In the United States under the American Kennel Club, Borzoi is a sighthound in the Hound Group. Formerly Russian wolfhound, this hunting dog originated in Russia in ancient times. The dog was first imported into the United States from England in 1889 and was given the name Borzoi in 1936.
They were famous for hunting and killing wolves. The dogs would be sent out on hunts in packs of three or more. Borzoi in Russian means "swift." They are very fast animals with short bursts of speed in access of 40 miles per hour. Borzoi has been known to run after animals for five miles straight. When the Russian wolfhounds saw a wolf during a hunt, the pack would go for the kill. The faster dogs would take down the wolf and the strongest (usually the "alpha") would grab the wolf by the neck with his jaws to make the kill.
The Borzoi was used by the Russian aristocracy for coursing wolves, hare, and other game. The Tzar's family owned over 130 Russian wolfhounds and the breed was known as the "pet of the rich." When the Tzar and his family were killed during the Russian Revolution of 1917, many Russian wolfhounds were also killed because of their association with the aristocrats. A few of these dogs were saved and were sent to England where the original stock of Borzoi are still bred today. The tour now moves to Russia... Hunting in Russia |
