A compilation of Borzoi standards

 

Summary

Here will appear a summary of the comparisons between the standards in this survey. You can see a summary for each point in the standards here!

The standard tells us what a Borzoi is, the proportions and what the parts look like but it does not tell what is special about the Borzoi. To answer that is words not sufficient but every borzoi lover knows and feels it!

The Standards in this survey all acknowledge the aristocratic and noble looks of the borzoi. The Russian influenced UICL and in FCI standards show more details. The American standard also points to the hunting abilities and the structure of the borzoi.

Summary General Appearance – Strong, noble and elegant. These last two qualities are especially evident in the shape of the head, in the gloss and silkiness of the coat and in the gait which is at once so energetic and so graceful. The overall expression is that of a very distinguished and aristocratic dog, self-confident, aware of his strength and beauty, unconcerned about what is going on in his immediate vicinity and with a slightly disdainful gaze that is most often directed into the distance. He is not interested in anyone other than his master and the close member of the family and is unfamiliar with dogs of other breeds. At rest, their calm dignity and sphynx-like appearance are characteristic, giving no hint of their very fast pace, fiery ardor when hunting, or their skill and agility.

Summary Head

The head is perhaps what most significant separates the borzoi from all other breeds. The standards emphasize on the specific breed factors, the proportions of the head, the profile with the roman nose, the almond shaped eyes, and not the least, the ears.: The French standard of 1913 states: “set high, ending in points, resting back on the neck and almost touching behind the occiput. Their fineness is proof of very pure blood”.

Summary Neck

The Jermolov standard refers to the working borzoi where males have a slightly shorter and more powerful neck compared to bitches mainly for hunting wolves. He does however say that for hunting hares can a longer neck be better.

Summary Body

This section deals with some very important issues.

Form of the ribs, dept of the chest, the topline and the width of the croup are among the main characteristics of the breed!

The Back raises in a curve over the loins. The ribs should only be slightly curved, and the chest should reach to the elbow. The belly should be well tucked up and the loins broad, powerful, and muscular.

The points all standards agree and have roots in the early Russian can be described as Straight sound legs, Forelegs with a flat structure, broad seen from the side, pastern strong and only slightly sloping. Shoulders well laid back. The front legs are parallel and set under the dog.

Summary Front

The points all standards agree and have roots in the early Russian can be described as Straight sound legs, Forelegs with a flat structure, broad seen from the side, pastern strong and only slightly sloping. Shoulders well laid back. The front legs are parallel and set under the dog.

Summary Hindquarters

The words that come back in all standards are Broad and powerful and wider than front.

The old Jermolov standard says that “A palm of one’s hand should fit between the hipbones” and in FCI from 2006 says “at least 8 cm between the hipbones”. The hindlegs must not be too straight seen from the side.

Without being specific should joints be well angulated. The hindlegs should be strong and parallel and set wider than the front!

Summarey Feet

The feet of the Borzoi should be a Hare foot and not a cat foot that can be found on other sighthounds. The borzoi foot should be oval, tightly padded with toes close together and touching the ground.

Summary Gait

The early standards don’t specifically mention gait but old documents tell about the Borzois ability for long leaps and to raise to extreme speed just prior to catching its prey.

The FCI standards describes briefly the trot and mentions the borzoi’s movement in the field.

In AKC 1968 and the British standard from 2020 the description concentrates on the dogs appearance in the showring and movement in the field is not mentioned.

The American standard says that hindlegs tend to move closer to the centerline at a fast trot while the English standard say the hindlegs are mowing wider than front.

Summary Colour

It has been the believe that the light colors where preferred and correct. This goes back to the first UICL standard of 1924 written by Boldareff and the Cheremetieff brothers. They allowed their personal preference to be written into the new European standard, something that blocked out the darker colors, especially Black and Black and Tan.

Today are almost all colours allowed and appreciated. However, FCI strongly advice against Brown (Chocolate) and Blue and classifies these colours as disqualifying!

On the list of not accepted traits are lack of pigmentation on nose and the British Standard also mention the Merle pattern.

Summary Size

Any size within what is described in the standards are accepted as long as it’s not to the expense of harmony in the overall picture.

 

 

THE 1888 MODERN BORZOI DESCRIPTION BY NIKOLAI JERMOLOV

Boris Cheremeteff
Nikolai Petrovich Jermolov
Matchevarianoff

The 1888 Modern Borzoi Description by Nikolai Jermolov

Introduction and Translation by © Kristina Terra

The first detailed modern Borzoi standard was written by Nikolai Petrovich Jermolov, an undisputed authority on the breed in the nineteenth-century Russia.  The Jermolov family had bred Borzoi for over 200 years; and Nikolai Jermolov was considered one of the most talented and distinguished Borzoi breeders in the country.  The Modern Borzoi Description was published in 1888 and was approved by the membership of the Imperial Hunting Society. In his article, Mr. Jermolov alludes to the breed’s history and provides a general description of the ideal Borzoi.  This description was meant to set the course for the Russian Borzoi breeders of the late 19th century.  By that time, many different sighthound breeds had been crossbred with the Borzoi to enhance its field abilities.  Those breeds included the Courland Wirehaired Sighthounds (Kloks), Courland Longhaired Sighthounds, Mountain Sighthounds (Gorskayas), Crimean Sighthounds, Greyhounds, Chart Polskis, and Hortayas.  By the late 1880’s the breed was thought to have strayed too far from its original form and lost some of its most valuable qualities, such as the ability for brossok (a burst/dash of speed) as well as some of its fine aesthetic features.  Borzoi fanciers decided to essentially close the studbook and attempt to bring back their beloved and glorious breed by selecting for some of the Borzoi’s most essential features, at the same time keeping the improvements brought about by the crosses. Throughout history, all sighthounds were first and foremost functional hunting dogs and had been selected on their abilities in the field.  Therefore, there was not much need to discuss structural faults in much detail.  So instead, in his description Mr. Jermolov concentrated on the characteristics that distinguish a Borzoi from all other sighthounds. 

There are no longer any purebred Borzoi, as all modern Russian sighthounds had been crossbred with either shorthaired or Mountain sighthounds.  The crossbreeding with Chart Polski had most likely begun much earlier, but even the first Eastern Sighthound crosses started as early as a century ago in the Volga region.  Over the course of the fourteen Imperial Hunting Society exhibitions, not a single purebred Borzoi was seen.  So, since it is clear that we do not have the breed in its original and pure form, now we should only be preserving and improving the breed through correct selection.  We

should also treat all Borzoi types equally.  Wide dogs with tight ligaments even if they are of average height (28” for males, 26” for bitches) should be as desirable as tall dogs with flat lean muscles and flatter ribs, as long as there are no narrow backs or narrow hips.  Such faults as a tail that is not perfectly shaped in a correct sickle, which sometimes also happens because the feathering on the tail is too heavy, ears that are set a bit wide or low, or coat that is not profuse but of the correct texture should not be considered major, and it is not wise to linger on such things.

Before I begin my detailed description of the Modern Borzoi, I think it is necessary to say a few words about the extremes in the opinions of Borzoi hunters.  I have been breeding Borzoi for 35 years, and my experience allows me to put forth my own opinion.  Huge massive dogs with enormous thigh muscles, super wide chests and barrel-shaped short ribs are not typical Borzois.  However, the other extreme, namely, the lack of muscles, a protruding backbone, flat-sidedness, narrow calf-like hips, and a narrow chest that seems to have been sewn up in the front are equally undesirable.  Extremely massive dogs evidence a throw-back to Mountain, Crimean, or short-haired Sighthounds.   As far as the dogs, whose parts are weak and do not seem to fit together, they are mostly the result of random breeding practices with no system or plan in place; not even Darwin’s Survival of the Fittest theory guides those practices; rather, all is guided by old breeders’ or kennel help’s crazy decisions.

A bloodline is of first and foremost importance in dog breeding.  Only by working with a bloodline, can we breed dogs of a set and sustainable type.  However, at the same time, we should be selecting for the correct features.  Otherwise, we could also make some faults dominant.  Moreover, we should not concentrate on field abilities alone and lose elegance.  By abandoning the bloodline or concentrating on speed or fierceness, we run the risk of loosing years of work.  The unforgettable P. M. Machevarianov and myself both have valued the excellent hare-hunting sighthounds that resulted from crossbreeding to the Mountain Sighthound.  However, this happened in another era, and now it is impossible to find such Mountain Sighthounds.  It is true that all immensely fast dogs had massively wide ribs, yet their bodies were as dense and flexible as solid rubber and their ligaments were tight.  Further, if one only selects for width and mass, the result may be fleshy and coarse dogs that become dominant in type.

I have never seen a fast dog among the ones with protruding backbones and narrow hips.  At the same time, I’ve known many fleshy Percheron-types that were not agile.  It is important to remember that while you can correct faults in a true bloodline, you will not be able to bring the pure bloodline back once you’ve lost it.  A purebred dog must be elegant and noble in looks.  Those are the sure signs of a true bloodline.  I even consider that sometimes a purebred look in dogs is much better than a simple plebian but balanced dog.  A true expert will be able to tell that a small flat-sided dog possessing running gear that is not outstanding but a correct head, good eyes and silky coat, will be much better for the breed than a coarse but well-put together dog with fleshy head, colorless eyes and coarse frizzy coat.

I would like to emphasize that now more than ever we must first and foremost focus on the breed type in our dogs.  As far as the dogs’ possible ideal construction and features, they should be approximately as follows:

1)      Size:  normal height at the withers for a bitch is 26”, or 30” for a dog.  One vershok (1.75”) either direction is just as well, as long as the overall balance remains.  So, a 24.5” bitch can be a true beauty and a good producer, just like a 31.5” male can be balanced and handsome.  However, heights less than 24.5” or more than 31.5” should be deemed as flaws rather than merits.

2)      Head (I consider that the head and muzzle should be described together).  The head should be lean with a back-skull that is not wide.  In profile, the dog appears almost Roman-headed, that is the back-skull and muzzle form a rather straight line, with just the slightest dip under the eyes and rise at the brows.  The muzzle should be narrow and long, but not excessively.  Too strong of a back-skull or too snipey of a muzzle are faults and usually occur when the bones of the muzzle and jaws taper in abruptly, rather than gradually.  The lower jaw should not be so much shorter than the upper jaw as to form an overshot mouth.  The nose should be black or dark, almost black.  The nose itself should not be pointy or have a dip in it.  Dish-faced profiles or muzzles that are too square are to be considered faults.

3)      Ears:  small and of thin leather.  We cannot require ears completely behind the occiput.  Though, ears that are too widely set or low are not desirable.  Ears should be close to each other and lay folded back.  It is good for a Borzoi to raise its ears up when in alert.

4)      Eyes are a bit bulging, large, resembling eyes of a snipe.  Dark brown or black in color with dark eye rims.

5)      Neck: should be slightly shorter and thicker on males and proportionally longer in bitches.  The neck is flattened laterally. A well-muscled and strong neck is required of wolf-hunting males, but to be able to catch a hare easily, a longer neck is better.

6)       Chest and forequarters.  The chest should not be narrow.  The shoulders should be well muscled, though the front of the dog should be a bit narrower and definitely not wider than the rear.  There should be a return of upper arm, so that when the dog is standing with its front legs parallel to each other and perpendicular to the ground, the legs are set under the dog.  Otherwise, the dog will seem to be on stilts.  The elbows should be turned slightly out (“into the field”).  The legs are strong, bony and wiry.  The hare-shaped feet should be tight.  The dog should be standing on its toes and nails and not on its heel pad.

7)      Back and topline:  The back should be wide.  The males should have more of an arch to their topline, whereas the bitches should have level toplines with the top of the rise somewhere over the position of the kidneys.  The hips should be wide.  A palm of one’s hand should fit between the hipbones.  It is good when there is no prominent sturgeon-like backbone, but, instead, when there is a groove that runs the entire length of the back.  However, we cannot be strict in requiring this of dogs, just like we cannot ask that all males have an arch to their backs and all females have level backs.  A bitch with a prominent topline, as long as it’s not too steep and as long as her back and hips are wide, can be very well put together.  Also, a dog that has a level topline, as long as he is not long proportionally but rather is compact and taught as a bow, can be a good producer.

8)      Ribs:  neither too flat nor barrel-shaped.  Somewhat convex so that there is space for lungs.  Ribs go down to the elbows.  The tuck-up is well defined; in a correct dog, no stomach should be visible.

9)      Hindquarters and muscles:  The hindquarters should neither be too straight, nor too angled.  The best is when they are just slightly long.  They should be parallel and wide when viewed from the rear, and in no case should the dog be close at the hocks, which always makes a Borzoi look ugly and cow-hocked.  The rear should be a bit wider than the front.  The thigh muscles should be average in size but very hard and strong.  The feet should be long and hare-shaped, and never be cat-footed, as in many short-haired sighthounds.  The hocks should be wide at the joint and taught.

10)  Tail:  The tail should not be fleshy, and not much wider than a finger.  The tail should be sickle-shaped and of medium length.  There should be profuse feathering on the tail.

11)  General appearance:  (When describing the head, I forgot to say that the occiput, or the rear part of the skull should be pointy).  The Borzoi should have a strong, hard, and well-muscled body.   The coat should be silky and wavy.  It’s better not to have too dense of a coat, but rather the correct coat in texture. The colors are now very diverse, and one should not be judging the dogs strictly on the color.

The most typical colors are grey and gold.  The pure white specimens with no markings of any sort are seen rarely, but are very beautiful indeed.  Grey or gold markings on white, as well as sables/agoutis, both solid and spotted, are also typical.  Here is what I wrote to Mr. N. P. Kishensky for his book on “Genealogy of Dogs” and what Mr. L. P. Sabaneev published in his “Hunter’s Almanach” in 1885: “Just like the typical colors, all others can only be considered correct in purebred Borzoi if the color is not too uniform or bright all over the body.  A self-gold or straw- colored dog cannot be of the same color all over the body; but rather, the dog’s muzzle, feathering, throat, chest, underline, feet and backs of thighs should be of a much lighter hue gradually fading to white.  The same would apply to a self grey Borzoi.  Basically, purebred Borzoi should not be uniformly colored and not as rich in hue as shorthaired sighthounds.  Solid dark red or ash-grey colors, even with white feet, are not typical for Borzois.”  The noble appearance of a purebred Borzoi is mostly in its extremely lean and correct head, good eyes and elegant coat.  So, all the features listed above together with this would produce an exemplary Borzoi, which would please the Purebred Dog Society.

