The Borzoi or Russian Hunting Sighthound is a Russian breed of hunting dog of the 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. is the masculine singular form of an archaic Russian adjective that means 'fast'. ('fast dog') is the basic term for sighthounds used by Russians, though is usually dropped. The name derived from the word , which means 'wavy, silky coat', just as (as in hortaya borzaya) means shorthaired. In modern Russian, the breed commonly called the Borzoi is officially known as . Other Russian sighthound breeds are (from the steppe), called ; and (from the Crimea), called .
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.
After the 1917 Revolution, the breed became associated Tsarist rule and communist revolutionaries killed Borzoi in large numbers, leading to their near-extinction in Russia. The breed survived in the West because many had previously been exported.
The Russkaya Psovaya Borzaya was definitively accepted by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale in 1956.
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. However, Borzois are capable of enjoying and performing well in competitive obedience and agility trials with sufficient training.
Coat gallery
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 anaesthesia due to a lower volume of distribution and their lean muscle mass and low body-fat percentage.
Due to their anatomy, Borzois, like other large breeds, 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.
Notes
References
Further reading
Including a translation of The Perchino Hunt by His Excellency Dmitri Walzoff (1912).