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About the Borzoi Russian Hunting Sighthound

Origin: Russian Federation
FCI status
Recognised by FCI
FCI group
Sighthounds
Origin
Russian Federation
Also called
Borzoi Lebrel Ruso Para la Caza
Known hereditary risks
Not researched yet

About

What the breed standard says

Bred for
Hunting sighthound, racing and coursing hound. Borzoi is a hunting sighthound to be used mostly for chasing hare and fox, less for wolf hunting. Combines high agility with endurance and the ability to tackle a game deftly at once. Successfully used for coursing and racing
Behaviour and temperament
“Temperament is calm; visual response is well evident. Typical gaits: before the game to be found – slow trot and even walk; in chasing the game – full gallop. The attitude towards people is neutral to friendly”

Quoted from FCI standard n°193. It describes the breed the registry recognises, not any individual animal.

Characteristics

Size
—
Exercise needs
4 of 5
Easy to train
—
Amount of shedding
—
Grooming needs
4 of 5
Good with children
—
Cost to keep
—
Tolerates being alone
—
Intelligence
—
Health of breed
Not researched yet

Pros & cons

Pros & cons for the Borzoi Russian Hunting Sighthound

What you get with the Borzoi Russian Hunting Sighthound

  • Purpose stated in the standard: “Hunting sighthound, racing and coursing hound”
  • The standard describes the breed as: “Temperament is calm; visual response is well evident. Typical gaits: before the game to be found – slow trot and even…”

What you are taking on

  • High grooming needs — the standard’s own description is “The feathering is rather long and shining.”

Drawn from sources rather than written as an opinion — cited health research, the registry’s own standard, and peer-reviewed longevity. FCI breed standard. One breeder’s animals can differ from any of it, and an empty column means we hold nothing for that side rather than that there is nothing to say.

Characteristics

FCI standard · Borzoi Russian Hunting Sighthound

Coat and colour

As the FCI standard sets it out. Every line below is the standard’s own wording.

Coat

Long, supple, silky, light, wavy or forming large curls.

Small curls are permitted.

The hair of different length on different parts of body: on the head, the ears and the interior side of the limbs the hair is very short, close lying

on the back and the neck the hair is longer and often wavy

on the outer side of thighs and the sides is shorter and may form finer curls.

The feathering is rather long and shining.

The feather is located on the neck (forming a “muff”), on the lower side of the chest and belly, on the back side of the forelegs antd thighs.

The feather is from below the tail

at the tail root the curls are usual

Colour

  • Preferred
  • Permissible
  • Undesirable
  • Disqualifying

Preferred, permissible, undesirable and disqualifying are FCI’s own words about the breed. They describe what the standard asks for — not an assessment of any individual dog, and not ours.

Base colour

White

  • pale of different shadings (red-fawn, grey-fawn, silver- fawn: pale with light-grey shading)
  • light red or light gray at the root of the hair with darker red or grey main colour
  • red with black overlay hair often combined with dark muzzle (sable)
  • grey (from ashy to yellowish-grey)
  • brindle: pale, or red, or grey main colour with dark stripes, like stria on marble
  • red
  • black
  • transitional colours between red or black.
  • All the colours may be solid, pied and with tans.
  • Typically, any colour tends to lighten up downwards.
  • Any colours from white to black in any combination are acceptable, except of brown, blue, isabella (lilac) and their shadings, i.e. dilute colours with not black nose

Shortened from FCI standard n°193 — each label is the standard’s own wording with the verdict lifted into the tag beside it. Read the full clause at source.

What the breed standard says

Size
“Desirable height at the withers: males: 75–85 cm females: 68–78 cm”
FCI distinguishes an ideal from what is permitted.

Quoted from FCI standard n°193. It describes the breed the registry recognises, not any individual animal.

What the standard penalises

What a judge marks the Borzoi Russian Hunting Sighthound down for, and what puts one out of the ring, in the registry’s own words. This describes the breed standard — it is not a checklist for the animal in front of you, and a pet with a disqualifying fault is an unshowable dog rather than an unhealthy one.

Severe faults

Marked heavily against a specimen in the ring.

  • Head coarse with loose, thick skin; pendulous lips. Seen from the profile, blunt muzzle due to the nose not prominent enough. Very pronounced stop.
  • Bleached (not dark enough) colour of nose, eyelids or lips in all colours. Partly depigmented (pink) nose, lips, eyelids (without signs of injuries).
  • Eyes small; yellow; weak-sighted; with third eyelid too much developed.
  • Absence of any teeth not mentioned under “Faults”.
  • Ears low set; not placed closely directed downwards along the nape of the neck; set wide apart; too big; thick, heavy, coarse with tough cartilage; with rounded tips.
  • The length of the body is the length of the body more than 12% or less than 3% superior to the height at the withers. Over- or undersize by more than 2 cm.
  • Neck set high or low, round in cross-section.
  • Sloping topline from well pronounced withers towards the root of the tail; pronounced roached back, straight back in males.
  • Loin narrow, short, too long (the length of the loin is comparable to the length of the back), straight. Fore arms massive, with bones round in cross-sections. Fleshy feet rounded or flat, splayed toes.
  • Belly not tucked up.
  • Tail short, thick, with no feathering.
  • Vivid flecks on the body of different colour than main colour; colour on the body not lighted up downwards.
  • Abundant coat on entire body, excessive undercoat, rough, hard, bristle coat not in shedding, lack of featherings

Disqualifying faults

Puts an animal out of the ring altogether.

  • Colour: brown (including cocoa, coffee, chocolate); blue, isabella (lilac), dilute colours with the tip of the nose other than black in colour.
  • Completely depigmented (pink) nose, eyelids, lips.
  • Eyes: of all shades of grey, green, blue; eyes of different colours.
  • Teeth: overshot or undershot; wry mouth. Uncomplete incisors if densely spaced; missing at least one canine, if not broken. Lack of correct interlock of upper and lower canines. Jaws nonlocking.
  • Legs: knuckling over. Presence of dewclaws.
  • Tail: corkscrew, broken (fused vertebrae); docked, even partially

FCI standard n°193

Breed-level information from The Dog API. It describes the Borzoi Russian Hunting Sighthound in general; any individual animal can differ.

Health guide

What to ask for in a Borzoi Russian Hunting Sighthound

No breed-specific health panel has been written up for the Borzoi Russian Hunting Sighthound on this platform yet. That is a gap in our records, not a clean bill of health — ask the breeder which hereditary conditions their lines are tested for, and ask to see the results for both parents, dated and from a named laboratory.

Gallery

No photographs yet

This is where Borzoi Russian Hunting Sighthound owners’ own photographs will go, from the pet profiles they keep here. Nobody has added one to a public page yet.

A photograph in a pet profile stays private to its owner. We will not put one here unless they ask us to.

Puppies

No puppies listed right now

No Borzoi Russian Hunting Sighthound breeder has a record on this platform yet, so there is nothing to list. That is a gap in our coverage, not a fact about the breed.

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