I do not recognize the Chistopsovaya variety.  A breed should have an original type that is defined and set and I do not know such a variety of Chistopsovaya and do not know any breeders that have such a variety.  Chistopsovayas were the result of cross-breeding Borzoi with shorthaired, Crimean, and Mountain sighthounds.  The results of these crosses for one reason or another retained some of the mixed breed’s features.  Most kennels simply introduced Mountain or Crimean sighthounds’ blood and then bred on with the Borzoi, be it in the correct manner or not.  Hence, the Chistopsovaya type could not have been set, perhaps that happened only at Zhikharev’s kennel, or, possibly somewhere in Lithuania as well.  So, we see the Chistopsovaya only as evidence of a throw-back to the mixed heritage of a dog, but not as a separate breed or variety.  Often people mislabel regular Borzois without a lot of coats as “Chistopsovayas”.  However, it is not just about the coat, as a poorly coated dog sometimes can be closer to the Borzoi’s ideal, than a well-coated dog that has the shape of a Mountain or a Crimean Sighthound.  Even experts are not always able to make the distinction.  In Martynow’s album there is a portrait of Podar (see the picture)owned by V. A. Sheremetiew.  I do not know how accurate Mr. Martynow’s drawing is, but it depicts an enormous dog, which by no means is a Borzoi.  He is one of the Chistopsovayas!

 

 

 

Description of the Borzoi in Sweden 1900

The longhaired Russian Sighthound (Barzoi)

In a previous booklet was given description and pictures of the shorthaired English sighthound. We will this time try to picture a representative for the longhaired. The longhaired are divided into two separate breeds, the above mentioned and the Asian!

The Russian longhaired hound, In Russia called Psowie Barzoi. Psowie means longhaired or richly haired while borzoi is used for all sighthounds. However, in Europe, the name Barzoi is only used for the longhaired borzoi. From the short haired it is divided by the long silky lean hair and the peculiar form of the cranium whish is very narrow from the sides and the profile shows very little reduction between nose and the forehead. It can in some way resemble the Polar bear.

The borzoi is an old breed, is comparatively little known in the west and has only just become acknowledged in western Europe. This is much a result of the protection the Russian landlords had against their national hound. It has been almost impossible for people in the west to obtain borzoi of good quality.

These dogs’ character is anything but pleasant. However, they are not false and indoors quite obedient.

According to L Beckman the racial characteristics of the borzoi in a summary are the following.

General appearance: A large strongly built sighthound with long hair, a fan tail not bent or sandwiched between the hindlegs. The back is straighter and the croup steeper. The chest is flatter and reaches further down than in the short haired hound. Height at the shoulder on fully grown males is an average of 80 cm and length of head about 25 cm. Bitches are generally smaller. There are larger dogs, even 85 cm at the shoulder but also medium sized of 75 cm and a weight of 100 Russian “pounds”. The head looks comparable small, long

 

The French Borzoi standard (1913).

General Appearance – Strong, noble and elegant. These last two qualities are especially evident in the shape of the head, in the gloss and silkiness of the coat and in the gait which is at once so energetic and so graceful. The overall expression is that of a very distinguished and aristocratic dog, self-confident, aware of his strength and beauty, unconcerned about what is going on in his immediate vicinity and with a slightly disdainful gaze that is most often directed into the distance. He is not interested in anyone other than his master,and is unfamiliar with dogs of other breeds. At rest, their calm dignity and sphynx-like appearance are characteristic, giving no hint of their very fast pace, fiery ardor when hunting, or their skill and agility.

The general appearance, which is the principal indicator of purity of blood and adherence to the true type, must never be sacrificed to the perfection of other points, however important they may be.

Head – Long and narrow, excessively lean and finely chiselled, the network of veins clearly visible.

The skull is as long and as narrow as possible, ending in a sharp  ending in a clearly pronounced tip  and rather abrupt point. This is very typical. The muzzle is as long as possible, narrow and dry, with a very slight arc before reaching the nose. The jaws are powerful and well muscled. The teeth are strong and healthy, fitting evenly and not undershot or overshot. The nostrils are rather wide, extending beyond the lower jaw. The nose should be black. The muzzle should not be pointed. To make an ideal head, the skull and muzzle should form a very obtuse angle, with a slight fall below the superciliary arches. The arched (not curved) topline is very typical, but this must not be exaggerated, otherwise this primordial quality degenerates into a fault.

The eyes, fairly close together and set at equal distance from the top of the skull and the tip of the muzzle, are oblong (the oblique eye is defective and the round eye is not typical), dark in colour, placed flush the head, neither prominent nor recessed. The eyelids are rimmed with black and the look is both austere and deep.

The ears are as small as possible, thin, very mobile, set high, ending in points, resting back on the neck and almost touching behind the occiput. Their fineness is proof of very pure blood. When the dog’s attention is aroused, the Borzoi sometimes wears them erect, like a horse. The hair on the ears is short and soft as satin.

Neck – Of medium length (a little longer in bitches than in dogs) and absolutely without dewlap. It is more arched and less long than that of the greyhound, because it will have to seize a stronger game and less close to the ground.

Body – The shoulders are flat, lean, well defined and sloping. The shoulder blades meet almost at the withers.

The back is fairly short in the male and arches gradually towards the loins, producing a long, graceful curve and not giving the impression of a hump. This arch makes the back appear higher than it really is. Bitches have less arched backs than dogs. A flat back is not a fault. The breast is rather narrow in the brust, but excessively deep. It goes down to the elbows, sometimes even below. The ribs are flat or very slightly rounded, much less so than in the greyhound. This chest shape is characteristic. It gives a lot of room to the heart and lungs, while giving the dog great speed and agility, and allowing him to slip right up close to the wolf at the moment of capture. The ribs gradually taper towards the belly.

The belly is tucked up and completely invisible behind the flanks. The groin is as small as possible in the dog, perhaps longer in the bitch. The flanks are strong and taut to the touch, more spacious in females than in males.

The loins are fairly long, very muscular, arched and curved towards the croup, so that the arch of the back extends into the loins and croup and ends in the hindquarters. This is a very important element in the fast propulsion of the Borzoi. A short, plunging loins is a great fault, because, as a result of this conformation, the hind legs are completely straight. The croup is long and broad (a man’s hand should be able to fit between the hip bones), more sloping in dogs than in bitches.

Limbs – The front legs are absolutely straight, with an excessively flat and lean bone structure, in no way rounded. Seen from the front they are narrow, and seen in profile they are broad at the shoulder gradually tapering to the feet. The elbows are not turned outwards, but are nevertheless clearly away from the dog’s body. In a word, the dog is neither underneath him, which would be detrimental to the depth of the chest, nor loosed.

The hind-quarters are a little wider than the fore-quarters. This impression is obtained by looking at the dog from behind. At rest, the hind legs are set slightly back (but not much). The thighs are flat with very broad bones and very well developed muscles, flat, long and firm. The hocks are bent, but not excessively so. Legs that are too straight suggest a lack of speed and, by not continuing the curve of the back and hindquarters, destroy the perfect harmony of the Borzoi’s body.

This general line of the body is completed by the dog’s position on its feet. The Borzoi is more upright on its nails than on its heels. The feet are shaped like a “hare’s foot”, with toes of medium length, arched, tight, well closed, with thick soles and small tufts of hair that seem to emerge from between the toes. The lower part of the foot has a shape oblong.

Tail – The tail is one of the breed’s distinguishing features. It is carried low at rest and is shaped like a scythe. Very supple and as long as possible. It should at least reach the spine when, passing it between the thighs, it was brought up the flank. The tail is thin, but fairly strong at the base and gradually tapering to the tip. It is covered with curly hair at the base and then trimmed with a long, wavy fringe. A tail ending in a ring or carried higher than its base is a fault.

Coat – The coat is long (not woolly) with silky highlights, wavy or with large curls. Small curls or frizz is a fault. Short coat is a large fault. Smooth and short on the head, ears and front of the legs, more wavy on the back, curlier on the thighs, shorter on the sides, the coat is very long and curly on the neck, where it forms a muff from which the head seems to emerge. This is the ornament found in the form of increasingly long fringes on the back of the front legs, the chest, the back of the thighs and finally the tail.

Colour – The most popular colours are single-coloured white, white with yellow markings, orange, tan, brindle and grey. There are sometimes single-coloured dogs in these colours. These dogs (unicolours) must never have the same colour all over their body. The head, chest, belly and lower legs should be lighter than the back and body. The coat must be very coloured close to the body and its end lighter. White with black markings is not appreciated. Single-coloured black and black and tan with or without white are not acceptable.

Size – Minimum size: dogs 70 centimetres (15.75 vershoks), bitches 65 centimetres (14.63 vershoks). Average size: dogs 75.5 centimetres (17 vershoks), bitches 71 centimetres (16 vershoks).

Bitches are on average 5 centimetres less than dogs. The largest dogs rarely exceed 80 centimetres. As a general rule, larger size is highly valued as long as it is not acquired at the expense of symmetry, speed and stamina. (Danielle Laurent Faure)

 

UICL Standard of 1924

UICL Standard of 1924

Until the second half of the 19th century, the notion of standard, as it is understood today, did not exist in Russia. “The standard was a tradition that was transmitted not by canine societies but from father to son by connoisseur breeders and all users” (Prince Serge Cantacuzène). The first document that resembles a standard (description of what the Barzoi must be) was written in 1888 by Nikolai Petrovich Ermolov, at the request of the Imperial Russian Society. It will remain in force in Russia for about thirty years. But other standards will also be published during the same period.

The end of the 19th century and especially the beginning of the 20th century saw the acceleration of Barzoi exports from Russia to different countries, especially Europe and the USA. At the same time, breed Clubs are created in each country concerned and each Club sets its standard for its own account. These different standards are more or less well detailed and reveal notable differences. Quickly, the need for supra-national harmonization appeared.

In 1911, the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (F.C.I.) was created with the aim of encouraging and protecting cynology and purebred dogs by all means deemed desirable. The founding countries are Germany (“Kartell für das Deutsche Hundewesen et die Delegierten-Commission”), Austria (“Osterreichischer Kynologenverband“), Belgium (“Société Royale Saint-Hubert“), France (“Société Centrale Canine de France”) and the Netherlands (“Raad van Beheer op Kynologisch Gebied in Nederland“). But the First World War put an end to this federation.

In 1921, France and Belgium took the initiative to recreate the F.C.I.. By 1922 the FCI had 18 members.

In 1923, still on the initiative of the France and Belgium, the International Union of Greyhound Clubs (U.I.C.L.) was founded. Most of the countries of Western Europe will gradually become part of it.

Event:

Before the exhibition in Ghent (Belgium) in November 1923, the U.I.C.L. wrote to Grand Duke Nicholas Nicolaevich, who had at that time gone into exile in France, asking him to designate the Russians who would be most capable of judging the Barzoi race at this exhibition. In response, the Grand Duke suggested a panel of three judges, in the same way as it was done at the demonstrations of the Imperial Society of Moscow… It designates Mr. Artem Boldareff and Counts Boris and Dimitri Cheremeteff.

Following this exhibition, Barzoi lovers were so impressed by the Judgment of Ghent, that the U.I.C.L. wrote again to the Grand Duke asking him to appoint a committee to rewrite the breed’s standard for Western Europe. In response, the Grand Duke appointed those who had judged in Ghent.

To write this standard, these three specialists will base themselves on the standard that the Club du Lévrier Français had written and published for its own account in 1913 (this document itself based on a description of what the breed should be written in 1896 by Artem Boldareff). Messrs. Boldareff and Cheremeteff, therefore take up the 1st French standard by simplifying it and make some modifications and additional clarifications.

This standard was adopted by the general assembly of the U.I.C.L. held in Paris on July 20, 1924 and was made mandatory from January 1, 1925 for all affiliated clubs. It was also approved by Grand Duke Nicholas.

Note: the F.C.I. actually left it to the U.I.C.L. to establish standards for greyhounds until 1956, when it took over the publications and any modifications.

Below is the 1st standard, as proposed in 1924:

Report by Mr Artem Boldareff, Count Boris Cheremeteff and Count Dimitri Cheremeteff.
“Having been instructed by the Assembly of 9 November 1923 in Ghent of the International Union of Greyhound Clubs to express our opinion on the existing barzoi standards, we have the honour to present the report of our committee. We assume that it would be convenient to base ourselves on the French standard while introducing some changes. We find that this standard contains a little too much detail which could have been essential ten or twelve years ago, but at a time when barzoi enthusiasts have a very clear idea of the breed, these details seem superfluous to us. Here are the changes we have the honor to propose.”

General appearance: The general appearance of the borzoi is due to the noble and noble nature of the dog, as well as the balance of its forms and movements. General appearance, which is the most authoritative proof of racial purity, should never be sacrificed to the perfection of other points, important as these may be.

Head: Long and narrow, extremely lean and finely chiseled. The skull is as long and narrow as possible consistent with the rest of the dog’s build. It ends in a clearly emphasized point. The snout is long narrow and dry. It goes over to the nose in a very slight arc. The teeth literally close together without biting over or under. The nostrils protrude beyond the lower jaw. The nose must be black, the snout not pointed. In the ideal head, the skull and muzzle should form a very obtuse angle. The oblong shaped eyes should be close together and equidistant from the occiput to the tip of the snout, neither sunken nor prominent (but a fleur de tete). They are dark in color and their lids are outlined in black.

The ears, very mobile, set high and tapering to a point, lie backwards on the neck when at rest. Her refinement is proof of pure breed. If something catches the borzoi’s attention, he often carries his ears pricked up like a horse, or even better, he tilts the tips of the pricked ears forward.

Neck: Of medium length and without dewlap.

Torso: Shoulders are flat, well defined and cannot be sloping enough. The tips of the shoulder blades almost touch. The back is rather short in males, gradually rounding towards the loins, describing a long and pleasing arch, but not giving the impression of a hump. The bitch’s back is less arched than the male’s, a flatter back is not a fault in her.

The chest is rather flat, but exceptionally deep. It often reaches to the elbows. The ribs are flat or only slightly rounded. This breast shape is characteristic of the borzoi.

The belly is tucked up and invisible under the flanks. The kidneys are as short as possible in males, they may be longer in females, the flanks are strong and tense, more spacious in females than in males. The loin is long, strongly muscled, sloping in a curved line towards the croup so that the curve of the back continues over the loin and croup to end in the hindquarters. The croup is long and wide, four fingers of a man’s hand should fit between the hip bones.

