Borzoi

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"In the face of an animal that does not speak, there is a discourse that only a wise spirit is able to understand!"
Indian Proverb

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THE BORZOI

In the past, the Borzoi used its resistance to pursue wolves, hares and other female prisoners in Russian plains. Currently, however, the biggest activity of a Borzoi is to be a gracious and gentile company, one “little dog of giant esteem” and a “cushion of sofa”.

The Borzoi is a docile, loving, quiet company and a held good member of the house, full of affection. It is not to be asking for attention, normally, contents itself in lying down itself in a soft bed for dogs or the sofa, if he will not be being observed occasionally, it leaves its place for affections and affections.

This natural calm can be confused by that they are accustomed with more active and agitated races, but this does not want to say that the Borzoi is fearful.

The calm temperament and candy make of the Borzoi a good therapeutic dog and many are found making the patrol in infirmaries and hospitals. Some Borzois can be shy or fearful; even so an appropriate socialization of the foundlings can help to prevent problems.

The Borzois is excellent with children, even so is necessary cares with that they can hurt not intentionally. This is not an ideal dog to play and to run with the children, therefore it prefers to keep in the distance and it is not to return the toys.

It does not serve as guard dog but, occasionally, it can bark in alarm to protect its territory. Size of race and its propensity “to smile” (a submission gesture where the dog moves away the lips and shows teeth), finishes for moving away the strangers.

The Borzoi appreciates the company of other dogs, preferential Greyhounds and is happier if they will not be the only dogs of the house. The race is not good with cats and small “soft” dogs, unless they have grown together, but exactly thus, the owners must be intent. The males less tends to be “joking” of what the females and are the best choice if small animals will be for close.

In contrast of what it says the popular belief, the Borzoi is intelligent, but not necessarily in the way that you would like. It can learn to rummage the garbage, to open gates and until doors. It is obedient, learns the basic one, but it can be discouraged will have submitted the repetitions that demand it perfection.

Had to its size and speed, it must be taught to the Borzoi basic commands of obedience and good ways. Of docile temperament, the dog does not have to be reprehended aggressively; it will not go to forget this with easiness. Training with positive motivation is indicated and efficient for the Borzoi.

HISTORIC

The Borzoi, known in the antiquity as Wolfhound Russo, was created for the nobility, however, the abolition of the servitude in 1861 modified the social customs of the Russian people.

All the Greyhounds have a long history and the Borzoi is not exception. The first mention on a Russian dog of hunting appeared in middle of century XIII, even so this is a reference of hunting to the hare and not to the wolf, that is the type of common hunting to the Borzois. Two varieties of Borzois predominated: the high one and of for short, with colors soft, normally beige and white or as tiger skin and the white one, considered oldest and probably next to the Greyhound and other lesser, lean and longer type being, of dark and more resistant color physically. The dogs of dark or black fur disliked the Russian nobility; they were easily sighted in the snow.

Old artistic registers exist as the paintings of hunting of the Cathedral of Saint Sofia, in the Kievs, dated of century XI. These paintings very show to similar dogs to the Borzoi pursuing deer and boars (wild boars), making to seem that the Greyhounds of longs and clusters fur ones already existed very before the first written references.

The Borzoi was introduced in England in the end of century XIV for the Duchess of Newcastle. It imported the Perchino celebrity and its proper brother, Argos, winner of the medal of silver of Moscow in 1892. Argos became champion, as much in England as in U.S.A. The Duchess nominated its kennel as “Notts”. In little time, it already has about 100 dogs and was famous as creative and female judge. The kennel of the Queen Alexandra of England, in Sandingham, also contributed for the popularity of the Borzoi. The Queen gained innumerable dogs of gift of the Russian Czar. Alex and Ajax had been its more famous dogs.

At that time, the Borzois of England, that still if they seemed very the dogs of the Russia, was discriminated by Russian creators, mainly due to inevitable consanguinity that occurred since the introduction of the laws of the forty days, but also because, for the Russians, the main criterion was the ability in pursuing and abating the canine tooth and not its beauty.

