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Dog Articles
Past and Present: Borzoi or Russian Wolfhound
Those who
proclaim the Russian Wolfhound, or Borzoi, the most wonderful dog in
the world have strong grounds for their opinion. Of great size, a
marvelous silky coat not long enough to hide his graceful lines,
speed almost equal to a Greyhound's, strength almost equal to that
of an Irish Wolf dog, and with long, muscular jaws, like a
grizzly-bear trap, it is no wonder that he is such a favorite, and
that beautiful women are so proud of his company.
But the
gods always withhold something even from those whom they favor most,
and the Borzois we have seen appeared to lack both the keen
intelligence and the frank expression characteristic of their
British cousins.
We know
that the champions of the breed will differ from us in this, but the
fact remains that the form of the Russian dog's head leaves little
room for brains.
In Russia
these hounds are used in wolf-hunting. The wolves are first driven
out of the woods by smaller dogs or by beaters, and when a wolf
comes into the open two or three Borzois, well- matched as to speed
and courage, are unleashed and sent after him.
They are
trained to seize the wolf, one on each side, just behind the ears,
and they should do this both at the same moment, so that their
antagonist cannot use his formidable teeth on either of them. They
hold their quarry until the huntsman arrives, leaps from his horse,
and either dispatches the wolf with a knife or muzzles him and
carries him off to be used in training young dogs in a large, railed
inclosure made on purpose.
This
handsome animal should be of extreme slenderness of head, leg, and
waist; narrow through the shoulders, but very deep in the chest.
Pasterns and hocks well let down, and, like the Greyhound and
Whippet, the Borzoi should have the back strongly arched or reached
to give play to the enormous unbending spring. The legs are
straighter than in the Greyhound, especially at the stifle.
Color is
not a cardinal feature, as in Russia at least the Borzoi is really
used for wolf-hunting and the color is unimportant. Here and
in England, however, where they are kept solely for their graceful
beauty, those in which white predominates, with head and flank
markings of lemon, bay, brown, or black, are favorites.
The head
should be extremely slender and narrow, the coat deep, silky, and
nearly straight, the eyes full and round. Indeed, the eyes of the
best dogs look rather flat and scared to one who sees them for the
first time. In spite of his slender, rather obsequious, appearance,
the Borzoi is a serious opponent when in trouble. Woolly hair,
bent pasterns, straight back, ‘cow hocks’. and a gaily carried tail
are all defects to be avoided.
Source:
National Geographic 1919
Recommended Reading
Dog Training
Mastery - An Owners' Manual
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