Limbs: Front legs perfectly straight, bones flat and lean, not round. Seen from the front they are narrow, from the side wider at the shoulders, gradually narrowing towards the feet.
The elbows should not turn outwards, but should not be too tight against the body either.

Hindquarters: These are wider than the forequarters. The thighs have very broad, long and flat bones and are provided with powerfully developed muscles. The hocks form a more or less pronounced angle. The thighs cannot be long and wide enough. The metatarsus should be short. Under no circumstances should the hindquarters be too straight. The paws are long, with closed toes, reminiscent of rabbit feet. The dog rests more on its toes than on its pads.

The tail is one of the most distinctive points of the breed. When resting, it is carried downwards, in the shape of a sickle or probably a saber. It is very supple and as long as possible. A curling tail or one that is carried higher than its base is defective. Laterally deviating tail may be considered a blemish.

Hair: The hair is long, not woolly, with a silky sheen, wavy and with large curls. Short hair is a major fault, small curls or frizzy hair are considered blemishes.
Plain and short on the head, ears and front of the legs, it is longer and wavy on the back, more curled on the thighs, shorter on the flanks. Particularly long and curly, forming a dense ruff from which the head protrudes, it hangs on the neck. This is the borzoi’s special ornament, as are the long fringes on the back of the front legs, chest, back of the thighs and tail.

Color: The most prized colors are: All white, white with yellow, orange, red, brindle or gray markings. There are also single-colored dogs, the color of which should lighten towards the extremities. The patches of color should not stand out too sharply against the white. White with black plates or all black is little appreciated. Black with red marking (black with burn) with or without white is a big mistake.

Size: Medium size: males 75.5 cm (17 verschlag, Russian measure), females 71 cm (16 verschlag). The largest dogs are seldom higher than 82 cm. Magnificence is generally valued as long as it is not at the expense of the harmony of the overall picture.

 

 

The illustrated borzoi standard of 1940

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE BRITISH STANDARD OF 1953

1953 BORZOI BREED STANDARD UNITED KINGDOM

 

CHARACTERISTICS

Alertness, dignity, courage.

 

GENERAL APPEARANCE

Very graceful, aristocratic and elegant, combining courage, muscular power and great speed.

 

HEAD AND SKULL

Head long and lean; well filled in below the eyes.  Measurement equal from the occiput to the inner corner of the eye, and from the inner corner of the eye to tip of nose.  Skull very slightly domed and narrow, stop not perceptible, inclining to Roman nose.  Head so fine that the direction of the bones and principal veins can be clearly seen.  Bitches’ heads should be finer than dogs’.  Jaws long, deep and powerful; nose large and black, not pink or brown, nicely rounded, neither cornered nor sharp.  Viewed from above should look narrow, converging very gradually to tip of nose.

 

EYES

Dark, intelligent, alert and keen.  Almond shaped, set obliquely, placed well back but not too far apart.  Eye rims dark.  Eyes should not be light, round or staring.

 

EARS

Small and fine in quality; not too far apart.  They should be active and responsive; when alert can be erect; when in repose nearly touching at the occiput.

 

MOUTH

Teeth even, neither pig-jawed nor undershot.

 

NECK

Clean, slightly arched; reasonably long; powerful.  Well set on, free from throatiness.  Flat at the sides, not round.

 

FOREQUARTERS

Shoulders clean, sloping well back, fine at withers, free from lumpiness.  Forelegs lean and straight.  Seen from the front, narrow, like blades, from the side, wide at shoulder, narrowing down to foot; elbows neither turned in nor out; pasterns strong, flexible and springy.

 

BODY

Chest, great depth of brisket, rather narrow.  Ribs well sprung and flexible; neither flat sided nor barrel-shaped.  Very deep, giving heart room and lung play, especially in the case of mature males.  (It is from depth of chest rather than breadth that the Borzoi derives it’s heart room and lung play.)  Back rising in a graceful arch from as near the shoulder as possible with a well-balanced fall-away.  The arch to be more marked in dogs than bitches.  Rather bony, muscular and free from any cavity.  Muscles highly developed and well distributed.

 

HINDQUARTERS

Loins, broad and very powerful, with plenty of muscular development.  Quarters should be wider than shoulders, ensuring stability of stance.  Thighs long, muscular, stifles well bent, hocks broad, clean and well let down.

 

FEET

Front feet rather long, toes close together, well arched never flat, neither turning in nor out.  Hind feet hare-like, i.e. longer and less arched.

 

TAIL

Long, rather low set.  Well feathered, carried low, not gaily.  In action may be used as rudder, but not rising above the level of back.  From hocks may be sickle shaped but not ringed.

 

COAT

Long and silky (never wooly), either flat, wavy or rather curly.  Short and smooth on head, ears and front of legs, on neck and the frill profuse and rather curly, forelegs and chest well feathered, on hindquarters and tail feathering long and profuse.

 

COLOUR

In the opinion of the Club a dog should never be penalized for being self-coloured.

 

SIZE

Height at shoulder:  Dogs from 29 inches upwards, bitches from 27 inches upwards.

 

 FAULTS

Short neck, coarse and big ears.  “Dish Faced”, coarse head, light or rounded eyes, straight shoulders, flat back, arch starting too far back, too narrow in front.  Round bone, straight hocks, weak quarters coarse coat, splay footed, too close behind, also lack of quality and lack of condition.

 

Points decided on at the Club’s General Meeting in 1922.

 

Head complete (eyes and ears included)  …………………………  15

Neck ……………………………………………………………………  10

Shoulders and chest …………………………………………………   15

Ribs, back and loins ……………………………………………………15

Hindquarters, stifles and hocks ……………………………………….15

Legs and feet ……………………………………………………………15

Coat, tail and feather  …………………………………………………  10

General appearance ……………………………………………………05

 

TOTAL ………………… 100

 

FCI Standard 1969

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The first standard established by the F.C.I.

(Version of 28.02.1969)

 

1. GENERAL APPEARANCE AND CHARACTER

The general appearance of the Barzoi is characterized by an imposing size, the richness of the fur, the beauty of the colors, the balance of proportions, the elegance of the movements and the harmony of the forms, which give it an undeniable nobility. It probably descends from the ancient Russian greyhound with a slight addition of blood from Crimean and Caucasian greyhounds.
His character is generally distinguished by the calm and restraint of his behavior, by great security and self-control. In the race, he is fast and enduring. In battle, it is a dangerous opponent because despite its elegance, it is a powerful and courageous dog. It is used in the U.S.S.R. as a hunting dog and, as such, it is distinguished by a piercing eyesight, great speed – especially over short distances, and its bite towards game. General appearance and character are the primary qualification criteria. The general appearance, which is the main indicator of breed purity, should never be sacrificed to perfection of other points, no matter how important.

Size: The height at the withers is 70 to 82 cm and more for the dog; The bitch is about 5 cm smaller. As a rule, the largest size is estimated as long as it is not acquired at the expense of the harmony of overall appearance and performance. The height at the withers is barely greater than that of the rump or is equal to it.

Format: Slightly stretched rectangle, i.e. the length of the body is 1 to 2 cm greater than the total height measured at the shoulder.

Type: Slender (dolicocephalic, limbs stretched, chest thin and flat, but deep).

Use: Hunting dog, especially for hare, fox and wolf. In Western Europe, often used as a racing dog.

2. HEAD

General characteristics: Both seen in profile and from above, the head should appear long, narrow, dry and finely chiseled, gradually thinning towards the nose. Its length and width should be proportional to the length and width of the body, as well as the length and thinness of the limbs. The length of the muzzle is slightly longer than that of the skull. The front-nose profile is particularly characteristic in that, by the absence of frontal depression, it forms a very obtuse angle, the apex of which is located at the height of the protuberances, frontal little accentuated (that is, above the eyes).

Skull: Flat, slightly receding and, due to a development of the zygomatic arches, very narrow. The occipital tip is very pronounced.

Muzzle: Strong, long, narrow, dry, shallow. The slightly busted chamfer forms, with the lower part of the muzzle which is straight, the sides of an acute angle opening backwards. Thin and dry lips are tight over the gums and have black pigmented edges.

Truffle: Relatively large, considerably exceeding the incisors. It must be black regardless of the color of the dress.

Teeth: It is desired complete, strongly developed and closing well. The incisors are either “scissors” or pliers. “Lower or higher prognathism is a great defect. Due to the length of the jaws, the premolars are implanted at intervals.

Eyes: Large, almond-shaped, the color of the iris as dark as possible (brown brown). They are relatively close together, placed slightly back from the middle of the total length of the head. Their expression is soft but awake. The opening of the eyelids is slightly oblique; they must be bordered in black.

Ears: Attached high and back, relatively small, thin, narrow and ending in a point. Usually, they rest back on the neck (rose-shaped), their tips touching. When the dog is awake, he can wear straight ears, the tip sometimes falling forward.

3. COLL

The neck is long, well muscled, laterally flattened, the upper part slightly curved, without dewlap, richly trimmed with fur.

4. BODY

Back, forms, especially in the male, a large lowered arch whose highest point is at the level of the last rib. The may have a flatter back. The front and back parts of the back are in a ratio of about 1: 1. The entire back, especially the lumbar part, is relatively wide and very muscular.

Tourniquet: Not accentuated.

Chest: It is relatively long and very deep (up to the elbows), but proportionally narrow and flat with weakly rounded ribs. The chest is not very pronounced. The rib cage forms a convex arch in its lower part.

Belly: Strongly upturned, poorly developed.

Croup: Long, wide and muscular. Prolonging the curvature of the back, it gradually descends into the hindquarters. The hip bones should be separated by an interval of at least one hand width (about 8 cm).

5. TAIL

It is tied low, sickle-shaped or scimitar-shaped, very abundantly lined with hair, as long as possible. Passed between the thighs, it must reach the tip of the nearest hip bone. At rest, it is worn low; In excitement, it can be worn raised but not above the back line. A tail curled, deviated or carried too high is a defect of beauty.

6. FOREHAND

As a whole, it is long, dry, muscular. Seen from the front and from the side, the limbs are straight. The angles of the joints are relatively small. Thus, the angle of the shoulder and that of the elbow are wide open. Nevertheless, an overly vertical (“column”) provision must be rejected as faulty. All the component parts of the forehand are distinguished by their respective considerable length. The length of the forelimbs is approximately half the height at the withers.

Shoulders: They are long, narrow and flat, lined with tendon muscles, long and powerful, well attached to the body. The upper edge of the scapula hardly extends beyond the dorsal epiphysis.

Arm: also long, set relatively straight and very sharply muscular. The elbows should be pointing backwards, not loose or too tight.

Forearm: Particularly long and vertical. Seen from the front, it appears narrow; seen from the side, Iarge because of his dry musculature. Its posterior part is lined with hair fringes.

Carp: Strong, slightly bent.

Pastern: Relatively short and not absolutely vertical.

Feet: Laid parallel, narrow, oval-shaped, fingers tightly packed and well arched. Strong nails and well-pigmented soles.

7. ARRIERE-MAIN

As a whole, it is also long, but much more muscular than the forehand and with more pronounced angles. Although the coxofemoral and femoro-tibial angles, as well as the angle of the hock are well open, they are less obtuse than the corresponding angles of the forehand. Seen from the rear, the limbs are straight and parallel, plumb wider than the forehand. Seen from the side, they appear as slightly postponed back.
Thigh: Long, wide, with dry musculature, excessively developed. The anterior part is well lined with hair. The knee joint is well marked.

Leg: Long, tendon musculature. .

Shank: Well descended, strong, wide, dry. Seen from the side, it appears slightly concave in its anterior part.

Metatarsus: Short, but longer than the metacarpal and placed vertically.
Feet: Like the forehand.

8. ALLURES

Great strides, flexible in step and trot. Hunting. until the raising of the game, a trot not very fast; During the pursuit, a fast gallop and large soft leaps.

9. SKIN

It is finely textured, well stretched, well pigmented (even in all-white subjects), without loose folds.

10. HAIR

Long, silky, wavy or in large curls. Extremely thick around the neck, at the lower part of the chest, at the back of the fore and hind limbs, at the tail. Short on the head, ears and front of the limbs. A short hair, small curls or frisettes pass for a defect of beauty.

11. COLOR

White; gold of all shades; silvered gold; shaded gold; fire shaded with black, muzzle and limbs dark; grey; silver-grey to yellowish-grey; brindle: gold, tan or grey with extended stripes of darker hue; fire, black and all the intermediate shades of these colors. Fire marks are allowed, but not desirable.

In dark-colored subjects, the black mask is characteristic, as well as extensive dark markings on the body.

All colors can be solid or spotted on a white background.

In single-colored dogs, the color is darker on it and lightens towards the extremities and the posterior part of the limbs.

 

DEFECTS AND INADEQUACIES OF THE BARZOI (PSOWAYA BARSAYA):

General appearance, type of constitution.
Too high on legs, too long, low on legs, height 5 cm below the fixed standard.

Colour.
Keys “fire” too showy, color “coffee” with speckles.

Coat.
Dull, short, ruffled, sparsely supplied; insufficient development of “panties” and fringes, hard hair; coat dru evenly distributed throughout the body.

Head.
Accentuated passage from forehead to chamfer; coarse; protruding zygomatic arches. Muzzle too pointed; clear truffle.

Ears.
Tied low, too far apart, insufficiently applied to the neck, large, coarse, rounded ends.

Eyes.
Small, round cut of the eyelids, clear eyes, light eyelids.

Neck.
Round, coarse.

Chest.
Too narrow, too wide.

Back.
Narrow, sagging, hunchbacked; a saddled back is a great defect. A flat back is a defect in dogs, imperfections in dogs.

Rump.
Narrow, insufficient.

Belly.
Weakly upturned, exaggerated in length.

Forehand.
Weak ankles: deviation inside or outside the elbows; legs deviated outside, gait floundering, heaviness; traces of rickets.

Back hand.
Paws cagneuses, torsos; angle of hock weakly pronounced; too straight at the back; toes too thick.

Legs.
Toes apart; feet round, fleshy.

Tail.
Short, coiled, carried high, bent sideways; fringes insufficiently developed.

All these defects are to be taxed as defects or imperfections according to the degree of their accentuation.

Event year

 

 

AKC STANDARD 1972

AKC Standard for the Borzoi

General Appearance:

The Borzoi was originally bred for the coursing of wild game on more or less open terrain, relying on sight rather than scent. To accomplish this purpose, the Borzoi needed particular structural qualities to chase, catch and hold his quarry. Special emphasis is placed on sound running gear, strong neck and jaws, courage and agility, combined with proper condition. The Borzoi should always possess unmistakable elegance, with flowing lines, graceful in motion or repose. Males, masculine without coarseness; bitches, feminine and refined.

