FCI-Standard No 193 /02.04.2001 /GB
Borzoi – Russian Hunting Sighthound
(Russkaya Psovaya Borzaya)
Group 10 Sighthounds
Section 1 Long-haired or fringed Sighthounds Without working
trial.
Brief historical summary: The Russkaya Psovaya borzaya has been
an integral part of the national culture and Russian history
for 9 centuries. The French Chronicle of the XIth century shows
that three Borzois accompanied the daughter of the Grand Duke
of Kiev, Anna Iaroslavna when she arrived in France to become
the wife of Henri I. Among the owners and breeders there were
many famous people including Tzars and poets: Ivan the Terrible,
Peter the Great, Nicolas II, Pushkin, Turgenev. The creation
of the famous kennel “Pershinskaya okhota” by the
illustrious breeders the Grand Duke Nicolai Nicolaevitch and
Dimitri Valtsev had great importance. From the end of the XIXth
century, the Borzoi is seen in the biggest breeding kennels
of Europe and America.
General Appearance: Dog of aristocratic appearance, of large
size, of lean and at the same time robust constitution, of a
very slightly elongated construction. Females are generally
longer than males. Strong bone structure but not massive. The
bones are rather flat. Muscles lean, well developed, especially
on the thighs, but not showing in relief. Harmony of form and
movement is of prime importance.
Important Proportions:
In males the height at the withers is equal or barely superior
to that from the summit of the croup to the ground.
In females these two heights are equal.
The height at the withers must be slightly inferior to 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 or slightly superior to that of the skull, from the
occiput to the stop.
Behaviour / Temperament: In its everyday life the Borzoi has
a quiet and balanced character. At the sight of game it gets
suddenly excited. It has a piercing sight, capable of seeing
very far. Its reaction is impetuous.
Head: Lean, long, narrow, aristocratic. Seen in profile, the
lines of the skull and muzzle form a long, slightly convex line,
the line of the sagittal crest being straight or slightly oblique
towards the well marked occipital protuberance. The head is
so elegant and lean that the principal veins show through the
skin.
Cranial Region:
Skull: Seen from above, narrow, elongated into an oval shape;
seen in profile, almost flat.
Stop: Very slightly marked.
Facial Region:
Nose: Large, mobile, considerably prominent in relation to the
lower jaw.
Muzzle: Long, filled out in all its length, arched near the
nose. The length of the muzzle from the stop to the tip of the
nose is equal or slightly superior to that of the skull, from
the occiput to the stop.
Lips: Fine, clean, well fitting. The eye-rims, the lips and
the nose are black whatever the colour of the coat.
Jaws/Teeth: Teeth white, strong; scissor bite or pincer bite.
Eyes: Large, expressive, dark hazel dark brown, very slightly
prominent, almond-shaped, but not slit-eyed, set obliquely.
Ears: Small, supple, mobile, set on above the eye level and
backwards, almost towards the nape of the neck, the tips of
the ears situated near each other or directed downwards along
the neck and close to it. When the dog is alert, the ears are
carried higher and on the sides or forward; sometimes one or
both ears are erect like horse ears.
Neck: Long, clean, flattened laterally, muscled, slightly arched,
carried rather low.
Body:
Withers: Not marked.
Back: Broad, muscled, elastic, forming with the loin and croup
a curve which is more pronounced in the males. The highest point
of this curve is situated in the region of the 1st or 2nd lumbar
vertebra.
Loin: Long, prominent, muscled, moderately broad.
Croup: Long, broad, slightly sloping. The width of the croup
measured between the two hip bones (iliac crests) must not be
less than 8 cm.
Chest: Of oval cross-section, not narrow, yet not wider than
the croup, deep, well developed in length, spacious, reaching
down almost to elbow level. The region of the shoulder blades
being flatter, the chest gets gradually wider towards the false
ribs, which are short; seen in profile, it forms a change in
slope. The ribs are long, slightly prominent. The forechest
is slightly prominent in relation to the scapular-humeral articulation.
Belly: Well tucked up, the underline rises abruptly towards
the abdomen.
Tail: In shape of sickle of sabre, low set, thin, long. Passed
between the hindlegs, it must reach up to the hip bone (iliac
crest), furnished with abundant feathering. When the dog is
standing, the tail hangs downwards. In action, it is raised,
but not above the level of the back.
Limbs:
Forequarters: Forelegs clean, muscled, seen from the front perfectly
straight and parallel. The height of the forelegs from the elbow
to the ground is equal or little superior to half the height
at the withers.
Shoulders: Shoulder blades long and oblique.
Upper arm: Moderately oblique; its length is barely superior
to the length of the shoulder blade. Angle of the scapular-humeral
articulation well pronounced.
Elbows: In parallel plane to the median plane of the body.
Forearm: Clean, long, of oval cross-section; seen from the front,
narrow, seen in profile, broad.
Pastern: Slightly oblique in relation to the ground.
Hindquarters: Seen from behind: straight, parallel, set slightly
wider than the forequarters. When the dog is standing true,
the vertical line dropping from the ischiatic tuberosity (Point
of buttocks) must pass in front of the centre of the hock joint
and of the metatarsals.
