The Borzoi belongs to the tenth and last group of this classification dedicated to Greyhounds. They are dogs built for racing, slender and fast. Their physique is sculpted in length, which gives them a certain elegance. Their temperament is rather submissive. The Borzoi joins the first category of this group by integrating the long-haired or fringed Greyhounds.

There are several opinions regarding the origin of the Russian Greyhound. According to some, it comes from the cross between the Asian Greyhound and the Laika Polar Dog, while for others, it comes from the marriage between a Saluki and a Russian shepherd dog. While other sources still mention the cross between the Sloughi and an indigenous long-haired dog. The breed was subsequently established in Russia in the 16th century. Long considered the ideal companion of great Russian families who also used it for wolf hunting, a few examples were exported to England as gifts for Princess Alexandra in 1842. This is how it subsequently spread in Western Europe around 1850, before arriving in the United States in 1889. In 1917, the Russian Revolution put a stop to the breeding of this breed, which at the time was the work of aristocrats. Europe contributed to the preservation of the Borzoi and before the Soviets resumed its breeding.

The Borzoi is one of the large breeds. The male measures 70 to 82 cm and the female 65 to 77 cm, for a weight between 35 and 45 kg. The Borzoi is the longest of the Greyhounds. His silhouette is flattened. We will note the harmony of its forms which helps to make it a dog of the highest degree of elegance. This dog emanates a certain nobility. Her skin is fine and tight, well pigmented. In its gaits, it gallops quickly in large, supple leaps. Its body is elongated, ending in a long, well-muscled neck, flattened laterally and without a dewlap. Its chest is not very pronounced, its chest long, deep, narrow and flat. Its back is very muscular and forms, particularly in the male, an arc whose highest point is at the level of the last rib. Its rump is long, broad and muscular. His stomach is strongly upturned. Its limbs are long, lean and muscular. Its feet are oval and rather narrow. His fingers are tight and well arched. Its tail is set low, long, and takes the shape of a sickle or scimitar. Hair is abundant there. The Borzoi carries its tail low at rest while in action, it carries it raised but never above the line of the back. Its head is long, narrow, dry and finely chiseled. Its profile is slightly convex, its skull flat and very narrow. Its muzzle is strong, long, narrow and dry, its lips thin and dry, its nose black. Its large eyes are almond-shaped and dark brown. The opening of its eyelids, bordered in black, is slightly oblique. Its ears are set high and back. Relatively small, fine, narrow, they end in a point and rest back on the neck (“pink”). The Borzoi's dress is made of white and gold of all shades; silver gold; shaded gold; tan shaded with black, with the muzzle and limbs dark; gray ; brindle, gold and tan or gray, with extensive streaks of a darker hue; fire or black. Fire marks are allowed, but less appreciated. In dark subjects, the black mask is a characteristic. All colors can be solid or spotted on a white background. Its hair is long, silky, wavy or in curls. It is extremely thick around the neck, the lower part of the chest, the back of the limbs and the tail. It is shorter at the head, ears and front of the limbs.

The Borzoi has an estimated lifespan of between 11 and 13 years. Of solid constitution, it is subject to certain conditions such as digestive disorders such as bloating or even twisted stomach, retinal atrophy and cataracts (as we age) as well as the appearance of calluses on the elbows. It is also like many medium and large breeds predisposed to hip dysplasia. This is a malformation occurring during the growth of the dog and which causes early osteoarthritis which can eventually lead to paralysis of the front or rear part of the animal. The symptoms are more or less visible and detectable more or less early, ranging from a change in the dog's behavior, fearing going up and down stairs, jumping, intense exercise sessions or showing a fault in its sitting position, for example. 'to lameness and pain. A palpation can be carried out at the veterinarian from the age of 6 months. Radiological confirmation can be considered at the age of one year. The treatments are medicinal (painkillers and anti-inflammatories, administered in conjunction with a diet recommended for joint health) and, ultimately, surgical (replacement of the femoral head, triple osteotomy of the pelvis or excision of the head of the femur depending on the case). . This risk should never be ruled out and it is therefore essential to go through a responsible breeder, who carries out adequate DNA tests for this genetic and hereditary pathology and who only breeds among themselves those individuals whose descendants present the least possible risks of being affected. Concretely, reproduction must be considered according to the diagnosed stage: individuals of stages A, B and C can be reproduced, but C only with an individual A. The following stages simply cannot be reproduced under any circumstances. Brushing two to three times a week is enough to maintain it.

The Borzoi is a great lord by his appearance and despite his phlegm. He was also for a long time an excellent hunter for hares, foxes and wolves. It is a powerful, ardent, courageous, enduring dog, often exclusively attached to its master. Not very patient with children, he appears indifferent or even hostile towards strangers. He is also a good guardian, although not too barky. He sometimes reacts aggressively to contact with his peers. His education must be early, firm, but always carried out gently because he cannot tolerate brutality at all. It is recommended not to make him live in an apartment and not to left alone too often or too long. The Borzoi actually needs a lot of space and exercise. Be careful to always keep him on a leash when walking because he can have unexpected and violent reactions when he encounters cats or other animals on his way.