130 BRITISH DOGS 



couples on a wolf, and judging takes place on the performance of 

 the brace let loose on the wolf. The whole merit of the course is 

 where the two hounds can overtake their wolf and pin him down so 

 that the keeper can secure him alive. It means, therefore, that if in 

 a brace one dog should prove faster and stronger than the other, he 

 would not add any more points to the score, as he would be working 

 alone, and alone would be quite incapable of tackling a wolf. In 

 order to win, one has to have two good dogs as equal as possible, 

 but of course at the same time fast and powerful. Of late it is 

 a very, very rare occurrence for any brace of Borzois to succeed in 

 holding a wolf at all. 



Some of the first specimens imported were not all that could be 

 desired as regards temper, and people fought shy of the breed as 

 " vicious." " One swallow does not make a summer," neither do 

 two or three ill-tempered dogs constitute a breed a " vicious " one. 

 That idea is now, however, happily exploded, and it may truthfully be 

 said that the writer has never possessed a " vicious " Borzoi, and he 

 can only remember seeing two that could fairly be described as 

 such. On the contrary, a Borzoi properly reared not dragged up, 

 chained to a kennel, a method of procedure warranted to spoil the 

 temper of any dog invariably turns out an affectionate and 

 intelligent dog, devoted to those he knows. At the same time, the 

 nervous system in the Borzoi appears (whether from inbreeding or 

 other causes it is impossible to say) to be very highly developed, 

 and a puppy's temper may easily be ruined by any undue harshness. 

 A highly bred Borzoi puppy is a mass of nerves, and if beaten, 

 either becomes a miserable, cowed brute or a snappy, bad- 

 tempered one, and the same applies in a lesser degree to the adult 

 hound. There is probably no breed of dog less quarrelsome than 

 the Borzoi. In the writer's kennel there are invariably a large 

 number running loose together, both dogs and bitches, and kennel 

 fights are few and far between. If attacked, however, their strength 

 of jaw and rapidity of movement make them very unpleasant 

 antagonists. Bitches, as a rule, are more inclined to quarrel than 

 dogs. 



The Borzoi makes an excellent house-dog, taking up little room, 

 in spite of his size. He is a thorough aristocrat, quiet and dignified 

 in his manner, never rushing about to the detriment of the " house- 

 hold gods," and seldom given to unnecessary barking. In fact he is, 

 as the advertisements say, "an ornament fit for any nobleman's 

 drawing-room." 



In constitution the Borzoi is hardy, and may safely be kept in 

 any good outdoor kennel or stable, provided his quarters are dry, 

 and a plentiful supply of straw be allowed in winter. The colder the 

 weather, the better the dogs seem to like it. Damp, of course, must 

 be avoided. 



