The Borzoi or Russian Wolfhound. 289 



A correspondent, writing to the Field in 1887, 

 gives the following description of the Borzoi, and it 

 is so applicable to him at the present time as to be 

 worth reproducing here. He says this Russian hound 

 '' Is one of the noblest of all dogs, and in his own 

 land he is considered the very noblest, and valued 

 accordingly. Like all things noble that are genuine, 

 he is rare ; and, like many other highly-bred crea- 

 tures, the genuine Borzoi is, from in-breeding, 

 becoming rarer every year. By crossing, however, 

 with the deerhound and other suitable breeds, the 

 race will no doubt be kept alive with stained lineage. 



'' From the earliest times, the great families of 

 Russia have bred the Borzoi jealously against each 

 other for the purpose of wolf hunting, but there are 

 now few really good kennels of the breed. There 

 are, I believe, various kinds of Borzois — the smooth, 

 the short-tailed, &c. — but by far the handsomest, 

 and the only one of which I have personal know- 

 ledge, is the rough-haired, long-tailed strain. Of 

 these I have seen but very few good specimens in 

 England, and, in fact, have seen prizes given at 

 shows to very inferior specimens entered in the foreign 

 class under his name. The true Borzoi is shaped 

 like a Scotch deerhound, but is a much more power- 

 ful dog. In height he should be from 26in to 32in., 

 with limbs showing great strength, combined with 



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