Head:

Skull slightly domed, long and narrow, with scarcely any perceptible stop, inclined to be Roman-nosed. Jaws long, powerful and deep, somewhat finer in bitches but not snipy. Teeth strong and clean with either an even or a scissors bite. Missing teeth should be penalized. Nose large and black.

Ears:

Small and fine in quality, lying back on the neck when in repose with the tips when thrown back almost touching behind occiput; raised when at attention.

Eyes:

Set somewhat obliquely, dark in color, intelligent but rather soft in expression; never round, full nor staring, nor light in color; eye rims dark; inner corner midway between tip of nose and occiput.

Neck:

Lean, free from throatiness; slightly arched, very powerful and well set on.

Shoulders:

Sloping, fine at the withers and free from coarseness or lumber.

Chest:

Rather narrow, with great depth of brisket.

Ribs:

Only slightly sprung, but very deep giving room for heart and lung play.

Back:

Rising a little at the loins in a graceful curve.

Loins:

Extremely muscular, but rather tucked up, owing to the great depth of chest and comparative shortness of back and ribs.

Forelegs:

Bones straight and somewhat flattened like blades, with the narrower edge forward. The elbows have free play and are turned neither in nor out. Pasterns strong.

Feet:

Hare-shaped, with well-arched knuckles, toes close and well padded.

Hindquarters:

Long, very muscular and powerful with well bent stifles; somewhat wider than the forequarters; strong first and second thighs; hocks clean and well let down; legs parallel when viewed from the rear.

Dewclaws:

Dewclaws, if any, on the hind legs are generally removed; dewclaws on the forelegs may be removed.

 

Tail:

Long, set on and carried low in a graceful curve.

Coat:

Long, silky (not woolly), either flat, wavy or rather curly. On the head, ears and front of legs it should be short and smooth; on the neck the frill should be profuse and rather curly. Feather on hindquarters and tail, long and profuse, less so on chest and back of forelegs.

Color:

Any color, or combination of colors, is acceptable.

Size:

Mature males should be at least 28 inches at the withers and mature bitches at least 26 inches at the withers. Dogs and bitches below these respective limits should be severely penalized; dogs and bitches above the respective limits should not be penalized as long as extra size is not acquired at the expense of symmetry, speed and staying quality. Range in weight for males from 75 to 105 pounds and for bitches from 15 to 20 pounds less.

Gait:

Front legs must reach well out in front with pasterns strong and springy. Hackneyed motion with mincing gait is not desired nor is weaving and crossing. However, while the hindlegs are wider apart than the front, the feet tend to move closer to the center line when the dog moves at a fast trot. When viewed from the side there should be a noticeable drive with a ground-covering stride from well-angulated stifles and hocks. The overall appearance in motion should be that of effortless power, endurance, speed, agility, smoothness and grace.

Faults:

The foregoing description is that of the ideal Borzoi. Any deviation from the above described dog must be penalized to the extent of the deviation, keeping in mind the importance of the contribution of the various features toward the basic original purpose of the breed.
Approved June 13, 1972

 

The FCI Standard of 2001

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Second version of the FCI Standard (March 13, 2001 release)

 

In 1995, after a long period of conflict with the U.S. R.S.S., the F.C.I. establishes a partnership contract with the Russian Canine Federation (R.K.F.), Russia having agreed to make a major effort to return to its fold. This partnership contract was signed on 21 December 1995 in Vienna (Austria). These new provisions allow Russia to finally be sovereign of the Barzoi standard, since, by definition, the country of origin of the breed has its standard (which is then endorsed and published by the F.C.I.).

On June 9, 2000, the F.C.I. therefore endorsed another version of the standard drafted by the Russian Canine Federation. However, this version quickly provoked a number of disputes in various European countries. Some modifications and corrections were made and a new version which can be described as the “bis” version was published on 13 March 2001. It is set up for a minimum period of five years.

 

– BARZOI STANDARD –

 

ORIGIN: Russia
DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE ORIGINAL STANDARD IN FORCE: 13.03.2001.
USE: Hunting greyhound, racing and running dog.

BRIEF HISTORICAL OVERVIEW: The Russkaya Psovaya Borzaya has been an integral part of Russian national culture and history for 9 centuries. Thus, the French Chronicle of the eleventh century testifies that three barzois followed the daughter of the Grand Duke of Kiev Anna Yaroslavna when she arrived in France to become the wife of Henry I. Among the owners and breeders there were many famous people including the Tsars and poets: Ivan the Terrible, Peter the Great, Nicholas II, Pushkin, Turgenev. The creation of the famous breeding “Pershinskaya okhota” by the illustrious breeders Grand Duke Nikolai Nicolaievich and Dmitry Valtsev was of great importance. From the end of the nineteenth century, we see the barzoï in the largest farms in Europe and America.

GENERAL APPEARANCE: Dog of aristocratic appearance, large size, of constitution both dry and robust, of very slightly elongated construction. Females are usually longer than males. Strong frame, but not massive. The bones are quite flat. Dry musculature, well developed, especially on the thighs, but not in relief. The harmony of forms and movement is paramount.

IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS:
– In males the height at the withers is equal to or barely higher than that of the top of the rump on the ground.
– In females these heights are equal.
– The height at the withers should be a little less than the length of the body.
– The height of the chest is approximately half the height at the withers.
– The length of the muzzle, from the stop to the end of the truffle, is equal to or slightly greater than that of the skull, from the occiput to the stop.

BEHAVIOR / CHARACTER: In his everyday life the barzoi has the quiet and balanced character. At the sight of the game he gets excited suddenly. He has piercing eyesight, able to see very far. His reaction is impetuous.

TETE: Dry, long, narrow, aristocratic. Seen in profile, the lines of the skull and chamfer form a long, slightly convex line, with the line of the sincipital region (sagittal crest) being straight or slightly oblique towards the occipital protrusion well marked. The head is so elegant and dry that the large veins shine through under the skin.

CRANIAL REGION:
Skull: narrow skull, seen from above: elongated in oval, seen in profile: almost flat.
Stop: Very little marked.

FACIAL REGION:
Truffle: Large, mobile, considerably protruding from the lower jaw.
Chamfer: Long, filled in all its length, busqué near the truffle.
Muzzle: The length of the muzzle of the stop at the end of the truffle is equal to or slightly longer than that of the skull, from the occiput to the stop.
Lips: Thin, dry, fitting the jaws well. The periphery of the eyes, lips and truffle are black, regardless of the color of the dress.
Teeth: White, strong, articulated in scissors or pliers.
Eyes: Large, expressive, dark hazelnut or dark brown, a little on the head, almond-shaped but not bridled, placed obliquely.
Ears: Small, flexible, mobile, attached above the line of the eye and back, almost towards the nape of the neck, the ends of the ears located close to each other or directed downwards along the neck and tightly pressed against it. When the dog is awake the ears are worn higher and to the sides or forward; sometimes one or both ears are erected in horse ears.

NECK: Long, dry, flattened laterally, muscular, slightly curved. Worn quite low.

BODY:
Withers: Not marked.
Back: wide, muscular, elastic. The back forms with the kidney and rump an arche that is more pronounced in males. The highest point of this arche is in the region of the first or second lumbar vertebra.
Kidney: Long, prominent, muscular, moderately wide.
Croup: Long, wide, slightly inclined. The width of the rump measured between the protrusions of the iliac bones should not be less than 8 cm.
Chest: Oval in cross-section, not narrow, yet no wider than the rump, high, well developed in length, voluminous, descended almost to the level of the elbows. Since the shoulder blade area is flatter, the chest gradually widens towards the false ribs, which are short, which, seen in profile, forms a change in slope. The ribs are long, slightly prominent. The chest stands out slightly in relation to the scapulohumeral joint.
Belly: Well rolled up. The bottom line rises steeply towards the belly.

TAIL: Sickle or sword shaped, attached low, thin, long. Passed between the hind limbs, it must reach the protrusion of the iliac bone; it is garnished with an abundant plume. When the dog is in the station, the tail falls down. In action, it is raised, but without exceeding the level of the back.

LIMBS:
Forelimbs: Dry, muscular, seen from the front perfectly straight and parallel. The height of the forelimbs from the elbow to the ground is equal to or slightly more than half the height at the withers.
Shoulders: The shoulder blades are long and oblique.
Arms: Moderately oblique, its length is barely greater than the length of the shoulder blades. Angle of the scapulohumeral joint well pronounced.
Elbows: They are located in planes parallel to the median plane of the body.
Forearm: Dry, long, oval cross-section, seen narrowly, seen wide in profile.
Metacarpus: Slightly oblique to the ground.
Hind limbs: Seen from behind, straight, parallel, a little more widely separated than the forelimbs. When the dog is in free station, the lowered vertical of the ischial tuberosity must pass in front of the center of the hock and metatarsus.
Thighs: Well-muscled, long, placed obliquely.
Leg: Long, muscular, placed obliquely. Well-developed, wide, dry femoro-tibial and tibio-tarsal joints; the angles must be well accused.
Metatarsal: Not long, placed almost vertically.
All joints are well angulated.

FEET: Dry, narrow, of an elongated oval, called hare feet, arched, fingers tight. Nails long, strong, touching the ground.

ALLURES : Apart from hunting, the typical Barzoï look is the elongated trot, easy very flexible and airy; During the hunt, extremely fast charging gallop, with strides of great amplitude. SKIN: Flexible, elastic. DRESS:
Hair: Silky, soft and supple, wavy or forming short curls. On the head, ears and limbs, the hair is satin (silky but heavier), short, well lying against the body. On the body, the hair is quite long, wavy; on the regions of the shoulder blades and rump it forms thinner curls; on the sides and thighs the hair is shorter; The hair forming the fringes, breeches and tail plume is longer.
Color: Combination of all colors, except combination with blue, brown (chocolate) and all derivatives of these colors. All colors can be uniform or pie. The fringes, panties, tail plume are considerably lighter than the background color. For charcoal colors, the black mask is typical.

Size:
Height at withers sought: 75 to 85 cm for males, 68 to 78 cm for females. In males, the height at the withers is equal to or only slightly greater than that of the top of the rump on the ground. In females these heights are equal.
Subjects exceeding the maximum height are allowed provided that the typical morphology is saved.

 

DEFECTS: Any deviation from the above must be considered as a defect that will be penalized according to its severity. General appearance:
– Light or massive construction.
– Appearance collected or high on legs.
– Light bone.
– Insufficiently developed musculature.
Head:
– Abrupt stop.
– Wedge-shaped profile of the head marked due to the exaggerated height of the skull.
– Broad front.
– Zygomatic developed.
– Chamfer too narrow. Short chamfer.
– Protruding eyebrow arches.
Teeth:
– Small, abnormally worn. Lack of PM2.
– The lack of premolars 1 or molars 3 is not taken into consideration.
Eyes:
– Small, round, light hazelnut; slanted eyes (palpebral opening too narrow).
– Semi-lunar fold too developed.
Ears: Placed low, not set back.
Neck: Short, carried high.
Body:
– Back: Narrow, with a hollow in the region of the anticlinal vertebra (11th vertebra), too arched.
– Kidney: Short, straight, narrow.
– Croup: Narrow, short, in desk.
– Chest: Narrow, flat, not high – its lower line much higher than the level of the elbows.
– Belly : Little upturned.
Tail: Attached high or too low, raised high, tail tip ring-shaped; falling sideways; poorly developed plume; short tail.
Forelimbs:
– Scapulohumeral angle too open.
– Elbows outside or inside.
– Slightly twisted forearm.
– Metacarpals too short, too oblique or too straight.
– Slightly panard or cagneux feet.
Hind limbs:
– Angles of the joints insufficiently closed, angles too closed.
– Hocks too closed or too open.
– Cagneux feet.
Feet: Tends to be a little wide, a little round, fleshy (large) or flat, fingers apart.
Skin: Insufficiently supple.
Hair: Dull, ruffled; fringes, breeches, tail plume poorly developed. Straight hair. Thin curls all over the body.

Colour: Speckles of the same tone as the background colour.

 

DEFAUTS GRAVES :

General appearance:
– Soft constitution, coarse construction.
– Short trunk.
– Heavy, coarse frame.
– Round bones.
Head:
– Soft tissues.
– Truncated muzzle.
Teeth: Lack of PM3, PM4 (lower jaw), M1 (upper jaw), M2.
Eyes: Sunken, yellow.
Ears: Thick, coarse, with rounded ends.
Neck: With baleen or loose skin at the throat, neck of round section.
Back: Sagging, straight back for males.
Croup: Very narrow, very short, very desk.
Chest: Hollow in its anterior part, barrel chest.
Belly: Swallowed.
Tail: Coarse, in action falling downwards.
Forelimbs: Significant deviations from description; curl, forearm of round section.
Hind limbs: Significant deviations from the description
Feet: Wide, round – cat’s feet, flat and fingers apart.
Skin: Soft
Hair: Stiff, bristly.
Color: Speckles of a tone other than the background color.

ELIMINATORY DEFECTS:

Behavior / Character: aggressiveness towards people.
Presence of ergots.
Eye: Vairon.
Teeth:
– Upper or lower prognathism. Asymmetrical articulated.
– Lack of an incisor, a canine, a carnivore (PM4 of the upper jaw, M1 of the lower jaw). Absence of more than 4 teeth of any kind.
– Malposition of one or both canines of the lower jaw that can cause injuries to the gums of the upper jaw or palate when closing the jaws.
Tail: Corkscrew-shaped, broken (fused vertebrae), cut, even partially.
Color: Brown (chocolate), blue.

N.B.: Males must have two testicles of normal appearance and completely descended into the scrotum.

Translation:
Tatiana Dreier (R.K.F.) and Professor Raymond Triquet (France)

 

The Canadian Borzoi Standard 2004

Borzoi

Origin and Purpose

The Borzoi was originally bred for the coursing of hare, fox and wolves on more or less open terrain, relying on sight rather than scent. To accomplish this purpose, the Borzoi must be courageous, powerful, and capable of great speed. Special emphasis is placed on sound running structure, strong neck and jaws, keenness to game, and agility combined with proper condition.

General Appearance

A well-balanced hound which is graceful, aristocratic and dignified. The Borzoi should always possess unmistakable elegance with flowing lines, graceful in motion or repose. Dogs masculine without coarseness, bitches feminine and refined.

