GENERAL APPEARANCE
Shoulder height: From 68cm (27”). Dogs taller.
Colour: Normally parti-coloured.
Coat: Silky, flat or wavy - short on certain parts.
Gait: Long reaching strides showing effortless power and spring.
These graceful aristocrats are the personification of elegance. The long lean narrow heads with their obliquely set eyes, are almost devoid of any stop.
The small rose shaped ears almost touch at the back of the head, but may be erect when the dog is alerted. The neck is slightly arched and reasonably long. The chest is rather narrow and the topline arches from behind the shoulders to the low set tail. The well feathered tail is carried low. The hindquarters are very well angulated and the arched toes are long.
CHARACTERISTICS AND CARE
Like other members of the sighthound family, these elegant dogs are extremely sweet and gentle. Not being aggressive or barkers, they do not make good watchdogs. Nothing makes them happier than being able to fully stretch out at a gallop, so efforts should be made to see their exercise is never neglected. They are bright and intelligent and while they might defend their owners, they are not interested in defending their property. Not being regular coat shedders, their coat needs only periodic grooming.
HISTORY
Evolved from the ancient sighthound family, this breed’s type was established in Russia where it was known as the Russian Wolfhound. The word ‘borzoi’ in Russian means swift. It was the duty of these hounds to protect heir master from wolves, to hunt and to procure food for them. The dogs were normally used in packs and were trained in pairs so that two of them would grab the wolf on each side of its neck, throw the animal to the ground and then stand over it until their masters arrived. Crosses to a long legged Russian collie could have resulted in the longer coat and increased stamina.