gastric Torsion or Gastric Dilation – which causes gas to build up in the stomach and can be fatal if not treated immediately. Older Borzois might suffer from Degenerative Myelopathy (DM) which causes difficulty moving and progresses over time, leaving the dog unable to walk.

Other health issues may include skeletal or dental malocclusion, eye, thyroid and heart problems. Like all dogs with low body fat, Borzois react sensitively to barbiturate anaesthetics.

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