Temperament

Sensitive, alert to the environment with a quiet dignity. Aggressiveness or shyness undesirable.

Size

Dogs 28-32 inches (71-81 cm), and bitches 27-30 inches (68-76 cm) at the withers. The height at the withers is equal to the height at the hips, or the withers slightly higher. Extra size is no disadvantage when it is not acquired at the expense of symmetry, soundness, and efficiency.

Coat and Colour

Silky in texture, never harsh, wiry or coarse. Coat may be flat, wavy or rather curly. Short and smooth on head and ears as well as on forelegs and hind legs below the hock. Much longer on body with heavy feathering on backs of forelegs, hindquarters, tail, and chest. On the neck, the frill is profuse and rather curly. Coats tend to be more profuse in males. Quantity of coat and undercoat is determined by maturity and seasonal changes. The undercoat is dense and soft. Any colour or pattern acceptable.

Head

Skull and Muzzle: Head long and lean and in proportion to the dog’s size and substance. Viewed from above, the skull should look narrow, converging very gradually to the tip of the nose. The occipital process is accentuated. Well filled between and below the eyes. Measurement GROUP II HOUNDS II-6

Canadian Kennel Club Official Breed Standards

 

II-6.1 GROUP II HOUNDS BORZOI

equal from the occiput to the inner corner of the eye (canthus) and from there to the tip of the nose. Skull slightly flat to slightly domed and narrow. Stop almost imperceptible. Head fine so that the direction of the bones and principal veins can be clearly seen. Seen from the side, the head and muzzle form a smooth, uninterrupted and slightly convex line. From the end of the nasal bone the nasal cartilage slopes slightly down to the nostrils. Nose large, black, nicely rounded and over- reaching. Mouth: Jaws deep, long and powerful, with proportionally large teeth. Scissor bite preferred, level bite acceptable. Full dentition preferred. The lips are black rimmed, thin and well stretched. Eyes large, neither bulbous, staring nor sunken. Expression is kind, intelligent and alert. Eyes dark brown, placed well back but not too wide apart. Eyelids set somewhat obliquely. Eye rims black and slightly almond shaped. Ears small, pointed and fine-leathered. Set high, not too far apart: tips nearly touching behind the occiput; when in repose folded back along the neck. Should be active and responsive; may be erect when alert, the tips sometimes falling over.

Neck

The neck should be well set on, widening gradually into the shoulders; clean, free from throatiness, slightly arched, well muscled, flat on the sides. The length of the neck should be approximately equal to the length of the head.

Forequarters

Withers not accentuated. Shoulders clean, sloping back, flat muscled. Forelegs, when seen from the front, appear bladed, clean and straight, elbows neither in nor out. Seen from the side, width at the shoulder narrowing down to the pastern; elbows directed to the rear in a vertical line to the withers. Pasterns slightly sloping, strong, flexible and springy. The length of the forearms is about half the total height at the withers.

Body

Chest: rib cage relatively long, of oval cut, slightly sprung, great depth of brisket to the level of the elbows. The sternum is slightly pronounced with adequate width of forechest. The abdomen is well tucked up. Back: rising in a graceful curve over the loins. The highest point of the curve is situated over the last rib. The spines of the vertebrae are prominent and the pelvic bones palpable. The curve may be less pronounced in bitches than in dogs. Loin: broad, powerful and very muscular; not long. Croup: long, wide and well muscled with a gradual fall away. The greatest width is at the hip joints.

January 2004

 

BORZOI GROUP II HOUNDS II-6.2

Hindquarters

Hindquarters wider than shoulders. Hind legs long and very muscular. Thighs long and well developed with good second thigh. Stifles well angulated, hock joints broad, clean, and set low. Posterior line of the hock is vertical. When seen from the side the legs are slightly set back where a line can be dropped from the end of the pelvis (tuber Ischii) through the knuckles of the foot.

Feet

Harefoot, well padded, never flat, neither turning in nor out. Toes close together and well arched. Hind feet longer. Removal of dewclaws optional.

Tail

Long, rather low set, the tail bone reaching well below the hock joint. Well feathered, carried low in a graceful curve. In action may be used as a counter balance but not rising above the level of the back except when galloping. From the level of the hocks the tail may be sickle- shaped but not ringed.

Gait

A typical trot is a gait of moderate speed. At the trot, the front legs must reach well out with pasterns strong and springy. The rear legs are wider apart than the front while walking, but the feet tend to move closer to the midline as the dog accelerates. A flexible back is observable. When viewed from the side, there should be a noticeable drive with a ground covering stride. The overall appearance in motion should be that of effortless power, agility, smoothness, and grace. Hackney action or restricted gait is not desired. When in pursuit of prey, the dog moves at a very rapid gallop showing full extension and flexion of limbs and back exhibiting great speed and endurance.

Faults

The foregoing description is that of the ideal Borzoi. Any deviation from the above described dog must be penalized to the extent of the deviation, keeping in mind the original purpose of the breed.

Note:

A male animal should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.

Canadian Kennel Club Official Breed Standards

 

II-6.3 GROUP II HOUNDS BORZOI

January 2004

Event year

2004

 

FCI Standard for Borzoi 2006

 

FEDERATION CYNOLOGIQUE INTERNATIONALE (AISBL)

SECRETARIAT GENERAL: 13, Place Albert 1er  B – 6530 Thuin (Belgique)

                                                                                                                           ______________________________________________________________________________                                     

  

22.11.2006/EN 

 

FCI-Standard N° 193

  

BORZOI- RUSSIAN HUNTING SIGHTHOUND

(Russkaya Psovaya Borzaya)

 

TRANSLATION : R.K.F., revised by U. Fischer, R. Triquet and J.Mulholland.

 

ORIGIN : Russia.

 

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE OFFICIAL VALID

STANDARD :  25.10.06.

 

UTILIZATION : Hunting sighthound, racing and coursing hound.

 

CLASSIFICATION F.C.I. : Group 10 Sighthounds.

Section 1            Long-haired or fringed

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 Tsars 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 : Viewed from above as well as from the side, 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 : Narrow; seen from above : elongated into an oval shape; seen in profile, almost flat.

Stop : Only very slightly marked.

 

FACIAL REGION :

Nose : Large, mobile, considerably prominent in relation to the lower jaw.

Top of muzzle : Long, filled out in all its length, slightly arched near the nose.

Muzzle : 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 : Strong underjaw. Teeth white, strong; scissor bite or pincer bite.

Eyes : Large, very slightly prominent, expressive, dark hazel or dark brown, almond-shaped, but not slit-eyed, set obliquely.

Ears : Small, thin, mobile, set on above the eye level and backwards, pointing almost towards the nape of the neck when not alert. The tips of the ears are 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, never carried high.

 

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 ahead of the middle of the loin or 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 or 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 naturally, the tail hangs downwards.  In action, it is raised, but not above the level of the back.

 

LIMBS

 

FOREQUARTERS :

General appearance : 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 a little superior to half  the height at the withers.

Shoulders : Shoulder blades are 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 planes to the median plane of the body. Forearm : Clean, long, of oval cross-section; seen from the front, narrow, seen in profile, broad.

Metacarpus (pastern) : Slightly oblique in relation to the ground.

 

HINDQUARTERS :

General appearance : Seen from behind : straight, parallel, set slightly wider than the forequarters.  When the dog is standing naturallly, 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, placed 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.

Metatarsus (rear pastern) : 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, but never small tight 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. The coat on the neck is dense and abundant.

 

COLOUR : All colour combinations, but never with blue, brown (chocolate) and any derivatives of these colours.

All the colours may be solid or pied.  The fringes, « breeches », featherings of the tail are considerably lighter than the ground 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. Subjects 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 and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog, especially:

Teeth :

• Small, abnormally worn teeth.  Absence of one PM2.
• PM1s and M3s are not taken into account.

Colour :

• Flecks of the same shade as the ground colour.

SEVERE FAULTS :

General appearance :

• Stocky appearance ; short trunk.
• Heavy, round bone.

Head :

• Soft tissues.
• Blunt muzzle.
• Very pronounced stop.
• Very pronounced zygomatic arches.
• Occiput not pronounced.

Teeth :

• Lack of one PM3, one PM4 (lower jaw), one M1 (upper jaw), one M2.

Eyes :

• Deep set; yellow or light; slit eyes (too narrow palpebral aperture); showing haw.

Ears :

• Thick, coarse, with rounded tips.

Neck :

• Presence of dewlap.

 

Back :

• Sagging; straight back in males.

Croup :

• Goose rump.

 Belly :

• Pendulous, insufficiently tucked up.

 Tail :

• Coarse; in action, falling downwards.

Forequarters :

• Scapular-humeral angle too open (straight shoulder)
• In or out at elbows.
• Forearm : Of round cross-section. Any deviation of the forearm.
• Knuckling over.
• Weak in pasterns.

Hindquarters :

• Over angulated or too straight angulation.
• Close behind or spread hocks.

Feet :

• Tendency to broad, round, thick feet; cat feet, flat feet; spread toes.

Coat :

• Colour : Flecks on the body of another shade than the ground colour.

 

DISQUALIFYING FAULTS :

• Aggressive or overly shy.
• Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities shall be disqualified.

 Teeth :

• Overshot or undershot mouth.
• Wry mouth.  
• Lack of one incisor, one canine, one carnassial tooth (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 vertebrae), docked, even partially.

Hindquarters :

• Presence of dewclaws.

Colour : 

• Brown (chocolate), Blue.

N.B.: 

• Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.
• Only functionally and clinically healthy dogs, with breed typical conformation should be used for breeding.

The latest amendments are in bold characters.

 

FCI standard 2019

FEDERATION CYNOLOGIQUE INTERNATIONALE (AISBL)

SECRETARIAT GENERAL: 13, Place Albert 1er  B – 6530 Thuin (Belgique)

______________________________________________________________________________

05.11.2019/ EN

FCI-Standard N° 193

RUSSKAYA PSOVAYA BORZAYA

(Borzoi – Russian Hunting Sighthound)

TRANSLATION:  Anna Samsonova.

Edited by Dr. Eugene Yerusalimsky.

ORIGIN: Russia.

 

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE ORIGINAL VALID

STANDARD: 04.09.2019.

 

UTILIZATION: Hunting sighthound, racing and coursing hound.

Borzoi is a hunting sighthound to be used mostly for chasing hare and fox, less for wolf hunting. Combines high agility with endurance and the ability to tackle a game deftly at once. Successfully used for coursing and racing.

 

FCI-CLASSIFICATION:  Group  10 Sighthounds.

Section 1  Long-haired or fringed Sighthounds. With working trial.

 

BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY: The history of the Borzoi dated from the XV century, to the Mongol invasion. The Tatars used sighthound of Arab origin – Koutsi, while the Russian hunters did not have sighthounds; when hunting they used extraordinary strong Loshaya dogs, who were able to catch and kill a deer or even an elk.

Koutsi and Loshaya crossbreed dogs became the prototype of the Borzoi. These dogs were depicted on the prayer book belonging to Grand Prince Vasily III, Ivan the Terrible father. In XVI–XVII centuries new bloods of Polsky Chart (Polish Greyhound) added the nobility to their descendants. Having grown the fame of these dogs crossed the borders of the Russian Empire.

Further development of the breed was influenced by crossbreed with the Klock – a huge, strong and fierce bearded Courland Sighthound. Their descendants became dogs without beards, with long, fine hair. They marked the beginning of “Gustopsovy” Borzoi type.

 

The bloods of Greyhound added to the breed at the same time initiated the appearance of “Chistopsovy” Borzoi type. Bloods of Mountain (Gorsky) and Crimean Sighthounds known by their endurance were used later.

The Borzoi became the result of this multi-breed crossing. The vigilance, agility and expedition of the Borzoi in pursuing the game, its ability to flash-like rush, to tackle the game deftly at once, its savageness and courage, all these important qualities proved out to be very useful when hunting the game in short in irregular terrain. The Borzois were also successfully used for hunting in steppes, where it was required to work on longer distances.

Hunt with large packs of sighthounds and hounds and with special horses – “hunters” – appeared in the XVIII–XIX centuries. Such hunts consisted of up to several hundred dogs and differed from one another in type and working abilities. The Pershino hunt by Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich was especially renowned, for both the exquisite beauty of the dogs, and their speed and passion for the game.

The first Congress of Borzois lovers was organized in 1874, but only in 1888 the Moscow Hunting Society adopted the first standard of the Borzoi, where a type of the Borzoi was unified after all. N.P. Yermolov was the author of this standard. The fundamental principles of this standard still remain the same despite changes made in the XX and XXI centuries – in 1925, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1969, 1980, 1993, 1995 and 2006 years.

 

GENERAL APPEARANCE: Dog of aristocratic appearance, tall, lean and strong, harmoniously built, rather high-legged, fairly narrow in body. Slightly elongated format. Females are longer than males. Skin is thin, elastic, without folds. Muscles lean, elongated, very well developed. Bone structure is strong but not massive.

 

 

IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS:

• In males the height at the withers is equal or 1–2 cm more than the height at the point of sacrum.
• In females these two heights are equal.
• The length of the body somewhat exceeds the height at the withers. · The depth of the chest is equal to almost half of the height at the withers.
• The height at elbows is slightly superior to half of the height at the withers.
• The length of the muzzle, from the tip of the nose to the stop, is slightly superior to that of the skull, from the stop to the occipital bone.

 

BEHAVIOUR / TEMPERAMENT: Temperament is calm; visual response is well evident.

Typical gaits: before the game to be found – slow trot and even walk; in chasing the game – full gallop.

The attitude towards people is neutral to friendly.

 

HEAD: Aristocratic, narrow, long, in proportion to the general appearance; the head is so lean that the principal veins are shown through the skin. Viewed from the side the top lines of the head form a long, slightly convex line. Superciliary arches and zygomatic arches are not pronounced.

 

CRANIAL REGION:

Skull: Seen from above, narrow, elongated, oval-shaped. Seen in profile, almost flat. Occiput is well pronounced.

Stop: Hardly visible.

 

FACIAL REGION:

Nose: Large, always black in any coat colour, considerably prominent in relation to the lower jaw.

Muzzle: Long, lean, well filled out in all its length, straight or slightly downfaced, slightly arched near the nose. The length of the muzzle, from the tip of the nose to the stop, is slightly superior to that of the skull, from the stop to the occiput.

Lips: Tight, well fitting, fine, with black edging whatever the coat colour.

