Borzoi

The Borzoi is a tall, aristocratic dog with a long, thin, narrow head. A slightly arched muzzle and a long, low-hanging curved tail. Heavy-necked ruff is characteristic. The nose is black and the eyes are oblong and dark. The ears lie back on the neck but may prick up partially when the dog is alert. The back is gracefully curved. The chest is narrow, but very deep. The longish silky coat may be wavy or with large curls, with a heavy mane at the neck. The colors are white, golden, tan or gray with black markings, in either solid or mixed colors.

The Borzoi is a sweet, intelligent dog. They are proud and self aware dogs that are extremely loyal to their family. They are quite affectionate with people they know well. They can be trained in obedience, but it should be remembered that they are hounds, and as such are more free-thinking, and less willing to please humans than some breeds. They are, however, very intelligent, and capable learners. But the training of this breed has to be based upon mutual respect. Borzoi are often quite cat-like, often keeping themselves quite clean. They are quiet dogs, rarely barking. Like all other sighthounds, they are very fast, and have little-to-no territorial instinct. Therefore, they cannot be trusted off leash, unless in a securely fenced area. Good with other dogs but should be supervised with small non-canine pets such as cats and rabbits. Spending time outdoors with small animals is not advised. Socialize them very well with cats and other pets at as young an age as possible, but remember the Borzoi will always be a hunter that may race after a fleeing animal. His lightening snap can kill a small animal in a second. The Borzoi is a noble dog that gets along fairly well with children, but it is not ideally suited for being a child's companion as it does not take well to rough-housing play, and prize their rest. During the growing stage, these dogs need a highly nutritional diet.