Borzoi

About the breed

The Borzoi (FCI name Russkaya psovaya borzaya, called "ruski hrt" in Slovenian and Croatian) is a tall, lean, long-coated sighthound from Russia, listed by the FCI as standard No. 193 in Group 10, Section 1 (long-haired or fringed sighthounds). The FCI standard describes it as a hunting sighthound used mostly for chasing hare and fox and less for wolf, and also used successfully for coursing and racing.

According to the standard the breed is calm and neutral to friendly towards people, but it switches to a full gallop when it sees moving game. That switch is what matters for three practical questions: a fenced area, a lead outside the fence and the choice of breeder.

History: from Tatar hounds to the hunts of the Russian aristocracy

The FCI standard's historical summary dates the Borzoi to the 15th century and the Mongol invasion. The Tatars kept sighthounds of Arab origin (koutsi), while Russian hunters used extraordinarily strong Loshaya dogs; crosses between the two are said to have become the prototype of the Borzoi. In the 16th and 17th centuries Polish sighthound blood added refinement, and later the cross with the Klock, a bearded Courland sighthound, produced beardless descendants with long, fine hair (the "Gustopsovy" type). Greyhound blood initiated the "Chistopsovy" type, and mountain and Crimean sighthounds were added later for endurance.

The standard places the big hunts with packs of sighthounds and hounds and special horses in the 18th and 19th centuries; the British Kennel Club describes hunting with Borzoi in Russia as a pastime of the aristocracy. According to the same summary, the first congress of Borzoi lovers was held in 1874 and the Moscow Hunting Society adopted the first standard in 1888; its author was N. P. Yermolov.

Size and appearance under the FCI standard

The FCI standard gives a desirable height at the withers of 75–85 cm for males and 68–78 cm for females. The FCI standard sets no weight; the breed standard of the Borzoi Club of America (BCOA) gives 75–105 pounds for males and 15–20 pounds less for females (roughly 34–48 kg and 25–41 kg), while its owner guide gives an average of 60–100 pounds (roughly 27–45 kg), so weight here is approximate.

The body is tall, lean and strong, rather high on the leg and fairly narrow; females are longer than males. The chest is oval in cross-section, deep, not narrow and yet not wider than the croup; its depth is almost half the height at the withers, it reaches almost to the elbows, and the belly is sharply tucked up towards the flanks. The coat is long, silky, wavy or in large curls, very short on the head and ears, with feathering on the neck, the lower chest and belly and the back of the forelegs and thighs. All colours from white to black are permitted, except brown, blue and isabella; the nose is black.

Temperament and training an independent hound

The FCI standard describes the temperament as calm, with a well-evident visual response, and the attitude towards people as neutral to friendly; aggressive or overly shy dogs are disqualified. The club adds that the Borzoi is intelligent but independent and can be stubborn, and affectionate especially with its own family.

Training therefore rests on patience and consistency, which the club calls the key to a dog's full potential; it recommends basic obedience and socialisation. According to the club Borzoi stay "puppies" for a long time, so a puppy's tendency to destroy things can persist; boredom can be a cause, and attention and exercise help.

Chase instinct and off-lead running

The Borzoi is a sight-hunting hound, so running loose outside a fenced area is not advisable. The club advises against letting a Borzoi run loose as a general rule, especially near busy roads, and suggests exercise in a safe fenced yard and/or daily walks on a lead.

Recall is therefore a training goal, not a guarantee. The club also points out that Borzoi were bred to chase and catch game, so any small animal that runs may trigger the response, cats in particular: a dog that is calm with the indoor cat may behave very differently outdoors when the cat runs. Living with other animals is possible, according to the club, if the dog was raised around them.

Flat, garden and family

A Borzoi can live in a flat or a house if it has regular access to a safe place to run; the deciding factor is not only floor space but where the dog can actually run. The club says that with proper training Borzoi make excellent house dogs, but stresses their need for exercise.

On children, the club writes that most Borzoi raised with children are good companions, but the breed does not tolerate the rough handling a small child can inflict, and a large dog can knock a small child over by accident, so contact with small children should be supervised. For a family, the Borzoi is therefore a conditional choice: contact with small children needs constant supervision.

Exercise and feeding

A Borzoi needs daily walks and a chance to run in a safe place. Neither the FCI standard nor the BCOA guide gives a number of minutes; the British Kennel Club's breed page lists exercise as "up to 1 hour per day". According to the club, the adult Borzoi eats surprisingly little, about as much as an adult Shepherd or Setter, with puppies eating more while they grow; it does not recommend strenuous exercise immediately before or after feeding.

Coat care

The BCOA recommends grooming "every day or so" to remove loose hair and dirt, while bathing is needed less often than in some other breeds. According to the club, females shed after a season and males once a year, and spayed females shed like males. The Kennel Club's breed page lists grooming as "more than once a week".