 

Jaws / Teeth: Teeth white, strong, incisors are closely spaced; canines are not too wide apart. Scissor bite. Level bite is permitted but not desirable. Complete dental formula. The absence of 3rd molars (M3) and one or two P1 is acceptable.

Cheeks: Flat, not pronounced.

 

EYES: Large, almond-shaped, dark brown to brown; eyelids are with black edging, tight-fitting.

 

EARS: Small, thin, mobile, pointed-tipped, covered with short hair. Set on above the eye level, set closely and backwards, pointing towards the nape of the neck. The tips of the ears are placed near each other, directed downwards along the neck and close to it. When the dog is alert, the ears are carried higher on the cartilages; their tips are directed sideward or forward. Sometimes one or both ears are erect like horse ears.

 

NECK: Long, dry, muscled, slightly arched, oval-shaped (slightly flattened laterally), of medium set.

 

BODY:

Topline: Is a smooth arch.

Withers: Not marked.

Back: Broad, muscled, supple, flexible.

Loin: Rather long, arched, muscled, broad. Together with the back forms the smooth arch, which is more pronounced in males, than in females. The highest point of this arch is in its middle, that is the region of the 1st or 2nd lumbar vertebrae.

Croup: Long, broad, moderately sloping. The width of the croup measured between the two iliac tubers must not be less than 8 cm. Chest: Oval in cross-section, deep, not narrow, yet not wider than the croup, let down almost up to the elbow-joints. Viewed from the side the forechest is somewhat prominent and places almost at humeroscapula level. In shoulder blades region the chest is rather flat, but towards the false ribs gets gradually wider. Definitely shortened false ribs.

Underline and belly: Abruptly tucked up towards the flanks.

 

TAIL: Sickle- or sabre-shaped, thin, long, with dense and abundant feather. Passed between the hind legs and flanks, it must reach up to the iliac tuber. When the dog is standing naturally, the tail hangs downwards. In movement it is raised, but not above the back level.

 

LIMBS

 

FOREQUARTERS:

General appearance: Forelegs lean, muscled, seen from the front perfectly straight and parallel. Shoulder muscles are well developed. The height at elbows slightly superior to half of the height at the withers.

Shoulder: Shoulder blades are long and oblique.

Upper arm: Long, moderately oblique. Angle of the scapular-humeral articulation is well pronounced.

Elbow: In parallel planes to the median plane of the body or slightly turned out (“in field”).

Forearm: Long, clean, of oval cross-section; seen from the front, narrow; seen from the side, broad; points of elbows strongly developed.

Metacarpus (pasterns): Rather long, slightly oblique.

Forefeet: Lean, narrow, of elongated oval shape (called “harefeet”); toes long, arched, tight; nails long, strong, touching the ground.

 

HINDQUARTERS:

General appearance: Lean, bony, muscled; well angulated. Seen from behind, straight and parallel, set slightly wider than the forequarters. When the dog stands naturally placed slightly behind.  The vertical line dropping from the point of buttock (sciatic tuber) must run along the front edge of the hock and rear pastern (metatarsus). All the articulations are well angulated. The hindquarter muscles are very well developed especially on upper thighs.

Thigh: Long, strong.

Lower thigh: Strong, as long as the thigh.

Hock joint: Wide, dry, with well-developed heel bone (calcaneum).

Metatarsus (rear pasterns): short, placed vertically, straight.

Hind Feet: Lean, narrow, of elongated oval shape (called “hare feet”); toes long, arched, tight; nails long, strong, touching the ground.

 

GAIT / MOVEMENT: In everyday life the typical gait is the extended, free, easy trot. When hunting the gait is full rushing gallop.

 

SKIN: Thin, elastic, tight fitting (with no wrinkles).

 

COAT

Hair: Long, supple, silky, light, wavy or forming large curls. Small curls are permitted.

The hair of different length on different parts of body: on the head, the ears and the interior side of the limbs the hair is very short, close lying; on the back and the neck the hair is longer and often wavy; on the outer side of thighs and the sides is shorter and may form finer curls. The feathering is rather long and shining. The feather is located on the neck (forming a “muff”), on the lower side of the chest and belly, on the back side of the forelegs antd thighs. The feather is from below the tail; at the tail root the curls are usual.

 

Colour: White; pale of different shadings (red-fawn, grey-fawn, silverfawn: pale with light-grey shading); light red or light gray at the root of the hair with darker red or grey main colour; red with black overlay hair often combined with dark muzzle (sable); grey (from ashy to yellowish-grey); brindle: pale, or red, or grey main colour with dark stripes, like stria on marble; red; black; transitional colours between red or black.

All the colours may be solid, pied and with tans. Typically, any colour tends to lighten up downwards.

Any colours from white to black in any combination are acceptable, except of brown, blue, isabella (lilac) and their shadings, i.e. dilute colours with not black nose.

 

SIZE:

Desirable height at the withers: males:    75–85 cm females: 68–78 cm

 

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 and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog and its ability to perform its traditional work.

• Over- or undersize by 2 cm against indicated in the Standard.
• The length of the body more than 10% or less than 5% superior to the height at the withers.
• Eyes not big enough; deep set; round in shape; light (all shades of hazelnut).
• Teeth small; diastemas between teeth; absence of one or two PM2. Absence of one or more incisor(s) due to injure, if the bite is clearly evaluated.
• Topline is not smooth enough. Pronounced withers. Arch not symmetrical. The highest point of the topline evidently shifted towards the croup.
• Belly insufficiently tucked up; paunchy, pendulous.
• Tail a bit short, too high in carriage, with lateral deviation, with curled end.
• Abundant flecks on the body of the same shade as the base colour.
• Too straight, furry, dull, tousled coat; fringes and featherings poorly developed; lacking in feathering. Equal length of the coat all over the body; coat too harsh in shedding.

 

SEVERE FAULTS:

• Head coarse with loose, thick skin; pendulous lips. Seen from the profile, blunt muzzle due to the nose not prominent enough. Very pronounced stop.
• Bleached (not dark enough) colour of nose, eyelids or lips in all colours. Partly depigmented (pink) nose, lips, eyelids (without signs of injuries).
• Eyes small; yellow; weak-sighted; with third eyelid too much developed.
• Absence of any teeth not mentioned under “Faults”.
• Ears low set; not placed closely directed downwards along the nape of the neck; set wide apart; too big; thick, heavy, coarse with tough cartilage; with rounded tips.
• The length of the body is the length of the body more than 12% or less than 3% superior to the height at the withers. Over- or undersize by more than 2 cm.
• Neck set high or low, round in cross-section.
• Sloping topline from well pronounced withers towards the root of the tail; pronounced roached back, straight back in males.
• Loin narrow, short, too long (the length of the loin is comparable to the length of the back), straight.
• Belly not tucked up.
• Fore arms massive, with bones round in cross-sections.
• Fleshy feet rounded or flat, splayed toes.
• Tail short, thick, with no feathering.
• Vivid flecks on the body of different colour than main colour; colour on the body not lighted up downwards.
• Abundant coat on entire body, excessive undercoat, rough, hard, bristle coat not in shedding, lack of featherings.

 

DISQUALIFYING FAULTS:

• Aggressive or overly shy dogs.
• Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities.
• Colour: brown (including cocoa, coffee, chocolate); blue, isabella (lilac), dilute colours with the tip of the nose other than black in colour.
• Completely depigmented (pink) nose, eyelids, lips.
• Eyes: of all shades of grey, green, blue; eyes of different colours. · Teeth: overshot or undershot; wry mouth. Uncomplete incisors if densely spaced; missing at least one canine, if not broken. Lack of correct interlock of upper and lower canines. Jaws nonlocking. · Legs: knuckling over. Presence of dewclaws.
• Tail: corkscrew, broken (fused vertebrae); docked, even partially.

N.B.:

• Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.
• Only functionally and clinically healthy dogs, with breed typical conformation, should be used for breeding.

Event year

2019

Country

European union

British Standard of 2020

General Appearance

Well balanced, graceful, aristocratic, dignified and elegant.

Characteristics

A coursing hound which must be courageous, powerful and of great speed.

Temperament

Sensitive, alert and aloof.

Head and Skull

Head long, lean and in proportion to dog’s size and substance. In bitches head finer than in dogs. Well filled in below eyes. Measurement equal from occiput to inner corner of eye and from inner corner of eye to tip of nose. Skull very slightly domed and narrow, stop imperceptible. Head fine so that bones and principal veins can be clearly seen. Viewed from side, forehead and upper line of muzzle form an almost straight, slightly convex line, inclining to Roman nose allowing flexibility of nasal cartilage. Jaws long, deep and powerful; nose large and black, nicely rounded, neither cornered nor sharp. Viewed from above skull should look narrow, converging very gradually to tip of nose. Occipital process very accentuated.

Eyes

Dark with intelligent, keen and alert expression. Almond-shaped, set obliquely and placed well back but not too wide apart. Eye rims dark. Eyes not light, round, bulbous or staring.

Ears

Small, pointed and delicate. Set high but not too far apart. Nearly touching at occiput; when in repose folded back along neck. Should be active and responsive, may be erect when alert, tips sometimes falling over.

Mouth

Jaws strong with a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws. Full, strong dentition desirable.

Neck

Slightly arched; reasonably long and well muscled. Free from throatiness, flattened laterally, set at an angle of 50-60 degrees to the longitudinal axis of the body.

Forequarters

Shoulders clean, sloping well back. Muscular but not loaded. Fine at withers but not accentuated. Forelegs clean and straight. Seen from front, narrow like blades; from side, wider at elbows narrowing down to foot. Elbows directed backwards, neither turning in nor out. Pasterns slightly sloping, strong and flexible. Length of forearm nearly equal to half total height at withers.

Body

Chest, ribs of narrow oval cut, great depth of brisket reaching to elbows, giving great heart and lung room, especially in mature dogs. Breastbone slightly pronounced with adequate width between elbows and abdomen very tucked up. Back rather bony, muscular and free from any cavity, rising in a graceful curve with well balanced fallaway. Highest point of curve is situated over last rib. Curve is more pronounced in dogs than bitches. Loins broad and very powerful with plenty of muscular development. Fallaway long and well muscled. Width between hip bones at least 8 cm (3 ins).

Hindquarters

Quarters wider than shoulders, ensuring stability of stance. Thighs long, well developed with good second thigh; hindlegs long and muscular; stifles well angulated, hocks broad, clean and well let down. Posterior line of hock vertical. Seen from side, legs slightly set back.

Feet

Front feet oval, toes close together, well arched over strong, thick pads, turning neither in nor out. Hind feet hare-like, i.e. longer and less arched.

Tail

Long, rather low set, when measured between thighs reaches up to top of nearest hip bone. Well feathered, carried low in a graceful curve. From level of hocks may be sabre- or slightly sickle-shaped but not ringed. In action not rising above level of back.

Gait/Movement

Front, straight with long reach, pasterns springy. Hind, straight with powerful driving hocks. Moving wider than front. Viewed from side, appearance in action should be that of effortless power.

Coat

Silky, flat, wavy or rather curly (but never woolly). Short and smooth on head, ears and front of legs; much longer on body with heavy feathering on backs of legs and hindquarters, tail and chest. Neck carries a large curly frill. More profuse in dogs than bitches.

Colour

Any colour acceptable, with the exception of merle.

Size

Minimum height at withers: dogs: 74 cms (29 ins); bitches: 68 cms (27 ins).

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 and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog and on the dog’s ability to perform its traditional work.

Note

Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.

Event year

2020

 

 

Comparison of Standards                                             Content

Points

 

General Appearance

 

Head

 

Neck

 

Bopdy

 

Front

 

Hindquarters

 

Feet

 

Gait

 

Colour

 

Size

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

General Appearance Standards Jermolov 1888            The noble appearance of a purebred Borzoi is mostly in its extremely lean and correct head. Good eyes and elegant coat.  So, all the features listed together would produce an exemplary Borzoi, which would please the Purebred Dog Society UICL 1924                      The general appearance of the borzoi is due to the noble nature of the dog, as well as the balance of its forms and movements. General appearance, which is the most authoritative proof of racial purity, should never be sacrificed to the perfection of other points, important as these may be. British 1953 Very graceful, aristocratic and elegant, combining courage, muscular power and great speed. FCI 1968 The general appearance of the Barzoi is characterized by an imposing size, the richness of the fur, the beauty of the colors, the balance of proportions, the elegance of the movements and the harmony of the forms, which give it an undeniable nobility AKC 1972 The Borzoi was originally bred for the coursing of wild game on more or less open terrain, relying on sight rather than scent. To accomplish this purpose, the Borzoi needed particular structural qualities to chase, catch and hold his quarry. Special emphasis is placed on sound running gear, strong neck and jaws, courage and agility, combined with proper condition. The Borzoi should always possess unmistakable elegance, with flowing lines, graceful in motion or repose. Males, masculine without coarseness; bitches, feminine and refined. FCI 2001 Dog of aristocratic appearance, large size, of constitution both dry and robust, of very slightly elongated construction. Females are usually longer than males. Strong frame, but not massive. The bones are quite flat. Dry musculature, well developed, especially on the thighs, but not in relief. The harmony of forms and movement is paramount. FCI 2019 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. British 2020 Well balanced, graceful, aristocratic, dignified and elegant.   Summary General Apperance The Standards in this survey all acknowledge the aristocratic and noble looks of the borzoi. The Russian influenced UICL and in FCI standards show more details. The American standard also points to the hunting abilities and the structure of the borzoi.

 

 Head

Standards

Jermolov 1888           

The head should be lean with a back-skull that is not wide.  In profile, the dog appears almost Roman-headed, that is the back-skull and muzzle form a rather straight line, with just the slightest dip under the eyes and rise at the brows.  The muzzle should be narrow and long, but not excessively.  Too strong of a back-skull or too snipey of a muzzle are faults and usually occur when the bones of the muzzle and jaws taper in abruptly, rather than gradually.  The lower jaw should not be so much shorter than the upper jaw as to form an overshot mouth.  The nose should be black or dark, almost black.  The nose itself should not be pointy or have a dip in it.  Dish-faced profiles or muzzles that are too square are to be considered faults.

