BORZOI 



and therefore all the debris should be collected and taken 

 away after a sufficient time has been allowed the dogs to 

 enjoy them. It should be remembered, too, that dogs 

 often hide a bone under the straw on their bench, and will 

 fight for its possession if one of their companions go near 

 it. (See Feeding.) 



Borzoi, or Russian wolf-hound, as he is also called, is 

 beyond a doubt one of the most beautiful of all breeds, 

 and certainly no variety of the canine race possesses 

 more illustrious patrons, as he is a favourite of Queen 

 Alexandra, of the imperial house of Russia, and of leading 

 members of the aristocracy of both countries. In general 

 appearance the borzoi somewhat resembles an elegantly 

 built, silken-coated, light-coloured deerhound, but he is 

 of an altogether more fragile formation, and his skull is 

 much narrower than that of the Scottish hound. Though 

 not by any means a brainy dog, the borzoi possesses plenty 

 of courage, and has quite sense enough to perform all the 

 work that is required of him. His duty is to follow 

 wounded wolves as they break covert, and to hold them 

 at bay until the hunters arrive upon the scene and 

 administer the coup de grace. 



The head of the borzoi is long, narrow, and refined 

 looking, flat on the top, the muzzle being long and tapering, 

 which gives the dog the appearance of being Roman-nosed 

 when he is regarded in profile. The eyes are dark, set 

 rather close together, and possess an attractive languishing 

 look, the ears being carried with the tips backwards, so as 

 to show the inteiior. The neck is long and graceful; the 

 shoulders laid well back ; the chest being narrow but excep- 

 tionally deep ; and the back muscular, of considerable 

 length, arched at the loins, which are powerful, though 

 slender. The fore-legs are long and straight, but not very 

 heavy in bone when the size of the dog is considered, the 

 feet being long, the hind-legs being nicely bent at the 

 hocks, but not so much so at the stifles as in the case of 



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