myriorama, Flickr
Personality: A most un-doglike dog, the borzoi (aka the Russian wolfhound) is often described instead as "catlike," even though it is one of the larger, stronger and speedier breeds of dog. The American Kennel Club emphasizes the borzoi's "independent and undemanding nature," and the National Borzoi Rescue Foundation echoes the sentiments of many who describe the rarely-barking breed "quiet," "well-behaved" and "an outstanding companion."
Grooming: Another way borzoi exhibit more feline than canine tendencies: They're very good at keeping themselves "quite clean," according to the Dog Breed Info Center. The National Borzoi Rescue Foundation recommends "occasional shampooing and a weekly brushing." As the breed is legendary for its silken, showstopping fur, any proud borzoi owner should take whatever steps are needed to insure an appealing appearance.
Common Health Issues: According to DoggedHealth, the common potential health problems for a borzoi are cataracts, hip dysplasia, bloat, hypothyroidism, progressive retinal atrophy, Von Willebrand's Disease and Wobbler Syndrome. All but the last two are common to most breeds as they reach old age. Von Willebrand's, which also presents in humans, is a bleeding disorder. Wobbler Syndrome tends to occur in larger dog breeds due to spinal cord compression.
Training Tips: The borzoi ranks in the bottom five of psychologist Stanley Coren's infamous ranking of breeds by intelligence, published in "The Intelligence of Dogs." It's been said that a borzoi needs to hear a command repeated a whopping 80 to 100 times before it "gets" it. On top of this, Dog Breed Info Center notes that, since borzoi are hounds, they're "more free-thinking, and less willing to please humans than some breeds." However, plenty of reliable sources do insist that training a borzoi can be both productive and pleasurable. The National Borzoi Rescue Foundation says, "Most borzoi are eager to please their owners and rarely need to be punished; a stern 'No' is usually sufficient." If you want to hire a trainer to work one-on-one with your borzoi, the National Borzoi Rescue Foundation suggests finding one with experience in training sighthounds, i.e. hounds who hunt with their eyes, not their noses.
Best Owner/Animal Match: The National Borzoi Rescue Foundation says, "Although an outstanding companion, the breed's size and speed may make ownership a greater than average responsibility." The American Kennel Club insists, "Even though the borzoi is large, the breed makes a great house pet." The breed gets along only "fairly well" with children, according to the Dog Breed Info Center, as its delicate sensibilities mean it's not interested in juvenile roughhousing. Yet once it's outdoors, it can take off after a target with great speed and complete disregard for the owner at the other end of its leash. Both patience and strength are good qualities in a borzoi owner.
What Borzoi Owners Say: Shelby Kibodeaux of Houston, Texas, one of Paw Nation's Facebook friends, tells why she's a fan of borzois in just three words: "Loyalty beyond words!"
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We have a cat that thinks she's a dog. lol
We have a cat who thinks she is a lion. At least until the doorbell rings.
It also seems to me that Rose Martelli has never been owned by a cat...nor a Borzoi.
Oh, well, keep trying, Rose.
I have owned Borzoi for over 30 years. During that time I have put several obedience titles on them. They are an extremely intelligent breed, but they have a mind of their own (they are thinkers) and are not always the easiest dogs to train. Health problems in most lines of the breed are relatively rare. Dogs in my line usually live to 14+ years.
I've owned Borzoi for over 22 years. Before that I had a collie, Belgium Terverun, Golden Retriever and several Corgis. The Borzoi are every bit as smart as any dog I've owned. The problem with idiots like Stanley Coren is that they base intelligence on TRAINABILITY. Borzoi are incredibly intelligent dogs but their lives don't revolve around trying to please a person 24/7. .That doesn't mean they won't adore and love you but doing repetitive things is boring to them. In my book that makes them pretty smart as opposed to a slavish dog with no mind of their own. Sighthounds aren't for everyone but for those that understand and appreciate them, they have a connection to your soul like no other.
MJP - You had me until iyou called someone an idiot. Not very nice, buddy.
lol....a lot of people consider Stanley Coren an idiot! Borzoi can be trained, but they're not circus animals....they're hunters. Watch three of them hunt and decide how intelligent they are.
