The history of the borzoi is not fully known, but one thing is known for certain - it has been around for a long time! There are pictures from the 1100's showing curly-coated sighthounds hunting boar and deer. A detailed description from around 1650 has been found, which tells about a dog similar to the modern borzoi, and it has been called the first breed standard for the breed.
The most famous and perhaps also most important borzoi kennel was Nikolaj Nikolajevitj's kennel Perchino. Perchino borzois are considered the most valuable borzois there are, and there are many texts and descriptions about them.
The first borzois outside Russia reached Britain in 1840, and the breed became very popular after queen Alexandra began breeding them.
The overall impression should be of an impressive breed, the dog with the thin body shape and slightly rectangular body.
The head is long, thin and dry with a curved profile. The eyes should have a mild expression. The ears are small and set high and far back on the head. The neck is long and muscular, the chest very deep, with a strong tuck up. The topline is gently curved, the highest point where the chest ends. The tail is set low and carried in a curve when the dog is alert. The coat is long, silky, wavy or curly in texture, as longest on the chest, backsides of the legs and tail.
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