Little has been made to give to these dogs the possibility to pursue artificial canine tooth, therefore to see them to run with its transport and speed makes an impression for the beauty of the movements. It's thick and wavy fur, the elegance and harmony of its lines, had created a dog of formidable appearance.

CARE

As the Borzoi is made to run, it must have an area where he can exercise itself, to strain the legs to satisfy its necessity to gallop and to keep it with good musculature. Without this, a Borzoi young will not develop itself in right way.

When a Borzoi observes something that it interprets as hunting, nothing hinders it of its persecution, therefore the owners must keep it in the dog’s collar or have the redoubled attention.

The Borzoi changes its thick hereby in the spring, followed for a small exchange to each autumn. During these periods, the daily brush helps to prevent the formation of us, becoming the cleanness of the house calmest. In the remain of the year the dog must be brushed two or three times per week. The time of daily for to brush must be around five minutes, that can prevent entangled and us.

A lean dog as the necessary Borzoi of a soft bed, of the opposite will go to choose sofas, beds or armchairs to lodge itself.

The Borzois generally is very healthful dogs. It's bigger problem is the “Syndrome of the Gastric Twist”, a very common occurrence to all the races of great transport. This syndrome is mortal and requires well-taken care of immediate doctors. Registers of cancer in the bones exist, even so either less frequent.

Problems in the eyes (gradual atrophy of the retina), problems in the heart and hypothyroidism can occur occasionally. A genetic cause for these illnesses exists, therefore always a youngling asks to the creators on them choosing. The common thigh problems in all the races of great transport is practically inexistent in the Borzoi.

The teeth of the Borzoi accumulate more tartar of what some other races and must be brushed daily to prevent badly odor in the mouth and other problems.

GENERAL APPEARANCE - dog of aristocratic appearance, great constitution, at the same time dries and robust, of construction slightly prolonged. The females are generally longer than the males. Strong, but not massive Skeleton. The bones are sufficiently plain. Dry Muscular parts, developed well, especially on the thighs, but without relief. The harmony of the forms and the movement is primordial.

IMPORTANT RATIOS - in the males, the height in withers is equal or slightly superior to the height of the crapper to the ground.

- in the females, these heights are equal.

- the height of withers must slightly be inferior to the length of the body.

- the height of the chest is about equal to the half of the height in withers.

- the length of the snout, of stop to the extremity of truffle (prolongation of the nose) is equal or slightly superior to the length of the skull, of the occipital to stop.

TEMPERAMENT/BEHAVIOR - in its daily life, borzoi has a calm and balanced characteristic. Sighting the hunting, it if it excites brusquely. It possesses a look penetrating, capable to see very far. Its reaction is impetuous.

PELAGE

Skin - flexible and elastic.

For - silky, soft and the flexible one, waved or forming short clusters. In the head, in the ears and the members, by it is calendared it (silky, however more weighed), short, seated well on the body. In the body, for it sufficiently long and it is waved. In the region of the spikes and the cropper, it form finer clusters; in the laterals and on the thighs, for it he is shorter. For that they form the fringes, breeches and the plume of the tail are longer.

COLOR - combination of all the colors less with the blue one, the brown (chocolate) and all the derivatives of these colors. All the separate colors can be uniforms or in spots on the deep white. The fringes, breeches and the tail in plume form are considerably clearer of what the color of deep. For the coal colors, the black mask is typical.

SIZE - the height in withers ideal: the 29,53 – 33,46 inches for the males and the 26,77 – 30,71 inches for the females. In the males, the height in withers is equal or only superior to the height of the cropper to the ground. In the females, this height is equal. The dogs whose size exceeds the most height are admitted to the condition that the typical morphology is preserved.

HEAD - long and narrow, in set showing nobility.

Skull - narrow. From above visa, prolonged of oval form; visa of profile, almost plain.

The most beautiful dogs of the planet.