I’m hoping to purchase a Borzoi puppy by the end of the summer! Does anyone here have one or have any tips for me? They are beautiful dogs, I’m not sure why they aren’t more popular.
I don’t own one but I’ve been interested in them so have some info.
A. Being a sighthound they should never be off leash in a non enclosed area, nor tied out or on a long leash where they could hit the end of it at full speed.
B. They tend to be very ‘soft’ dogs. So if you don’t have a soft personality to match they may not be a good match.
C. They shouldn’t go to dog parks or be off leash with small animals that they don’t know well.
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A place I always recommend people start when conceding a pure-bred dog that they maybe unfamiliar with 
In this case, the Borzoi Club of America, and this link in particular. National breed clubs really want their dogs to go to the right homes. This link has a wealth of information on the breed including why you might want one and why the Borzoi might not be the best dog for your home. I looked through the information included and it is detailed and very good advice
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Often breed clubs don’t want them to become more popular. The more popular a breed is, the more likely it will have issues created by bad breeders. The Borzoi is a very old breed; I would not be surprised to find out that the breeders are very protective.
Definitely check out the national club link above to help direct you to a good breeder.
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I’ve found a breeder already and I met up with her at the Borzoi national a few weeks ago. Got to see some of her dogs and meet other breeders too. People had good things to say about her Now I’m just hoping she will have a boy available for me this August when her puppies are ready to go home.
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Being a deep chested breed, they are prone to torsion and bloat.
Jhein12, glad that it sounds like you’ve done some good homework already.
Every breed isn’t for every person and good breeders and breed organizations want to minimize having to rescue pure-breds that end up in “wrong” home because the buyers didn’t do their homework about the breed and didn’t get their dog from a conscientious breeder.
I’ve had the chance to see Borzois lure coursing and they are spectacular to watch
Over the years I have owned several Borzoi. They are very nice dogs, but being sight hounds, require regular “open” exercise. We used to take ours to the ball park which was fenced with chain link, let them run off leash at least twice a week. But mine were show dogs. They are generally very easy to get along with. As stated before by another poster, always on leash around small animals and small children. A well fitting chain collar is your friend as their necks are larger than their heads when they carry their ears tucked . We once owned one for 18 months before we ever heard her bark! We used to say that if Sally barked you immediately investigated! Lovely dogs and a joy to own. Good luck!
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I have had two. Raised them as normal farm dog. Jogged off leash thru state forests in PA, hiked some of the AT. Both were off leash around chickens, goats, barn cats, and horses. One loved to swim and ride in the boat.
I also have herding dogs that many say can never be trusted around livestock.
Are the personalities very different? Yes. Borzoi best if food motivated. Socialize early and often. One did take out a couple of small mammals while hiking but never a domestic animal. The other was a complete couch potato. They are aloof with strangers but extremely loving to family.
Mine were bred for coursing not show ring. Friends who introduced us to the breed also competed in coursing with Borzoi and agility with whippets. They also regularly ran theirs off leash.
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My back yard is about an acre. It’s fenced in with a 6 foot wooden privacy fence. Would that be suitable for running or would I need to find a better area for a weekly run?
We had a borzoi from the shelter when I was very young. She was very very sweet and dumb as a post. She also would escape constantly and go run around the block for an hour while my dad followed her slowly in the car to keep an eye on her, and then she’d get tired and jump in the car. She jumped a 5’ fence at a boarding kennel once and ran away. My parents definitely did not have the time, space, or energy for her, and found her a home with a friend who had a farm, where she apparently was happy. So that’s all just anecdotal about one dog, but they’re definitely in need of some exercise and capable of exercising themselves if you don’t provide it!
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[QUOTE. . . We once owned one for 18 months before we ever heard her bark! We used to say that if Sally barked you immediately investigated!. . .[/QUOTE]
A friend owned one and this was also her experience – her dog was very, very quiet. She actually would have preferred a bit more barky, in the appropriate situation.
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I had one (rescue), he was very sweet and relatively intelligent. He did fine on the farm, would run with 2 greyhounds I also had at the time. He never messed with the horses, cats, goats, chickens, etc., but he and the greyhounds more than once ran down a deer and brought it home. The greyhounds never did that before he came along, so I have to assume he was the instigator.
I’ve had two greyhounds, too… if that’s relative. We have a fenced acre and it was more than enough for them to zoom around every day, and then nap. They had our daschund to play with and he could keep up with them on account of his circles were much smaller than theirs with their long strides, or by ducking under the picnic table.
I could even take them off leash (but not recommended for all).
Loved those dogs - quiet, gentle, polite. I’d have another any day.
You sound like you have the set-up which is the main thing.
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A friend has one. Lovely temperament, beautiful dog, never gets off-leash outdoors, aging too fast, as is the case with borzois, apparently. I think it’s a shame it never gets to boot around the countryside freely, as they were bred to do. JMHO!
One of my favorite breeds (I have Irish Wolfhounds), so beautiful and majestic- and they come in so many beautiful colors! Lovely temperaments for the most part, do make sure the breeder selects for temperament and socializes the puppies well.
Borzoi are also much more capable than people realize to do performance activities such as Obedience, if appropriate positive techniques are used.
They do shed, and benefit from regular grooming.
When properly maintained as the large powerful sighthounds they are, they are charming and loyal companions. I would own one in a heartbeat, and have been tempted many times, as Borzoi can be very seductive!
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Ask your vet if it is possible to tack the stomach when doing a spay/neuter?
Borzoi can be a glorious breed: beautiful, gentle, affectionate but not overwhelmingly bouncy once adult, Large, but folds into a relatively small package…
They can also eat a lot, shed enough to carpet your home, may be unsuitable for an elder or child to walk on leash because they are capable of taking off like rockets and flattening whoever is on the other end of the leash, often welcome strangers or sleep through their arrival (usually not watchdogs), and they HAVE to RUN: as an owner you need to make the effort to either learn to bike with your dog and teach them how to do that, find huge fenced areas to ‘borrow’ with permission that are relatively free of holes and obstacles - because a borzoi will go flat out and some have come to grief. Lure coursing, racing are your best bets for advice on keeping your dog fit and they love to chase.
Cars are their # 1 nemesis and major cause of death. They can be gone in a flash and cover miles -literally.
I would look at the Borzoi files database
http://www.theborzoifiles.net/
You can type in the Kennel name of your breeder and many of their dogs will come up.
This list of diseases and ‘problems’ may seem frightening, but you should discuss with your breeder the longevity of parents, grandparents and family, and what testing has been done on the parents.
http://www.borzoicentral.com/health.html
http://www.borzoiclubofamerica.org/health/packard.html
There are some few Borzoi with temperament problems. No one in their right mind keeps them, let alone breeds with them.
I would want a pup that is bold and somewhat laid back, not fearful of loud noises or thrown toys, etc.
And they are amazingly versatile:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFzrY9xNW1s
and quick
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5IW1wtkwXk
and they are hilarious
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFgaRIy9hhw
Beware: You will always want a Borzoi in your life if you get a good one.
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If you have a spay/neuter contract, ask your breeder about waiting until after the dog’s first birthday minimum to alter it.
They really need to fully develop and mature before being fixed: you do not want any possibility of growth/ligament/joint issues that could have been prevented by waiting to neuter your dog. You and your dog will pay for that for life.
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My breeder will be doing a home check sometime this month! What are some things you think they look for? My home is clean, back yard is fenced…
