The Borzoi is a Russian greyhound. In Russia, therefore, it is called ,,Psovaja borzaja”, which means nimble or fast. In addition, it is one of the large breeds of dogs.
If you have the necessary time and motivation that a borzoi demands and you like to move a lot, you will have a lot of fun with this sensitive obedient dog breed!
Males reach a height at withers of over 80cm and females about 75cm. Despite their impressive size, the dogs are very slim. The weight is just about 25-47Kg. The back of the dogs is arched and the chest is very deep, while the belly is tucked up. The legs are very muscular.
Due to its balanced proportions and its elegant and harmonious movement, the Borzoi has a very noble appearance.
Also striking are its incomparable coat and the variety of its colors.
Borzoi hair is silky, soft and smooth. It is particularly long on the ribs, forequarters, hindquarters and flanks. The fur on the head, ears and limbs, on the other hand, is shorter and lies close to the body. The structure of the hair is wavy to curly.
In addition, almost any color is allowed in breeding, but never blue or brown. Often the coat is plain or checked, with the “feathers” on the legs and tail often lighter than the base color. Also, when breeding, note that the nose and lips are black.
The Borzoi’s head is very narrow, which also contributes to its noble appearance. The ears are folded backwards. The head is supported by a long neck.
The life expectancy of the Borzoi is 10 – 14 years.
The impressive appearance also makes the borzoi a popular art subject. There are numerous paintings, ceramic – porcelain sculptures depicting the breed dog.
The personality of the Borzoi is characterized by contrasts. So he can be both calm and energetic, he wants to be independent but at the same time he wants to be able to join, he is headstrong but also friendly looking for a partner and he seeks freedom but also comes back voluntarily when called. And if it doesn’t work the first time, it will the second.
Well socialized in puppy – and young dog age, he becomes a friendly and reliable companion for his master or mistress. To the people he lives, he is very affectionate and loyal.
However, the borzoi is very shy towards strangers. That is precisely why it is important that he is accustomed to humans from an early age. The same applies to dealing with other animal conspecifics. Again, it is important that the borzoi is slowly introduced to other dogs or even other animals. If this is successful, there should be no dominance problems later.
The Borzoi is a thoroughbred sighthound and hunting dog. Thus, he has a great need to run and to be occupied. It is important that he is allowed to live out this need, so that the positive character traits of the Borzoi can come to the fore. If you exercise regularly with the Borzoi and he gets his exercise, then you can also keep this dog breed very well as a family dog. As endurance sports, jogging or inline skating together are very suitable. But besides the racetracks, Borzoi also loves it when he can relax next to you on the couch.
The borzoi’s upbringing is also easy due to its friendly and people-oriented nature. The borzoi is considered to be docile, loyal and balanced, despite its strong hunting instinct and self-confidence. So he can even be trained as a companion dog, if you have the patience for it. The most important thing is that you accept the borzoi and his personality, only then he will also accept and obey you.
The borzoi is a carnivore. Therefore, make sure that the food of your four-legged friend consists of a large part of meat. However, it should not consist exclusively of meat, vegetables and some side dish such as rice or potatoes are also essential for a quality diet. This is the only way to provide your dog with sufficient nutrients. However, you should leave out grain and sugar when feeding.
In addition, it is important that you always adapt the food individually to your four-legged friend. This means that a senior dog needs different food than a puppy.
Because of its size, the Borzoi, like all large dog breeds, is prone to gastric distention. Therefore, make sure that your dog gets rest after eating and avoids any form of exertion.
When grooming, make sure that you brush your four-legged friend’s fine and long coat regularly. Brushing the borzoi once a week is not enough. It’s best to brush the coat daily to keep it looking groomed.
You should also regularly check and clean the ears, claws and teeth.
The roots of the Borzoi go back a long way. There are gene analyses that prove that the Russian Borzoi is related to the Greyhound and the Irish Wolfhound. Already thousands of years ago, these ancient sighthounds were bred by the Celts.
In Russia, the borzoi has been known and loved since the 13th to 15th centuries. The borzoi was used even then by princes and tsars to hunt foxes, hares, wolves and even big game. But not only as a hunting dog the Borzoi was already appreciated at that time, but also as a family dog.
The Borzoi was then bred by princes and tsars in kennels with up to 500 dogs. However, there was no uniform breed standard at that time. The breed standard was created only towards the end of the 19th century. It is known that today’s borzoi was bred from about 10 different strokes.
The Russian Revolution made it difficult to breed the Borzoi in its native Russia, but the dog breeds became more and more established in other European countries, such as England. Since 1956 the Borzoi is officially recognized by the FCI.
If you have the necessary time and motivation that a borzoi demands and you like to move a lot, you will have a lot of fun with this sensitive obedient dog breed!
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