Borzoi

The Borzoi is a tall, rangy sighthound out of Russia, built to hunt by sight rather than scent. Standing well over 70 cm at the shoulder, it carries a long, elegant head, a deep but narrow chest, and a silky coat that softens its angular frame. At a walk it moves with a light, springy stride, and it needs only a few strides to hit full speed.

Indoors this is a calm, undemanding dog. It settles for long stretches and is not one for barking or pacing about. Give it open space, though, and the same dog switches on: fast, focused, and quick to lock onto anything that moves. That contrast between a placid house dog and a driven runner is what defines the breed.

The Borzoi is affectionate with people it knows and cool towards strangers. It bonds closely with its own household but is not a dog that fusses or fawns; it keeps a dignified, measured air about it. Owners often compare it to a cat in its independence and its habit of deciding for itself when to engage.

Who the Borzoi suits

This breed suits a quiet household with secure space for safe, fast running, and owners happy with a dog that is affectionate but independent rather than clingy. Solid fencing matters, because a Borzoi off the lead in open ground, whether that is a large garden, a smallholding, or the veld, may chase and simply outrun any recall. Anyone wanting a constantly demonstrative companion, or a dog reliably safe off lead around cats and small pets, will likely find this the wrong breed. Owners who want a calm, low-maintenance housemate with a serious athletic streak tend to get on well with it.

The Borzoi was developed in Russia as a sighthound for coursing game across open country. Its name comes from a Russian word meaning fast or swift, which sums up the dog's main working trait. For centuries it was tied to the Russian nobility, who kept large kennels and used the hounds to hunt hare, fox, and, in organised hunts, wolf.

Wolf coursing was a formal sport on the estates of wealthy landowners. Hounds usually worked in groups, released to chase and hold a wolf until the handlers caught up. That work produced a dog with speed over distance plus enough size and strength to tackle large quarry, while staying manageable around the people handling it.

The breed reached western Europe and North America in the late nineteenth century, valued there for its looks and its elegant way of moving. Early imports came out of Russian kennels, and English speakers sometimes called the dog the Russian Wolfhound, a name that has since given way to Borzoi.

Social and political upheaval in Russia in the early twentieth century broke up the large estate kennels that had sustained the breed. Populations established abroad helped keep the Borzoi going through that period, and today the dog continues mainly as a companion and show animal while still carrying its coursing instincts.

The Borzoi has the classic sighthound build made for speed: long legs, a deep, fairly narrow chest, a tucked-up waist, and a back that rises in a gentle arch over the loin. The head is long and lean, with a slight rise at the muzzle and dark, almond-shaped eyes that give it a calm, far-off expression. The ears are small and fold back along the neck, lifting when the dog is alert. The tail is long, set low, and carried in a smooth curve.

Coat and colours

The coat is silky in texture, ranging from flat to wavy or curly, with longer feathering on the underside, the back of the legs, and the tail. A heavier ruff often frames the neck. Almost any colour or pattern is accepted, so a single litter can turn out solid whites, golds, and reds alongside sable, brindle, and black, often broken up with white markings. For its length, the coat is only moderate work to keep, though it does shed, with a heavier blow-out once or twice a year as the seasons change.

The Borzoi carries itself with a calm, dignified temperament. Indoors it is quiet, often fairly inactive, happy to lie about for long periods, and it rarely barks without good reason. With its own family it is gentle and affectionate, though it tends not to be demonstrative and keeps a measure of reserve rather than demanding attention.

Around strangers the breed is usually polite but aloof: neither instantly friendly nor aggressive. It is not a guard dog by nature, though its size alone can put people off. With children it is generally tolerant and gentle, and does best with older kids who handle it calmly; boisterous, rough play can rattle a dog this sensitive.

The trait that defines the breed's behaviour is a strong prey drive. As a sighthound, the Borzoi is wired to chase anything that runs, and a sprinting cat, a jackal on the smallholding, or a small dog can set off a chase even in an otherwise placid individual. It usually lives peacefully alongside other large dogs, especially fellow sighthounds, but small pets need careful management around it. The breed is independent and fairly self-directed, and that shapes how it takes to training.

Grooming

• Brush the silky coat two or three times a week to stop tangles and mats forming, paying particular attention to the feathering behind the legs and on the tail.
• Step up brushing during the seasonal shed, when the coat comes out more heavily.
• Bath the dog occasionally as needed; the coat is fairly easy to keep clean between baths.
• Trim nails regularly and check the long ears and skin folds for ticks and debris, especially after a walk through long grass or bush.

Exercise

• Give it a daily walk plus the chance to run flat out in a securely fenced area.
• Let it sprint in short bursts rather than expecting sustained endurance work; this is a dog built for a fast course, not a long jog.
• Keep it on lead in open or unfenced ground, since recall goes out the window once a chase starts.
• Lure coursing, or similar sighthound activities where these are available, suits the breed's instincts well.