UICL 1924                     

Long and narrow, extremely lean and finely chiseled. The skull is as long and narrow as possible consistent with the rest of the dog’s build. It ends in a clearly emphasized point. The snout is long narrow and dry. It goes over to the nose in a very slight arc. The teeth literally close together without biting over or under. The nostrils protrude beyond the lower jaw. The nose must be black, the snout not pointed. In the ideal head, the skull and muzzle should form a very obtuse angle. The oblong shaped eyes should be close together and equidistant from the occiput to the tip of the snout, neither sunken nor prominent (but a fleur de tete). They are dark in color and their lids are outlined in black.

British 1953

Head long and lean; well filled in below the eyes.  Measurement equal from the occiput to the inner corner of the eye, and from the inner corner of the eye to tip of nose.  Skull very slightly domed and narrow, stop not perceptible, inclining to Roman nose.  Head so fine that the direction of the bones and principal veins can be clearly seen.  Bitches’ heads should be finer than dogs’.  Jaws long, deep and powerful; nose large and black, not pink or brown, nicely rounded, neither cornered nor sharp.  Viewed from above should look narrow, converging very gradually to tip of nose.

FCI 1968

General characteristics: Both seen in profile and from above, the head should appear long, narrow, dry and finely chiseled, gradually thinning towards the nose. Its length and width should be proportional to the length and width of the body, as well as the length and thinness of the limbs. The length of the muzzle is slightly longer than that of the skull. The front-nose profile is particularly characteristic in that, by the absence of frontal depression, it forms a very obtuse angle, the apex of which is located at the height of the protuberances, frontal little accentuated (that is, above the eyes).

Skull: Flat, slightly receding and, due to a development of the zygomatic arches, very narrow. The occipital tip is very pronounced.

Muzzle: Strong, long, narrow, dry, shallow. The slightly busted chamfer forms, with the lower part of the muzzle which is straight, the sides of an acute angle opening backwards. Thin and dry lips are tight over the gums and have black pigmented edges.

Truffle: Relatively large, considerably exceeding the incisors. It must be black regardless of the color of the dress.

Teeth: It is desired complete, strongly developed and closing well. The incisors are either “scissors” or pliers. “Lower or higher prognathism is a great defect. Due to the length of the jaws, the premolars are implanted at intervals.

Eyes: Large, almond-shaped, the color of the iris as dark as possible (brown brown). They are relatively close together, placed slightly back from the middle of the total length of the head. Their expression is soft but awake. The opening of the eyelids is slightly oblique; they must be bordered in black.

Ears: Attached high and back, relatively small, thin, narrow and ending in a point. Usually, they rest back on the neck (rose-shaped), their tips touching. When the dog is awake, he can wear straight ears, the tip sometimes falling forward

AKC 1972

General characteristics: Both seen in profile and from above, the head should appear long, narrow, dry and finely chiseled, gradually thinning towards the nose. Its length and width should be proportional to the length and width of the body, as well as the length and thinness of the limbs. The length of the muzzle is slightly longer than that of the skull. The front-nose profile is particularly characteristic in that, by the absence of frontal depression, it forms a very obtuse angle, the apex of which is located at the height of the protuberances, frontal little accentuated (that is, above the eyes).

Skull: Flat, slightly receding and, due to a development of the zygomatic arches, very narrow. The occipital tip is very pronounced.

Muzzle: Strong, long, narrow, dry, shallow. The slightly busted chamfer forms, with the lower part of the muzzle which is straight, the sides of an acute angle opening backwards. Thin and dry lips are tight over the gums and have black pigmented edges.

Truffle: Relatively large, considerably exceeding the incisors. It must be black regardless of the color of the dress.

Teeth: It is desired complete, strongly developed and closing well. The incisors are either “scissors” or pliers. “Lower or higher prognathism is a great defect. Due to the length of the jaws, the premolars are implanted at intervals.

Eyes: Large, almond-shaped, the color of the iris as dark as possible (brown brown). They are relatively close together, placed slightly back from the middle of the total length of the head. Their expression is soft but awake. The opening of the eyelids is slightly oblique; they must be bordered in black.

Ears: Attached high and back, relatively small, thin, narrow and ending in a point. Usually, they rest back on the neck (rose-shaped), their tips touching. When the dog is awake, he can wear straight ears, the tip sometimes falling forward.

FCI 2001

CRANIAL REGION :

Skull : Narrow; seen from above : elongated into an oval shape; seen in profile, almost flat.

Stop : Only very slightly marked.

FACIAL REGION :

Nose : Large, mobile, considerably prominent in relation to the lower jaw.

Top of muzzle : Long, filled out in all its length, slightly arched near the nose.

Muzzle : 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 : Strong underjaw. Teeth white, strong; scissor bite or pincer bite.

Eyes : Large, very slightly prominent, expressive, dark hazel or dark brown, almond-shaped, but not slit-eyed, set obliquely.

Ears : Small, thin, mobile, set on above the eye level and backwards, pointing almost towards the nape of the neck when not alert. The tips of the ears are 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 ear

FCI 2019

HEAD: Aristocratic, narrow, long, in proportion to the general appearance; the head is so lean that the principal veins are shown through the skin. Viewed from the side the top lines of the head form a long, slightly convex line. Superciliary arches and zygomatic arches are not pronounced.

CRANIAL REGION:

Skull: Seen from above, narrow, elongated, oval-shaped. Seen in profile, almost flat. Occiput is well pronounced.

Stop: Hardly visible.

FACIAL REGION:

Nose: Large, always black in any coat colour, considerably prominent in relation to the lower jaw.

Muzzle: Long, lean, well filled out in all its length, straight or slightly downfaced, slightly arched near the nose. The length of the muzzle, from the tip of the nose to the stop, is slightly superior to that of the skull, from the stop to the occiput.

Lips: Tight, well fitting, fine, with black edging whatever the coat colour.

Jaws / Teeth: Teeth white, strong, incisors are closely spaced; canines are not too wide apart. Scissor bite. Level bite is permitted but not desirable. Complete dental formula. The absence of 3rd molars (M3) and one or two P1 is acceptable.

Cheeks: Flat, not pronounced.

EYES: Large, almond-shaped, dark brown to brown; eyelids are with black edging, tight-fitting.

EARS: Small, thin, mobile, pointed-tipped, covered with short hair. Set on above the eye level, set closely and backwards, pointing towards the nape of the neck. The tips of the ears are placed near each other, directed downwards along the neck and close to it. When the dog is alert, the ears are carried higher on the cartilages; their tips are directed sideward or forward. Sometimes one or both ears are erect like horse ears.

British 2020

Head and Skull

Head long, lean and in proportion to dog’s size and substance. In bitches head finer than in dogs. Well filled in below eyes. Measurement equal from occiput to inner corner of eye and from inner corner of eye to tip of nose. Skull very slightly domed and narrow, stop imperceptible. Head fine so that bones and principal veins can be clearly seen. Viewed from side, forehead and upper line of muzzle form an almost straight, slightly convex line, inclining to Roman nose allowing flexibility of nasal cartilage. Jaws long, deep and powerful; nose large and black, nicely rounded, neither cornered nor sharp. Viewed from above skull should look narrow, converging very gradually to tip of nose. Occipital process very accentuated.

Eyes

Dark with intelligent, keen and alert expression. Almond-shaped, set obliquely and placed well back but not too wide apart. Eye rims dark. Eyes not light, round, bulbous or staring.

Ears

Small, pointed and delicate. Set high but not too far apart. Nearly touching at occiput; when in repose folded back along neck. Should be active and responsive, may be erect when alert, tips sometimes falling over.

Mouth

Jaws strong with a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws. Full, strong dentition desirable.

 

Summary Head

The head is perhaps what most significant separates the borzoi from all other breeds. It is clear that the standards emphasize on the specific breed factors, the proportions of the head, the almond shaped eyes, the profile with the roman nose and not the least, the ears.: The French standard of 1913 states: “set high, ending in points, resting back on the neck and almost touching behind the occiput. Their fineness is proof of very pure blood”.

Another source use this: “The head is long and dry with a narrow, slightly arched skull. Stop does not exist. The muzzle, which is well filled out under the eyes, has the same length as the skull. The bridge of the nose is slightly bent (Roman), the jaws are long, deep and strong, and the bite is scissors bites. The eyes sit far back, and the eye openings are oblique and almond-shaped. The ears are small thin rose ears.”

 

Neck

Standards

Jermolov 1888           

Neck: should be slightly shorter and thicker on males and proportionally longer in bitches.  The neck is flattened laterally. A well-muscled and strong neck is required of wolf-hunting males, but to be able to catch a hare easily, a longer neck is better.

UICL 1924                    

Of medium length and without dewlap.

British 1953

Very graceful, aristocratic and elegant, combining courage, muscular power and great speed.

FCI 1968

Clean, slightly arched; reasonably long; powerful.  Well set on, free from throatiness.  Flat at the sides, not round.

 

AKC 1972

Lean, free from throatiness; slightly arched, very powerful and well set on.

 

FCI 2001

Long, dry, flattened laterally, muscular, slightly curved. Worn quite low.

 

FCI 2019

Long, dry, muscled, slightly arched, oval-shaped (slightly flattened laterally), of medium set.

British 2020

Slightly arched; reasonably long and well muscled. Free from throatiness, flattened laterally, set at an angle of 50-60 degrees to the longitudinal axis of the body.

Summary Neck

The Jermolov standard refers to the working borzoi where males have a slightly shorter and more powerful neck compared to bitches mainly for hunting wolves. He does however say that for hunting hares can a longer neck be better.

FCI in 2019 points out these faults: Neck set high or low, round in cross-section.

 

 

Body

Standards

Jermolov 1888

Chest and forequarters.  The chest should not be narrow.  The shoulders should be well muscled, though the front of the dog should be a bit narrower and definitely not wider than the rear.  There should be a return of upper arm, so that when the dog is standing with its front legs parallel to each other and perpendicular to the ground, the legs are set under the dog.  Otherwise, the dog will seem to be on stilts.  The elbows should be turned slightly out (“into the field”).  The legs are strong, bony and wiry.  The hare-shaped feet should be tight.  The dog should be standing on its toes and nails and not on its heel pad.

Back and topline:  The back should be wide.  The males should have more of an arch to their topline, whereas the bitches should have level toplines with the top of the rise somewhere over the position of the kidneys.  The hips should be wide.  A palm of one’s hand should fit between the hipbones.  It is good when there is no prominent sturgeon-like backbone, but, instead, when there is a groove that runs the entire length of the back.  However, we cannot be strict in requiring this of dogs, just like we cannot ask that all males have an arch to their backs and all females have level backs.  A bitch with a prominent topline, as long as it’s not too steep and as long as her back and hips are wide, can be very well put together.  Also, a dog that has a level topline, as long as he is not long proportionally but rather is compact and taught as a bow, can be a good producer.

Ribs:  neither too flat nor barrel-shaped.  Somewhat convex so that there is space for lungs.  Ribs go down to the elbows.  The tuck-up is well defined; in a correct dog, no stomach should be visible.

 

UICL 1924

Torso: Shoulders are flat, well defined and cannot be sloping enough. The tips of the shoulder blades almost touch. The back is rather short in males, gradually rounding towards the loins, describing a long and pleasing arch, but not giving the impression of a hump. The bitch’s back is less arched than the male’s, a flatter back is not a fault in her.

The chest is rather flat, but exceptionally deep. It often reaches to the elbows. The ribs are flat or only slightly rounded. This breast shape is characteristic of the borzoi.

The belly is tucked up and invisible under the flanks. The kidneys are as short as possible in males, they may be longer in females, the flanks are strong and tense, more spacious in females than in males. The loin is long, strongly muscled, sloping in a curved line towards the croup so that the curve of the back continues over the loin and croup to end in the hindquarters. The croup is long and wide, four fingers of a man’s hand should fit between the hip bones.

British 1953

Chest, great depth of brisket, rather narrow.  Ribs well sprung and flexible; neither flat sided nor barrel-shaped.  Very deep, giving heart room and lung play, especially in the case of mature males.  (It is from depth of chest rather than breadth that the Borzoi derives it’s heart room and lung play.)  Back rising in a graceful arch from as near the shoulder as possible with a well-balanced fall-away.  The arch to be more marked in dogs than bitches.  Rather bony, muscular and free from any cavity.  Muscles highly developed and well distributed.

 

 

FCI 1968

Back, forms, especially in the male, a large lowered arch whose highest point is at the level of the last rib. The may have a flatter back. The front and back parts of the back are in a ratio of about 1: 1. The entire back, especially the lumbar part, is relatively wide and very muscular.

Tourniquet: Not accentuated.

Chest: It is relatively long and very deep (up to the elbows), but proportionally narrow and flat with weakly rounded ribs. The chest is not very pronounced. The rib cage forms a convex arch in its lower part.

Belly: Strongly upturned, poorly developed.

Croup: Long, wide and muscular. Prolonging the curvature of the back, it gradually descends into the hindquarters. The hip bones should be separated by an interval of at least one hand width (about 8 cm).

AKC 1972

Chest:

Rather narrow, with great depth of brisket.

Ribs:

Only slightly sprung, but very deep giving room for heart and lung play.

Back:

Rising a little at the loins in a graceful curve.

Loins:

Extremely muscular, but rather tucked up, owing to the great depth of chest and comparative shortness of back and ribs.

 

FCI 2001

Withers: Not marked.
Back: wide, muscular, elastic. The back forms with the kidney and rump an arche that is more pronounced in males. The highest point of this arche is in the region of the first or second lumbar vertebra.
Kidney: Long, prominent, muscular, moderately wide.
Croup: Long, wide, slightly inclined. The width of the rump measured between the protrusions of the iliac bones should not be less than 8 cm.
Chest: Oval in cross-section, not narrow, yet no wider than the rump, high, well developed in length, voluminous, descended almost to the level of the elbows. Since the shoulder blade area is flatter, the chest gradually widens towards the false ribs, which are short, which, seen in profile, forms a change in slope. The ribs are long, slightly prominent. The chest stands out slightly in relation to the scapulohumeral joint.
Belly: Well rolled up. The bottom line rises steeply towards the belly.

 

FCI 2019

BODY:

Topline: Is a smooth arch.

Withers: Not marked.

Back: Broad, muscled, supple, flexible.

Loin: Rather long, arched, muscled, broad. Together with the back forms the smooth arch, which is more pronounced in males, than in females. The highest point of this arch is in its middle, that is the region of the 1st or 2nd lumbar vertebrae.

Croup: Long, broad, moderately sloping. The width of the croup measured between the two iliac tubers must not be less than 8 cm. Chest: Oval in cross-section, deep, not narrow, yet not wider than the croup, let down almost up to the elbow-joints. Viewed from the side the forechest is somewhat prominent and places almost at humeroscapula level. In shoulder blades region the chest is rather flat, but towards the false ribs gets gradually wider. Definitely shortened false ribs.

