The Borzoi is a breed of domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris) also called the Russian Wolfhound and brought to Russia from Middle-Asian countries. Having medium-length and slightly curly hair, it is similar in shape to Greyhounds, and is a member of the sighthound family.
The system by which Russians over the ages named their sighthounds was a series of descriptive terms, not actual names. Thus the word borzoi on its own just stands for “fast” in old Russian. “Borzaya” is a female grammatic form of the word borzoi. “Psovaya” means “longhaired”, just as “Hortaya” (as in Hortaya Borzaya) means shorthaired. Other Russian sighthound breeds are e.g. “Stepnaya Borzaya” (from the steppe), called “Stepnoi” or “Krimskaya Borzaya” (from the Crimea), called “Krimskoi”.
The plural Borzois may be found in dictionaries. However, the Borzoi Club of America asserts Borzoi is the preferred form for both singular and plural. At least one manual of grammatical style rules that the breed name should not be capitalised except at the beginning of a sentence; again, breed fanciers usually differ, and capitalise it wherever found.
Appearance
Borzoi can come in almost any colour or colour combination. As a general approximation, “long-haired greyhound” is a useful description. The long top-coat is silky and quite flat, with varying degrees of waviness or curling. The soft undercoat thickens in winter or cold climates, but is shed in hot weather to prevent overheating. In its texture and distribution over the body, the Borzoi coat is unique.
The Borzoi is a large dog within the variety of sighthound, with males frequently reaching in excess of 100 pounds (45 kg) ~120 POUNDS. Males should stand at least 30 INCHES (about 80 centimetres) ~35 INCHES at the shoulder, while females shouldn’t be less than 26 inches (about 66 centimetres). Despite their size, the overall impression is of streamlining and grace, with a curvy shapeliness and compact strength.
Temperament
The Borzoi is a quiet but athletic and independent dog. Most Borzoi are almost silent, barking only very rarely. They do not have strong territorial drives and cannot be relied on to raise the alarm upon sighting a human intruder. They are gentle and highly sensitive dogs with a natural respect for humans, and as adults they are decorative couch potatoes with remarkably gracious house-manners. Borzois should never display dominance or aggression towards people. Typically however, they are rather reserved and sensitive to invasion of their personal space; this can make them nervous around children unless they are brought up with them from an early age. Despite their size they adapt very well to suburban living, provided they have a spacious yard and regular opportunities for free exercise.
The Borzoi ranks 75th out of 78 in Stanley Coren’s The Intelligence of Dogs, being of the lowest breeds in degree of working/obedience intelligence. It took Borzois at least 80-100 repetitions to understand a new command, obeying the first command less than 25% of the time.
These dogs are used to pursue, or “course”, game and have a powerful instinct to chase things that run from them. Built for speed and endurance, they can cover long distances in a very short time. A fully-fenced yard is an absolute necessity for keeping any sighthound. They are highly independent and will range far and wide without containment, and have no regard at all for road traffic. For off-lead exercise, a Borzoi needs a very large field or park, either fully fenced or well away from any roads, to ensure its safety.
Generally, Borzoi should not be territorially aggressive to other domestic dogs. Against wolves and other wild canids, they are born with specialised skills, but these are quite different from the dog-fighting instincts seen in some breeds. It is quite common for Borzoi at play to course (run down) another dog, seize it by the neck and hold it immobile. Young pups do this with their littermates, trading off as to who is the prey. It is a specific hunting behaviour, not a fighting or territorial domination behaviour.
Borzoi can be raised very successfully to live with cats and other small animals provided they are introduced to them at a young age. Some, however, will possess the hunting instinct to such a degree that they find it impossible not to chase a cat that is moving quickly. The hunting instinct is triggered by movement and much depends on how the cat behaves.
Some Borzoi do well in competitive obedience and agility trials with the right kind of training, but it is not an activity that comes naturally to them. They are selective learners who quickly become bored with repetitive, apparently pointless, activity, and they can be very stubborn when they are not properly motivated. Like other sighthounds they cannot understand or tolerate harsh treatment or training based on punishment, and will be extremely unhappy if raised voices and threats are a part of their daily life.
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