I've owned 2 greyhounds(sight hounds also)what a BLAST! ADOPT ONE TODAY! They are the laziest dogs, but say OUT or CAR and GET OUT OF THE WAY!!!!! I miss my babies including Kelly, not a grey, but a loving mixed belgium shep. RIP children!
Maybe they seem lazy because they are bored. If they were lazy they wouldn't be so eager to go out.
woof meow, sounds like a cadbury commercial.
My cat acts more like a dog than my dog does.
He follows me around, plays, begs for food and actually comes when he is called. (By name, not just "here kitty, kitty")
I think he thinks he is a dog.
i may be wrong but are these wolf hounds actually part wolf or are they a russion wolf? I have a wolf that lives with me. i say it that way because he is not at my beck and call. wolves are problem solvers they are not like dogs in many waus. a dog will chew open an object that is inside, a wolf will take the lid off that object. dogs are actually more agressive than a wolf.from the picture in the article i see a lot of wolf features in this dog, and it appears to be howling. yes the wolf i have is tame and he is very affectionate, and he is protective especially with the grand babie's. anyway i am getting off the subject, i was wondering about their ancestry. if their intelligence level is anything like a wolf's it is tremendous. definately a pleasure to match witts with, in play or any thing else they may do.
No, they are not a wolf, or part wolf. They are called Wolfhounds, because their original job was coursing wolves. Coursing means to chase with speed, and capture the prey.
It almost sounds like an Akita, which is what this article sounded like it was describing, to me. Exceedingly intelligent, and definitely Not a regular "dog & master" relationship... They require a very strong owner/pack-leader, and you have to "come to an agreement" with them. As a several-time Akita owner, this Russian Wolfhound breed sounds like something very worthwhile investigating for next time.
Our Borzoi is very intelligent, but as previously noted other posters, she uses her intelligence for things she's interested in and not necessarily what I am interested in. Not that she is mean or grumpy about it. She's a princess, and an interesting mix of royalty and beauty, and extremely easy to get along with. She smiles when she is happy or amused.
Yes, our Labrador learns what we want quicker than our Borzoi, but when it comes to thinking things out and displaying cleverness, the Borzoi out-thinks the Lab every time.
Borzoi are not part wolf, btw. They were used to course down (hunt) wolves. So Wolfhounds hunted wolves, Otterhounds hunted otters, Deerhounds hunted deer, and Foxhounds hunted foxes.
If you decide you'd like a Borzoi, be prepared to wait for a puppy or adult. I waited 3 1/2 years for mine who came from lines like the other poster mentioned where they were cleared for hip, eye, heart, elbow, and eye disorders. They also came from dual-purpose showing and coursing lines.
I am going to try obedience and rally dog with her. Wish me luck--it should be fun.
To Deborah B.... why on earth would anyone in their right mind want to own a wolf? With all of the hundreds of thousands of homeless dogs in this country (most of which end up being euthanized), couldn't you find one to suit you? Wild is wild, no matter how much intelligence, protectiveness or "training" you think the animal has. That wildness factor may come back to bite you in the a * * some day.
LOL, What do you expect from someone who doesn't have the intelligence to use proper capitalization and grammar? Borzoi's are one of the coolest breeds ever. They were practically worshipped during the Art Deco period. Used in many art forms: especially paintings and statuary. They are truly beautiful!
As an owner and breeder of show and performance Borzoi for over 25 years, this article posted by Rose Martelli contains alot of misinformation as well as quotes from the National Borzoi Rescue Foundation that were not authorized by NBRF. COMMON Health issues DO NOT include hip dysplasia, Von Willebrand's Disease and Wobbler Syndrome. These are very rare or completely non-existent in the breed and most certainly do not fall into the category of Common Health issues. As far as Stanley Coren's rating, it comes from ignorance of the breed. Borzoi are smarter in the non-standard, sit, stay, come, ways. Borzoi are a very intelligent breed. To the poster who thinks these dogs are wolves, Borzoi ARE NOT WOLVES.