Home and environment

The Borzoi settles into home life as a quiet indoor companion, provided its exercise needs are met. It appreciates soft bedding to cushion its lean frame and bony points. A secure, tall fence matters, because the breed can clear a low wall or fence and will chase anything that passes, from a neighbour's cat to small buck on a smallholding. As a large but calm-indoors dog, it can manage in a smaller home if it gets enough exercise, but it must have safe outdoor space to run, and owners in tick country should check it over after time spent in long grass or bush.

The Borzoi is a large but lean dog, and its diet should keep good muscle tone over a slender frame rather than add bulk. A complete commercial diet formulated for large breeds, or a balanced diet worked out with a vet, suits most dogs. Amounts vary with age, activity level, and metabolism, and a dog that is actively coursing or working needs noticeably more than a sedentary house companion.

Like other deep-chested breeds, the Borzoi carries some risk of bloat, so feeding habits matter. Splitting the daily ration into two meals and avoiding hard exercise straight after eating are both sensible precautions.

Treats and supplements

Keep treats to a small share of daily calories so the dog stays lean. Good options include small pieces of plain cooked meat or dog-safe vegetables. Most Borzois on a complete diet need no extra supplements; discuss joint or other supplements with a vet rather than adding them as a matter of course. Make sure fresh water is available at all times, especially around exercise, given how quickly a dog can dehydrate in South African heat.

The Borzoi is, on the whole, a healthy breed with fewer inherited problems than many large dogs. Typical lifespan runs from about 9 to 14 years. The most urgent concern is gastric dilatation-volvulus, or bloat, a sudden, life-threatening condition seen in deep-chested breeds. Sighthounds, the Borzoi included, also tend to be sensitive to certain anaesthetic agents because of their low body fat, worth raising with a vet before any procedure. In much of South Africa, tick-borne biliary (canine babesiosis) is a further genuine risk, since ticks stay active across most of the year in warmer regions, and owners should know the early signs and keep tick prevention current.

Preventive care

• Keep core vaccinations and parasite prevention, including tick and biliary prevention, up to date year-round.
• Keep the dog at a lean body condition to protect the joints and heart.
• Learn the signs of bloat and have an emergency plan ready, since speed matters.
• Tell any vet about sighthound anaesthesia sensitivity before procedures.
• Book regular dental care and routine wellness checks.

The Borzoi is intelligent but independent, shaped by centuries of working at a distance from its handler. It learns quickly when it is motivated, but it does not have the eager-to-please streak of some working breeds, and it switches off during repetitive drilling. Short, varied, upbeat sessions hold its attention far better than long or forceful ones. Heavy-handed methods tend to make a sensitive Borzoi shut down rather than fall into line.

Recall is the hardest command to make solid, because the urge to chase can override anything it has learned once a fast-moving target appears. Most owners manage this with secure fencing and lead control rather than banking on perfect off-lead obedience. Early, gentle socialisation helps the breed grow into a confident, well-mannered adult.

Basics

1. Start socialisation and handling in puppyhood, exposing the dog calmly to people, places, and other animals.
2. Teach name response and attention first, rewarding it for checking in on its own.
3. Bring in sit, down, and stay through short sessions with high-value food rewards.
4. Practise lead walking early, since an adult Borzoi is large and strong.
5. Work on recall inside a fenced area, but never rely on it around running animals in open ground.

Borzois mature slowly, and breeders generally wait until a dog is fully grown and health-screened before considering a litter, often around two years old. As with dogs generally, the female comes into season about twice a year, and mating is timed to her cycle. Pregnancy runs to roughly 63 days, a little over two months.

Litter size in this breed tends to run large for a sighthound, and bigger litters place real demands on both the dam and the breeder. Newborn puppies are helpless and need warmth, frequent nursing, and a quiet whelping area. Early, gentle handling and socialisation in the first weeks help build the calm, confident temperament the breed is known for. Responsible breeding puts sound health, good structure, and stable temperament first, with attention to heart health and the breed's known sensitivities, including its reaction to certain anaesthetics. Anyone thinking about breeding should work with a vet and experienced mentors, and register litters through KUSA.

Borzoi registration and microchips in South Africa

When a Borzoi lands at an SPCA branch, the scanner comes out first, and everything then rides on what the number returns. Make sure it returns you. Register your dog free with United Pet Club and the profile answers every scan with your name and number, from now until the end of his days.

A chipped Borzoi still needs the number loaded into a registry, because the vet's job ends with the implant. Register the microchip on the free lifetime plan: any brand a local vet uses qualifies, updates stay free when you relocate between provinces, and the record answers the lookups SPCA branches run daily. Create your free account and settle both records today.