Borzoi
HISTORICAL SUMMARY: Russkaya Psovaya Borzaya has been an integral part of Russian national culture and history for nine centuries. The 11th century French chronicle attests that three Borzois followed the daughter of the Grand Duke of Kiev, Anna Yaroslavna, when she arrived in France, to become the wife of Henry I. Since the end of the 19th century, the Borzoi is seen among the greatest creations in Europe and the Americas.
Country of Origin: Russia
GENERAL APPEARANCE L : Dog of aristocratic appearance, of great size, of constitution at the same time, dry and robust, of build slightly elongated. Females are generally longer than males. Strong bone, but not massive. Bones are quite flat. Dry, well-developed musculature, especially on the thighs, but without relief. The harmony of forms and movements is of paramount importance.
IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS :
• In males, the height at the withers is equal to or slightly higher than the height of the croup from the ground.
• In females, these heights are equal.
• The height at the withers should be slightly less than the length of the body.
• The depth of the chest is approximately equal to half the height at the withers.
• The length of the muzzle, from the stop to the tip of the nose, is equal to or slightly greater than the length of the skull, from the occiput to the stop.
BEHAVIOR AND TEMPERAMENT : In its daily life, the Borzoi has a calm and balanced character. Seeing the game, he is suddenly excited. It has a penetrating gaze, able to see very far. His reaction is impetuous.
HEAD : Viewed from above or in profile, it is dry, long, narrow and aristocratic. Viewed in profile, the lines of the skull and muzzle form a long, slightly convex line. The sagittal crest line is straight or slightly oblique towards the well-marked occipital protuberance. The head is so elegant and dry that the main veins show through the skin.
CRANIAL REGION
skull : Narrow. Viewed from above: elongated into an oval shape; seen in profile, almost flat.
Stop : Lightly checked
FACIAL REGION
Truffle : Large, mobile, considerably protruding from the lower jaw.
Nasal Cane : Long, full along its entire length, slightly arched near the nose.
Muzzle : The length of the muzzle, from the stop to the tip of the nose, is equal to or slightly greater than the length of the skull, from the occiput to the stop.
lips : Fine, dry, well-fitting. The eye contour, lips and nose are black, whatever the coat color.
Jaws and Teeth : Strong jaw. White teeth, strong; scissor or pincer bite
eyes : Large, slightly prominent, expressive; dark hazel or dark brown; almond-shaped, but not overly accentuated; obliquely inserted.
Ears : Small, thin, flexible, set above the eye line and back, pointing almost towards the back of the neck when not alert. The ends of the ears are situated close together or directed downwards along the neck and close to the neck. When the dog is alert, the ears are carried higher, over the sides or forward. Sometimes one or both ears are erect like a horse's ears.
NECK : Long, dry, flat laterally, muscular, slightly arched, never carried high.
TRUNK
Withers: Not checked.
Back: Broad, muscular, elastic, forming a curve with the loin and croup which is more pronounced in males. The highest point of this curve is situated in front of the middle of the loin or in the region of the 1st or 2nd lumbar vertebrae.
Loin : Long, prominent, muscular, moderately broad.
Croup : Long, wide, slightly sloping. The width of the croup, measured between the two protrusions of the iliac bone (iliac crests), must not be less than 8 cm.
chest : Of oval cross-section, not narrow but not wider than the croup, deep, well developed in length, spacious, descending almost to the level of the elbows. The region of the scapulae is flatter and gradually widens towards the false ribs, which are short. Viewed in profile, it forms a change in slope. The ribs are long and slightly prominent. The forechest is slightly prominent in relation to the scapulohumeral joint.
TAIL: Sickle or saber-shaped, set low, thin and long. Passing between the hind limbs, it should reach the protrusion of the iliac bone (iliac crest), covered with an abundant plume. When the dog is standing naturally, the tail is carried down. In action it is elevated, but not above the level of the back.
MEMBERS
PREVIOUS : : Dry, muscular; viewed from the front, perfectly straight and parallel. The height of the forelimbs from the elbow to the ground is equal to or slightly greater than half the height at the withers.
Shoulders : The scapulae are long and oblique.
arms : Moderately oblique; its length is just longer than the length of the scapula. Angle of the scapulohumeral joint well pronounced.
Elbows : They lie in planes parallel to the median plane of the body.
Forearms : Dry, long, oval in cross section; seen from the front, narrow; seen in profile, wide.
Metacarpals : Slightly oblique to the ground.
HINDQUARTERS : Viewed from behind: straight, parallel and set slightly further apart than forelegs. When the dog is standing naturally, the vertical line descending from the ischial tuberosity (buttocks) should pass in front of the center of the hock and metatarsal.
Thighs : Well muscled, long, obliquely placed
legs : Long, muscular, placed obliquely. Femorotibial and tibio-tarsal joints well developed, wide and dry; the angles must be well marked.
Metatarsals : Not long, placed almost vertically. All joints are well angled.
Paws : Dry, narrow, of an elongated oval shape (called “hare feet”); arched, closed fingers; long, strong nails touching the ground
DRIVE : When not hunting, the typical gait of the Borzoi is a long, effortless, very flexible and buoyant trot; when hunting, the gallop is extremely fast with wide-ranging strides.
SKIN: flexible, elastic
COAT
By : Silky, soft and flexible, wavy or forming short curls, but never small tight curls. On the head, ears and limbs, the coat is satiny (silky, but heavier), short, close-fitting. On the body, the hair is quite long and wavy; in the regions of the scapulae and croup, it forms finer curls; on the ribs and thighs, the hair is shorter; the hairs that form the fringes, the “culottes” and the plume of the tail are longer. The hair on the neck is dense and abundant.
COLOR:
All color combinations, but never with blue, brown (chocolate) and no derivation of these colors. All colors can be solid or spotted. The fringes, the “culottes” and the plume of the tail are considerably lighter than the background color. For the murky colors, the black mask is typical.
SIZE : Males 75 cm to 85 cm
females 68 cm to 78 cm
FAULTS
Any deviation from the terms of this standard should be considered a fault and penalized in exact proportion to its severity and its effects on the health and well being of the dog. especially:
Teeth
• Small, abnormally spent. Missing 1PM2.
• Missing PM1 and M3 are not taken into account.
Color
• Small marks of the same shade as the base color.
DISQUALIFYING FAULTS
• Aggressiveness or excessive shyness.
• Any dog that shows any sign of physical or behavioral anomaly must be disqualified.
Teeth
• Undershot or overshot.
• Jaw twist.
• Missing 1 incisor, 1 canine, 1 molar (PM4 of the upper jaw, M1 of the lower jaw); absence of more than 4 teeth (whatever they are).
• Incorrect placement of one or both canines of the lower jaw, so that when the mouth is closed, it may damage the upper gum or palate.
Eyes
• Porcelain tiles.
Tail
• Corkscrew-shaped, broken (vertebrae welded), cut, even partially.
posterior
• Presence of ergots.
Color
• Brown (chocolate), blue.
GRADES
• Males must present both testicles, of normal appearance, well let down and accommodated in the scrotum.
• Only clinically and functionally healthy dogs with typical breed conformation should be used for breeding.