Upper thigh: Well muscled, long, places obliquely.
Lower thigh: Long, muscled, placed obliquely. The femoro-tibial
and the tibio-tarsal articulations well developed, broad, clean,;
the angles must be well marked.
Metatarsals: Not long, placed almost vertically.
All the articulations are well angulated.
Feet: Lean, narrow, of elongated oval shape (called “harefeet”);
toes arched, tight; nails long, strong, touching the ground.
Gait/Movement: When not hunting, the typical gait of the Borzoi
is the extended trot, effortless, very supple and lifting; when
hunting the charging gallop is extremely fast, with leaps of
great length.
Skin: Supple, elastic.
Coat:
Hair: Silky, soft and supple, wavy or forming short curls. On
the head, the ears and the limbs, the hair is satiny (silky
but heavier), short, close lying. On the body, the hair is quite
long, wavy; on the regions of the shoulder blades and the croup,
the hair forms finer curls; on the ribs and thighs, the hair
is shorter; the hair which forms the fringes, the “breeches”
and the feathering of the tail is longer.
Colour: All colour combinations, apart from any combination
including blue, brown (chacolate) and any derivatives of these
colours. All the colours above mentioned may be solid or pied.
The fringes, “breeches”, featherings of the tail
are considerably lighter than the background colour. For the
overlaid colours a black mask is typical.
Size: Desirable height at the withers: dogs: 75-85 cm.
bitches: 68-78 cm
In males, the height at the withers is equal or barely superior
to that from the summit of the croup to the ground. In females,
these heights are equal. Animals exceeding the maximum height
are acceptable provided the typical morphology is preserved.
Faults: Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered
a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded
should be in exact proportion to its degree.
General appearance:
Light or massive construction.
Stocky appearance or high on the legs.
Light bone structure.
Insufficiently developed musculature.
Head:
Abrupt stop.
Profile of the head is distinct wedge shape due to exaggerated
height of the skull
Forehead broad.
Zygomatic arches developed.
Muzzle short. Bridge of the nose too narrow
Superciliary arches prominent.
Teeth:
Small, abnormally worn. Lack of one PM2
PM1 and M3 are not taken into account.
Eyes:
Small, round, light hazel. slit eyes (too narrow palpetral aperture).
Third eyelid too developed.
Ears:
Low set, not set on backwards.
Neck:
Short, carried high.
Body:
Back narrow with a hollow at the level of the anticlinal vertebra
(11th thoracic vertebra); too arched.
Loin short, straight, narrow.
Croup narrow, short, steep.
Chest narrow, flat, not deep; sternal line much higher than
the level of the elbows.
Belly only slightly tucked up.
Tail:
Set high or too low; carried high; tip of the tall in ring shape,
falling sideways; feathering sparsely developed; short tail.
Forequarters:
Scapula-humeral angle too open.
In or out at elbows
Forearm slightly crooked.
Pastern too short, too oblique or too straight.
Feet turning slightly in or out.
Hindquarters:
Over-angulated or too straight angulation.
Close behind or spread hocks.
Feet toeing in.
Feet:
Tendency to be a little too broad, slightly round, fleshy (thick)
or flat; spread toes.
Skin:
Insufficiently supple.
Hair:
Dull, tousled; fringes, “breeches”, feathering of
the tail sparse; straight hair; fine curls all over the body.
Colour:
Flecks of the same shade as the background colour;
Serious Faults:
General apperance:
Soft constitution, coarse constitution.
Short trunk.
Heavy, coarse bone structure.
Round bones.
Head:
Soft tissues.
Blunt muzzle.
Teeth: Lack of one PM3, one PM4 (lawer jaw), one M1 (upper jaw),
one M2.
Eyes: Deep set; yellow.
Ears: Thick, coarse, with rounded tips.
Neck:
Dewlap or loose skin at level of throat; neck of round cross-section.
Body:
Back: Sagging; straight back in males.
Croup: Very narrow, very short, excessively steep (goose rump).
Chest: Hollow in its front part, barrel-ribbed.
Belly: Pendulous.
Tail:
Coarse, in action, falling downwards.
Forequarters:
Important deviations from the points described; knuckling over.
Forearm: Of round cross-section.
Hindquarters:
Important deviations from the points described.
Feet:
Broad, round, “cat feet”, flat; spread toes.
Skin:
Loose
Coat:
Hair: Stiff, bristly.
Colour: Flecks of shade other than that of the background colour
Eliminating Faults
Behaviour / Temperament:
Aggressive towards people.
Teeth: Overshot or undershot mouth. lack of one incisor, one
canine, one carnassial teeth (PM4 upper jaw - M1 lower jaw),
lack of more than 4 teeth (any four teeth). Faulty position
of one or both canines of the lower jaw which, when the mouth
is shut, can damage the upper gums or the palate.
Eye: Wall eye.
Tail: Corkscrew tail, broken tail (fused vertebrac), docked,
even partially.
Presence of dewclaws.
Colour: Brown (chocolate), Blue
NB: Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles
fully descended into the scrotum.
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