Health: heart, cancer and the club's tests

The BCOA judges that the breed overall has relatively few and low incidences of health problems. It recommends four tests, which are also required for the American CHIC health-information programme: a DNA test for degenerative myelopathy (SOD1A), a CAER eye examination, an echocardiogram by a board-certified cardiologist and a thyroid test. The club lists as areas of some concern, for which no screening tests exist, osteosarcoma, haemangiosarcoma, gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV), chylothorax, lung lobe torsion and GOLPP (geriatric onset laryngeal paralysis polyneuropathy).

One study focuses on the breed's heart: a retrospective study of 152 Borzoi from 14 US centres commonly found trace or mild atrioventricular valve insufficiency in these dogs and reported that ventricular arrhythmias and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM, 13 dogs) may develop. The dogs were referred to cardiologists (most, 52%, for pre-breeding screening), and the authors state that no data exist to define the overall prevalence of cardiac disease in the breed. Arrhythmias were found in 25 of 131 dogs (19%), and a sudden-death outcome was reported in 3 of 55 dogs with long-term data (5%). The authors caution that most dogs came from teaching hospitals and all were from the United States, so results may not apply more widely.

Bloat and anaesthesia

According to the Merck Veterinary Manual, gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV) is an acute, life-threatening condition requiring immediate medical and surgical intervention; among proven risk factors Merck lists deep/narrow thoracic conformation and a first-degree relative with GDV. The FCI standard describes the Borzoi chest as deep but not narrow, so Merck's factor cannot be applied to the breed directly; the BCOA nevertheless lists GDV among its areas of concern, so it is sensible to discuss prevention with a vet.

The veterinary reference Clinician's Brief (2012) states that most breeds have no true sensitivities to anaesthetics, but that sighthounds (particularly the Greyhound) have genetic factors that make them metabolise drugs differently and more slowly than the average dog; for the Borzoi, the BCOA writes that, like other sighthounds, it is more sensitive to anaesthesia and recommends mentioning this to your vet; the protocol is the vet's decision.

How long does a Borzoi live?

There is no single lifespan figure for the Borzoi. The BCOA says a healthy dog with proper care can live to 9 or 10 years, and many live to 12–14. A 2004 British Kennel Club/BSAVA survey recorded a median age at death of 9 years 1 month across 87 reported deaths (oldest dog 14 years 3 months; median for all dogs in the survey 11 years 3 months), and its authors warn of a low response rate. The British Kennel Club's breed page gives a lifespan of "over 10 years". We therefore use about 9–12 years as an orientation; it is our estimate from these sources, not an official figure.

Borzoi, Greyhound, Afghan Hound and Saluki compared

The Borzoi differs from the Greyhound by its long silky coat and greater height, and from the Afghan Hound and Saluki by height, coat and origin. The FCI places the Borzoi, Afghan Hound and Saluki in Section 1 (long-haired or fringed sighthounds) and the Greyhound in Section 3 (short-haired sighthounds). Desirable height at the withers: Borzoi 75–85 cm (males) and 68–78 cm (females), Greyhound 71–76 and 68–71 cm, Afghan Hound 68–74 and 63–69 cm, Saluki 58–71 cm on average.

The coat is fine and close in the Greyhound, long and very fine with a silky top-knot in the Afghan Hound, smooth with feathering on the legs in the Saluki (a smooth variety without feathering also exists), and long, silky, wavy or curly with a frill in the Borzoi. Origins differ: Russia, Great Britain, Afghanistan and the Middle East. The standards stress reserve towards strangers in the Saluki, dignity in the Afghan Hound, gentleness in the Greyhound and calm in the Borzoi.

What to ask a breeder

Ask for the health-test results of both parents: the BCOA lists the SOD1A DNA test, the CAER eye exam, an echocardiogram and a thyroid test; because there are no screening tests for GDV and cancer, it is also sensible to ask about the health history of relatives. The BCOA tests are American recommendations; we have not checked their availability in Slovenia or Croatia. The club advises visiting the breeder, meeting the parents and relatives and avoiding pet shops; it is also sensible to ask how puppies are socialised and what the contract covers. The FCI standard states that only functionally and clinically healthy dogs of breed-typical conformation should be used for breeding. In Slovenia, the breeding regulations of the Sighthound Club for FCI Group 10 breeds set a minimum age of 18 months for a breeding assessment (larger breeds) and state that hip X-rays are not yet mandatory, so ask for extra tests as voluntary ones. Browse dog breeders in the breeders directory.

Who suits a Borzoi, and who does not

A Borzoi suits a keeper who values a calm, elegant and somewhat independent character, has a fenced garden or access to safe running, is prepared to brush regularly and has realistic expectations about recall. A first-time owner can manage if ready for patient training of an independent dog and for supervision because of the chase instinct. It suits less anyone who wants a dog that can reliably be let off the lead anywhere, a family with small children and no constant supervision, or a household with small animals that run away.

Pros & cons