All About
Borzoi

For those who are looking for a polite, quiet, dignified companion dog, a Borzoi is the perfect choice. Rowdy as puppies, once Borzoi reach adulthood, their personality is often compared to that of a cat. While they love affection, Borzoi can entertain themselves (constructively), and do not require constant supervision. They don't bark much and are so light on their feet that you can't even hear them coming across a wooden floor.

Borzoi tend to eat less than one might assume for their size. Borzoi puppies consume more food than adults due to their rapid growth. The Borzoi should do well on a high-quality dog food, whether commercially manufactured or home-prepared with your veterinarian’s supervision and approval. Any diet should be appropriate to the dog’s age (puppy, adult, or senior).

Because of the risk of bloat, strenuous exercise is not recommended before or after feeding time. Some dogs are prone to getting overweight, so watch your dog’s calorie consumption and weight level. Treats can be an important aid in training, but giving too many can cause obesity. Learn about which human foods are safe for dogs, and which are not. Check with your vet if you have any concerns about your dog’s weight or diet. Clean, fresh water should be available at all times.

Like any long-coated dog, the Borzoi will shed a bit. In general, a quick brushing every day or two with a pin brush, slicker brush, and/or a comb will remove any loose hair and dirt from the coat. About once a year the Borzoi will shed more heavily for several weeks, and during this shedding season more frequent grooming is needed. Regular baths keep the Borzoi clean and looking his best. As with all breeds, the Borzoi’s nails should be trimmed regularly.

Borzoi are housedogs, and they like their comforts. Expect to share the furniture with them or to provide them with cozy beds throughout the house where they can rest their bones. Some do best in a home with a yard, while others are fine simply being walked every day. If you are considering a Borzoi for an apartment or condo, however, take into account whether you'll need to carry the dog up and down the stairs if he's ever sick or injured and can't manage them on his own.Borzoi are not generally high-energy dogs, but activity levels vary among individuals. Some will exercise themselves if turned out into a yard while others are lazy and must be taken for a walk. Most Borzoi will be satisfied with a 20-minute walk daily and the occasional opportunity to run full out in a safely fenced area.Walks on leash or playtime in a safely fenced area are musts for this breed. The Borzoi is a sighthound, born to chase, and he'll go after anything that's moving, even if that means running in front of a truck. And you definitely won't be able to catch him once he takes off. An underground electronic fence will not contain a Borzoi. The desire to chase a moving object will always overcome the threat of a momentary shock.Like all hounds with a hunting heritage, Borzoi have minds of their own, which doesn't make training easy. People who don't understand the Borzoi mind may label them stubborn or dumb. They're stubborn, all right, but they're not dumb. They're just debating whether they want to do what you've asked and if so, what's in it for them. They quickly become bored with repetition, so keep training sessions short, fun, and interesting. Constant positive reinforcement is the key to successfully training a Borzoi. Training through intimidation will never work.Borzoi should not be difficult to housetrain. Crate training is recommended, not only as an aid to housetraining, but also to protect your belongings and prevent your Borzoi puppy from getting into trouble when you're not around to supervise. When introduced properly, Borzoi become very fond of their crate and will often spend time in it on their own. Be sure to provide padding to protect their bony body. A good crate size for an adult Borzoi is 26 inches wide by 36 inches high by 48 inches long.Borzoi puppies are slow to mature, so don't expect puppy destructiveness to disappear any time soon. You can alleviate it by providing your Borzoi with plenty of exercise and companionship.

Major concerns: gastric torsion
Minor concerns: none
Occasionally seen: none
Suggested tests: none
Life span: 10-12 years
Note: sensitive to anesthesia

Once known as the Russian Wolfhound, the Borzoi's written history can be traced to 1650, when the first standard for the breed was written in his homeland, Russia. Bred for hundreds of years by Russian nobles, the Borzoi is believed to have been developed from the early Russian bearhound, the coursing hounds of the Tatars, and the Owtchar, a tall sheepdog.The hunts of the nobles were quite the spectacle. They might involve more than one hundred Borzoi, hunted in trios of one female and two males, as well as an equal number of foxhounds, which were used to seek and flush the prey. When the wolf was sighted, the huntsmen released their dogs to capture, pin, and hold it. After they ceremoniously bound and gagged the wolf, the huntsmen sometimes set it free to be hunted again another day. These lavish hunting expeditions were common until 1861, when the serfs were emancipated and the nobles could no longer rely on an unlimited work force.By 1873, few Borzoi remained, alarming those who admired the breed's beauty and speed. Russian fanciers created the Imperial Association to protect and promote the breed's characteristics, and the bloodlines of many Borzoi in America can be traced to dogs from the kennels of Imperial Association members. The association's members included Grand Duke Nicholas, the uncle of Czar Nicholas II, and Artem Boldareff, a wealthy landowner.Sadly, this association with the aristocracy was lethal. Many Borzoi were slaughtered after the Russian Revolution in 1918 because of it. The breed was saved only because many had been given as gifts to royals in other countries, including Queen Victoria and Alexandra, Princess of Wales, or had been imported by people interested in the breed.The first Borzoi known to be imported to the United States was named Elsie, purchased from Britain by a Pennsylvania man named William Wade. Poor Elsie wasn't much to look at apparently, being described as "small, light, and weedy." Another American, C. Steadman Hanks, visited Russia in the 1890s and imported Borzoi directly from their homeland to establish his Seacroft Kennels.The first Borzoi registered with the American Kennel Club was Princess Irma in 1891. In 1903, Joseph B. Thomas contributed to the establishment of the breed in America by making three trips to Russia to purchase dogs from the Perchino Kennel of Grand Duke Nicholas and the Woronzova Kennel of Artem Boldareff. The Borzoi Club of America, then known as the Russian Wolfhound Club of America, was formed that same year.In 1936, the breed name was changed from Russian Wolfhound to Borzoi. Today, there is little difference between the Borzoi in your living room and his forebears in Mother Russia. He remains the same tall and glamorous sighthound that was one of the great treasures of Czarist Russia.The Borzoi ranks 96th among the 155 breeds and varieties registered by the AKC.