a Body That Carries History
The Borzoi is a breed not born from an idea, but from the interplay of climate, hunting, nobility, survival, politics, and eventually nostalgia. He is less a product of breeding than a product of a culture.
And this culture is old, layered, and full of contradictions.
Before the Standard – the Time When the Borzoi Was Still a “Tool”
Before anyone thought about dog shows, before bloodlines were catalogued, before kennel registries existed, the Borzoi was simply the dog who carried the aristocratic wolf hunt on his shoulders. He did not belong in a living room or a display case. He belonged to the wide fields, the silence of frost, the moments when a wolf turned, paused, and everything was decided in seconds.
In old hunting manuscripts you find sentences that today read like fragments of a different world. One of them says:
„Борзые — не украшение двора. Они стражи его дыхания.“
“Sighthounds are not the decoration of the estate. They are the guardians of its breath.”
There was no unified idea of “how a Borzoi should look.”
There was only the question:
Can he do his job?
This is why regional types developed so differently:
• lighter, more flexible, darker dogs for open fields
• stronger, heavier, paler dogs for forested terrain
• balanced types for mixed landscapes
People did not breed for beauty, they bred for function.
A Borzoi who could not hold a wolf was no Borzoi.
A beautiful dog without strength had no value.
The Birth of Structure – the 1880 Standard
When the first standard appeared, it was not a standard in the modern sense.
It was more a collection of expectations put into words, a description of a silhouette that breeders already carried in their minds.
They understood: the breed was a mosaic.
A standard had to acknowledge this, not erase it.
A Russian chronicler wrote during the creation of the standard:
„Чтобы собрать борзую в слова, нужно слушать её бег.“
“To capture the Borzoi in words, you must listen to her run.”
And that is exactly what they did.
Print art by Clara Tice. Sweet vintage Borzoi wolfhound alphabet print
vintage article about Borzoi
The Topline – Elastic Tension
The topline of a Borzoi is not simply “arched.” It is a functional line. The loin is the center of his power.
The back is shorter, compact, yet able to release like the limb of a bow.
The arch forms through muscle and purpose, not ornament.
An old hunting poem from Yaroslavl says:
„Спина борзая пружиной хранит молчание.“
“A Borzoi’s back keeps its silence like a coiled spring.”
The Chest – A Chamber for Heart and Breath
A deep, but never broad chest. Narrow enough to preserve speed, deep enough to house endurance.
The Borzoi is not a sprinter who breaks after 300 meters. He is a dog who can repeat sprints - a rhythm runner.
The Forehand – Close-Set for True Aerodynamic Purpose
To the uninitiated eye, the narrow front may appear faulty.
But it is the Borzoi’s inheritance:
a close-set forehand built upon a slim, streamlined ribcage, a structure designed not to shove the air aside, but to slide through it with the quiet certainty of an arrow.
The Hindquarters – Wider, Steadier, Built for Controlled Strength
Behind this narrow forehand stands a hind assembly that is decidedly broader, a counterbalance of power that anchors the Borzoi’s speed.
A true working dog has no use for exaggerated angulation; such extremes may sparkle on level flooring, but they falter when the ground turns treacherous. The hock must be firm and surefooted, strength held in clean lines rather than flamboyant curves.
They moved because the land demanded it, because survival required efficiency more than ornament, their beauty forged in purpose, and their form shaped by the work itself.
The Head – The Line of Thought
The Borzoi head is long, a single stroke drawn without lifting the pen. No breaks, no heaviness.
For centuries people said:
„Голова борзая — это письмо без чернил.“
“The Borzoi head is a letter written without ink.”
The eyes: dark, almond-shaped, and set deep, carrying that quiet, inward glow the breed is known for.
In a dark Borzoi, the expression gathers intensity from eyes that verge on black, as if they were cut from a night with no moon. Lighter-colored Borzoi may carry correspondingly lighter tones, but the gaze should remain steady and thoughtful, a window with depth rather than mere brightness.
The Old Lines – An Atlas of Lost Styles
Perchino
The most influential Russian kennel.
Two types, both elegant:
• darker dogs with fine waves
• lighter dogs, stronger in body and coat
Boldarev
Light, swift dogs, less hair, great stamina, intelligent expression.
Bibikov
Smaller hunting dogs, modest in appearance,
but with iron courage — now lost.
Gejerov
Dark, powerful, extremely courageous, but later weakened by inbreeding.
Ozerov
Notable for rams’ noses, strong chests, dense coats.
Sumarokov
Tall, often pale dogs with powerful forequarters and reliable strength.
Tchelitchev
The giants.
Lavish coats, strong loins, huge leaps — almost mythical.
A hunter wrote:
„У тчелтычевских псов были лапы, которые помнили снег.“
“The Tchelitchev hounds had paws that remembered snow.”
Show Lines – The Theatre of Silhouettes
Show Borzois are like grand gestures on a stage:
wide fans of hair, long limbs, extended outlines.
Common features:
• Greater size (males often 32–34 in / 82+ cm)
• More coat, sometimes excessively long
• Over-refined elegance
• Broader fronts, less correct narrow stance
• Overangulated hindquarters
• Extremely long heads, sometimes too exaggerated
A show Borzoi is an image, beautiful, but not always functional.
The danger:
Beauty detached from purpose loses its depth.
As an old Russian breeder said:
„Красота без силы — только ветер на шерсти.“
“Beauty without strength is only wind on the fur.”
Sport / Working Lines – A Return to Ancient Athleticism
Sport Borzois stand closer to their origin.
They are bred not for the eye but for the run.
Their outline is quieter, more efficient.
Typical traits:
• More moderate size (males ~28–31 in / 72–78 cm)
• Less hair, functional and clean
• Dryer, more stable hindquarters
• Strong loins, balanced angulation
• Long but not extreme heads
• Correct narrow front
A sport Borzoi is an instrument of wind,
not decoration.
Today Russians say:
„Спортивная борзая не показывает бег — она говорит им.“
“A sport Borzoi does not show the run — it speaks it.”