Borzoi
Russian, and it coursed wolves in pairs, one dog to each ear. It hunts silently, and over a short distance it outruns almost anything.
Photo by Томасина, CC BY-SA 3.0
Overview
The Borzoi is a Russian sighthound bred by the aristocracy to course wolves, working in pairs to hold a wolf until the hunters arrived. The name means swift. It is very large for a sighthound, up to a hundred and five pounds, with a long silky coat for the Russian winter.
After the revolution the breed nearly disappeared in Russia, since it was associated with the nobility, and it survives largely through dogs that had been exported.
Temperament
Quiet, gentle and remote. Borzoi are affectionate with their own people in an undemonstrative way and largely indifferent to everyone else.
They are sensitive and do not tolerate harsh handling at all. They are also, like all sighthounds, driven by movement: a Borzoi will course anything that runs, including cats and small dogs, and it will do so from a standing start at forty miles an hour.
Care and grooming
The silky coat needs brushing two or three times a week and more during the moult. It mats behind the ears and on the feathering.
Sighthound anaesthesia sensitivity is important here and any vet unfamiliar with the breed should be told. Bloat is a serious risk in this deep chested breed, and cardiac problems and osteosarcoma occur. Nine to fourteen years.
Living and exercise
A gallop several times a week in a securely fenced space, plus daily walks. They are sprinters, so short bursts rather than endurance.
Indoors they are famously calm and will spend most of the day asleep on the largest available sofa. Off lead in open country is not an option for this breed.
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