Borzoi

The Wolfhound of the Russian Aristocracy, the Borzoi's elegant curvaceous outline and luxuriant coat and long, lean head make him a memorable and imposing sight. The word Borzoi means 'swift'. Borzois hunted in pairs and held the wolf down until the hunters arrived. The breed was well established in Russia by 16th century and was probably developed from Greyhound type dogs crossed with long haired sheepdogs and imported Irish Greyhounds and wolf dogs.

Hunting with Borzoi in Russia was the pastime of the aristocracy, with the hounds followed on horseback and both dogs and horses often wearing brightly coloured hunting silks. The completion of a successful hunt was marked by a ceremonial feasting in tents. Many of the Russian aristocracy maintained large kennels of Borzoi.

Read the breed standard

Images for this breed

The Hound breed group

Breeds originally used for hunting either by scent or by sight. The scent hounds include the Beagle and Bloodhound and the sight hounds such breeds as the Whippet and Greyhound. Many of them enjoy a significant amount of exercise and can be described as dignified, aloof but trustworthy companions.

Colour Watch

Category 0: Breeds with no NBS colour registration options.

Read more about Colour Watch.

Breed Standard colours

Breed standard colour means that the colour is accepted within the breed standard and is a traditional and well-known colour in this breed.

Breed standard colours in this breed include:

Black & White
Black
Brindle
Black Sable
Blue
Blue & White
Blue Brindle
Blue Sable
Cream
Cream &
White
Cream Brindle
Cream Sable
Fawn & White
Fawn Brindle
Fawn Sable
Gold & White
Gold Brindle
Gold Sable
Grey
Grey & White
Grey Brindle
Grey Sable
Lemon
Lemon & White
Lemon Brindle
Mahogany
Mahogany & White
Mahogany Brindle & White
Mahogany
Sable
Red & White
Red Brindle
Red Sable
Red Sable & White
Self Black
Self Fawn
Self Gold
Self Red
Silver
Silver & White
Silver Brindle
Silver Sable
Tortoiseshell
Tortoiseshell & White
Tricolour
White
White & Black
White & Blue
White & Brindle
White & Cream
White & Fawn
White & Gold
White & Grey
White & Lemon
White & Mahogany
White & Red
White & Red Sable
White & Sable
White & Silver
White & Silver Sable
White & Tortoiseshell
Wolf Sable

Other colour/s

'Other' means you consider your puppy to be a colour not currently known within the breed and one that does not appear on either the breed standard or non-breed standard list. In this instance you would be directed through our registrations process to contact a breed club and/or council to support you on identifying and correctly listing the new colour.

Non-breed-standard colours

Non-breed-standard colour means that the colour is not accepted within the breed standard and whilst some dogs within the breed may be this colour it is advised to only select a dog that fits within the breed standards for all points.

Colour is only one consideration when picking a breed or individual dog, health and temperament should always be a priority over colour.

Whether you're considering buying a Borzoi puppy or breeding from your dog, it's important to understand the health issues that may affect the breed and how they can be managed or avoided.

Pre-breeding health screening

Good Practice schemes and tests

We strongly recommend that breeders, at a minimum, conduct these tests before breeding, as evidence indicates these conditions are a significant concern in the breed.

Prioritising genetic diversity

This breed can be affected by conformational concerns, more information can be found here.

Click here to find out more about The Kennel Club's health standard

Find out about a particular dog's results

Please visit our Health Test Results Finder to discover the DNA or screening scheme test results for any dog on The Kennel Club's Breed or Activity Register.

You can also view the inbreeding coefficient calculation for a puppy's parents, or for a dog you're thinking of breeding from.

DNA testing services

We don’t currently offer a breed-specific DNA testing package for this breed, but we have a wide selection of individual DNA tests available. To find out more and view our full selection, click here.

Breed health & conservation plan

The Breed Health and Conservation Plans

Our breed health and conservations plans (BHCPs) use evidence and data to help us understand the health issues found in each pedigree dog breed. These plans help breeders and owners identify health and welfare problems and use information, health tests and health schemes to avoid passing on those problems to future puppies. They also support and provide breeders with tools and specialist expertise to help manage genetic diversity, understand the impacts of close breeding, and find the best ways to preserve the population of their breed.

Working together for the breed

We’ve worked with breed clubs and breed representatives to gather all available evidence to help us determine the priority concerns for the breed and decide how we can work together to manage and reduce these problems.

The full evidence base is available at the discretion of the breed clubs, however if you would like to seek access to the full report, please contact our health team.

Health (The Kennel Club)

More about health

If you have any concerns about a particular health condition in your breed then you may wish to speak to your vet or you could contact your breed health co-ordinator.

Breed health co-ordinators are individuals working on behalf of breed clubs and councils who are advocates for the health and welfare of their chosen breed. They acts as a spokesperson on matters of health and will collaborate with The Kennel Club on any health concerns the breed may have.

To contact your breed health co-ordinator please email

Lorraine Harvey

Breed watch

Category 2

Particular points of concern for individual breeds may include features not specifically highlighted in the breed standard including current issues. In some breeds, features may be listed which, if exaggerated, might potentially affect the breed in the future.