Underline and belly: Abruptly tucked up towards the flanks.

 

TAIL: Sickle- or sabre-shaped, thin, long, with dense and abundant feather. Passed between the hind legs and flanks, it must reach up to the iliac tuber. When the dog is standing naturally, the tail hangs downwards. In movement it is raised, but not above the back level.

British 2020

Chest, ribs of narrow oval cut, great depth of brisket reaching to elbows, giving great heart and lung room, especially in mature dogs. Breastbone slightly pronounced with adequate width between elbows and abdomen very tucked up. Back rather bony, muscular and free from any cavity, rising in a graceful curve with well balanced fallaway. Highest point of curve is situated over last rib. Curve is more pronounced in dogs than bitches. Loins broad and very powerful with plenty of muscular development. Fallaway long and well muscled. Width between hip bones at least 8 cm (3 ins).

 

Summary Body

This section deals with some very important issues.

Form of the ribs, dept of the chest, the topline and the width of the croup is among the main characteristics of the breed

The Back raises in a curve over the loins. The ribs should only be slightly curved, and the chest should reach to the elbow. The belly should be well tucked up and the loins broad, powerful, and muscular.

 

 

Front

Standards                                                                                                 

Jermolov 1888           

Chest and forequarters.  The chest should not be narrow.  The shoulders should be well muscled, though the front of the dog should be a bit narrower and definitely not wider than the rear.  There should be a return of upper arm, so that when the dog is standing with its front legs parallel to each other and perpendicular to the ground, the legs are set under the dog.  Otherwise, the dog will seem to be on stilts.  The elbows should be turned slightly out (“into the field”).  The legs are strong, bony and wiry.  The hare-shaped feet should be tight.  The dog should be standing on its toes and nails and not on its heel pad

UICL 1924                    

The front legs are absolutely straight, with an excessively flat and lean bone structure, in no way rounded. Seen from the front they are narrow, and seen in profile they are broad at the shoulder gradually tapering to the feet. The elbows are not turned outwards, but are nevertheless clearly away from the dog’s body. In a word, the dog is neither underneath him, which would be detrimental to the depth of the chest, nor loosed.

British 1953

Shoulders clean, sloping well back, fine at withers, free from lumpiness.  Forelegs lean and straight.  Seen from the front, narrow, like blades, from the side, wide at shoulder, narrowing down to foot; elbows neither turned in nor out; pasterns strong, flexible and springy.

FCI 1968

As a whole, it is long, dry, muscular. Seen from the front and from the side, the limbs are straight. The angles of the joints are relatively small. Thus, the angle of the shoulder and that of the elbow are wide open. Nevertheless, an overly vertical (“column”) provision must be rejected as faulty. All the component parts of the forehand are distinguished by their respective considerable length. The length of the forelimbs is approximately half the height at the withers.

Shoulders: They are long, narrow and flat, lined with tendon muscles, long and powerful, well attached to the body. The upper edge of the scapula hardly extends beyond the dorsal epiphysis.

Arm: also long, set relatively straight and very sharply muscular. The elbows should be pointing backwards, not loose or too tight.

Forearm: Particularly long and vertical. Seen from the front, it appears narrow; seen from the side, Iarge because of his dry musculature. Its posterior part is lined with hair fringes.

Carp: Strong, slightly bent.

Pastern: Relatively short and not absolutely vertical.

Feet: Laid parallel, narrow, oval-shaped, fingers tightly packed and well arched. Strong nails and well-pigmented soles.

AKC 1972

Bones straight and somewhat flattened like blades, with the narrower edge forward. The elbows have free play and are turned neither in nor out. Pasterns strong.

Feet:

Hare-shaped, with well-arched knuckles, toes close and well padded.

FCI 2001

Forelimbs: Dry, muscular, seen from the front perfectly straight and parallel. The height of the forelimbs from the elbow to the ground is equal to or slightly more than half the height at the withers.
Shoulders: The shoulder blades are long and oblique.
Arms: Moderately oblique, its length is barely greater than the length of the shoulder blades. Angle of the scapulohumeral joint well pronounced.
Elbows: They are located in planes parallel to the median plane of the body.
Forearm: Dry, long, oval cross-section, seen narrowly, seen wide in profile.

FCI 2019

General appearance: Forelegs lean, muscled, seen from the front perfectly straight and parallel. Shoulder muscles are well developed. The height at elbows slightly superior to half of the height at the withers.

Shoulder: Shoulder blades are long and oblique.

Upper arm: Long, moderately oblique. Angle of the scapular-humeral articulation is well pronounced.

Elbow: In parallel planes to the median plane of the body or slightly turned out (“in field”).

Forearm: Long, clean, of oval cross-section; seen from the front, narrow; seen from the side, broad; points of elbows strongly developed.

Metacarpus (pasterns): Rather long, slightly oblique.

Forefeet: Lean, narrow, of elongated oval shape (called “harefeet”); toes long, arched, tight; nails long, strong, touching the ground.

British 2020

Shoulders clean, sloping well back. Muscular but not loaded. Fine at withers but not accentuated. Forelegs clean and straight. Seen from front, narrow like blades; from side, wider at elbows narrowing down to foot. Elbows directed backwards, neither turning in nor out. Pasterns slightly sloping, strong and flexible. Length of forearm nearly equal to half total height at withers.

Summary Front

The points all standards agree and have roots in the early Russian can be described as Straight sound legs, Forelegs with a flat structure, broad seen from the side, pastern strong and only slightly sloping. Shoulders well laid back. The front legs are parallel and set under the dog.

 

  

Hindquarters

Standards

Jermolov 1888           

The back should be wide.  The males should have more of an arch to their topline, whereas the bitches should have level toplines with the top of the rise somewhere over the position of the kidneys.  The hips should be wide.  A palm of one’s hand should fit between the hipbones.  It is good when there is no prominent sturgeon-like backbone, but, instead, when there is a groove that runs the entire length of the back.  However, we cannot be strict in requiring this of dogs, just like we cannot ask that all males have an arch to their backs and all females have level backs.  A bitch with a prominent topline, as long as it’s not too steep and as long as her back and hips are wide, can be very well put together.  Also, a dog that has a level topline, as long as he is not long proportionally but rather is compact and taught as a bow, can be a good producer.

 

UICL 1924                    

These are wider than the forequarters. The thighs have very broad, long and flat bones and are provided with powerfully developed muscles. The hocks form a more or less pronounced angle. The thighs cannot be long and wide enough. The metatarsus should be short. Under no circumstances should the hindquarters be too straight. The paws are long, with closed toes, reminiscent of rabbit feet. The dog rests more on its toes than on its pads.

British 1953

Loins, broad and very powerful, with plenty of muscular development.  Quarters should be wider than shoulders, ensuring stability of stance.  Thighs long, muscular, stifles well bent, hocks broad, clean and well let down.

 

FCI 1968

As a whole, it is also long, but much more muscular than the forehand and with more pronounced angles. Although the coxofemoral and femoro-tibial angles, as well as the angle of the hock are well open, they are less obtuse than the corresponding angles of the forehand. Seen from the rear, the limbs are straight and parallel, plumb wider than the forehand. Seen from the side, they appear as slightly postponed back.
Thigh: Long, wide, with dry musculature, excessively developed. The anterior part is well lined with hair. The knee joint is well marked.

Leg: Long, tendon musculature. .

Shank: Well descended, strong, wide, dry. Seen from the side, it appears slightly concave in its anterior part.

Metatarsus: Short, but longer than the metacarpal and placed vertically.
Feet: Like the forehand

 

AKC 1972

Long, very muscular and powerful with well bent stifles; somewhat wider than the forequarters; strong first and second thighs; hocks clean and well let down; legs parallel when viewed from the rear.

 

Dewclaws:

Dewclaws, if any, on the hind legs are generally removed; dewclaws on the forelegs may be removed.

FCI 2001

Hind limbs: Seen from behind, straight, parallel, a little more widely separated than the forelimbs. When the dog is in free station, the lowered vertical of the ischial tuberosity must pass in front of the center of the hock and metatarsus.
Thighs: Well-muscled, long, placed obliquely.
Leg: Long, muscular, placed obliquely. Well-developed, wide, dry femoro-tibial and tibio-tarsal joints; the angles must be well accused.
Metatarsal: Not long, placed almost vertically.
All joints are well angulated.

 

FCI 2019

General appearance: Lean, bony, muscled; well angulated. Seen from behind, straight and parallel, set slightly wider than the forequarters. When the dog stands naturally placed slightly behind.  The vertical line dropping from the point of buttock (sciatic tuber) must run along the front edge of the hock and rear pastern (metatarsus). All the articulations are well angulated. The hindquarter muscles are very well developed especially on upper thighs.

Thigh: Long, strong.

Lower thigh: Strong, as long as the thigh.

Hock joint: Wide, dry, with well-developed heel bone (calcaneum).

Metatarsus (rear pasterns): short, placed vertically, straight.

Hind Feet: Lean, narrow, of elongated oval shape (called “hare feet”); toes long, arched, tight; nails long, strong, touching the ground.

British 2020

Quarters wider than shoulders, ensuring stability of stance. Thighs long, well developed with good second thigh; hindlegs long and muscular; stifles well angulated, hocks broad, clean and well let down. Posterior line of hock vertical. Seen from side, legs slightly set back.

Summary Hindquarters

The words that come back in all standards are Broad and powerful and wider than front.

The old Jermolov standard says that “A palm of one’s hand should fit between the hipbones” and in FCI from 2006 says “at least 8 cm between the hipbones”. The hindlegs must not be too straight seen from the side.

Without being specific should joints be well angulated. The hindlegs should be strong and parallel and set wider than the front

 

Feet

Standards

Jermolov 1888           

The legs are strong, bony and wiry.  The front feet are hare-shaped feet and should be tight.  The dog should be standing on its toes and nails and not on its heel pad. The hind feet should be long and hare-shaped, and never be cat-footed, as in many short-haired sighthounds.  The hocks should be wide at the joint and taught.

 

UICL 1924                    

The paws are long, with closed toes, reminiscent of rabbit feet. The dog rests more on its toes than on its pads

British 1953

Front feet rather long, toes close together, well arched never flat, neither turning in nor out.  Hind feet hare-like, i.e. longer and less arched.

 

FCI 1968

Laid parallel, narrow, oval-shaped, fingers tightly packed and well arched. Strong nails and well-pigmented soles.

AKC 1972

Hare-shaped, with well-arched knuckles, toes close and well padded.

 

FCI 2001

Dry, narrow, of an elongated oval, called hare feet, arched, fingers tight. Nails long, strong, touching the ground.

FCI 2019

Front feet oval, toes close together, well arched over strong, thick pads, turning neither in nor out. Hind feet hare-like, i.e. longer and less arched.

British 2020

Front feet oval, toes close together, well arched over strong, thick pads, turning neither in nor out. Hind feet hare-like, i.e. longer and less arched.

Hind Feet: Lean, narrow, of elongated oval shape (called “hare feet”); toes long, arched, tight; nails long, strong, touching the ground.

Summary Feet

The feet of the Borzoi should be a Hare foot and not a cat foot that can be found on other sighthounds. The borzoi foot should be oval, tightly padded with toes close together and touching the ground.

Gait

Standards

Jermolov 1888           

UICL 1924                    

British 1953

FCI 1968

Great strides, flexible in step and trot. Hunting. until the raising of the game, a trot not very fast; During the pursuit, a fast gallop and large soft leaps.

AKC 1972

Front legs must reach well out in front with pasterns strong and springy. Hackneyed motion with mincing gait is not desired nor is weaving and crossing. However, while the hindlegs are wider apart than the front, the feet tend to move closer to the center line when the dog moves at a fast trot. When viewed from the side there should be a noticeable drive with a ground-covering stride from well-angulated stifles and hocks. The overall appearance in motion should be that of effortless power, endurance, speed, agility, smoothness and grace.

 

FCI 2001

Apart from hunting, the typical Barzoï look is the elongated trot, easy very flexible and airy; During the hunt, extremely fast charging gallop, with strides of great amplitude.

FCI 2019

In everyday life the typical gait is the extended, free, easy trot. When hunting the gait is full rushing gallop.

British 2020

Front, straight with long reach, pasterns springy. Hind, straight with powerful driving hocks. Moving wider than front. Viewed from side, appearance in action should be that of effortless power.

Summary Gait

The early standards don’t specifically mention gait but old documents tell about the Borzois ability for long leaps and to raise to extreme speed just prior to catching its prey.

The FCI standards describes briefly the trot and mentions the borzoi’s movement in the field.

In AKC 1968 and the British standard from 2020 the description concentrates on the dogs appearance in the showring and movement in the field is not mentioned.

The American standard says that hindlegs tend to move closer to the centerline at a fast trot while the English standard say the hindlegs are mowing wider than front.

Colour

Standards

Jermolov 1888           

The colors are now very diverse, and one should not be judging the dogs strictly on the color.

The most typical colors are grey and gold.  The pure white specimens with no markings of any sort are seen rarely but are very beautiful indeed.  Grey or gold markings on white, as well as sables/agoutis, both solid and spotted, are also typical.

Basically, purebred Borzoi should not be uniformly colored and not as rich in hue as shorthaired sighthounds.  Solid dark red or ash-grey colors, even with white feet, are not typical for Borzois.”

UICL 1924                    

The most prized colors are: All white, white with yellow, orange, red, brindle or gray markings. There are also single-colored dogs, the color of which should lighten towards the extremities. The patches of color should not stand out too sharply against the white. White with black plates or all black is little appreciated. Black with red marking (black with burn) with or without white is a big mistake.

British 1953

In the opinion of the Club a dog should never be penalized for being self-coloured.

 

FCI 1968

White; gold of all shades; silvered gold; shaded gold; fire shaded with black, muzzle and limbs dark; grey; silver-grey to yellowish-grey; brindle: gold, tan or grey with extended stripes of darker hue; fire, black and all the intermediate shades of these colors. Fire marks are allowed, but not desirable.

In dark-colored subjects, the black mask is characteristic, as well as extensive dark markings on the body.

All colors can be solid or spotted on a white background.

In single-colored dogs, the color is darker on it and lightens towards the extremities and the posterior part of the limbs.

AKC 1972

Any color, or combination of colors, is acceptable.

 

FCI 2001

Combination of all colors, except combination with blue, brown (chocolate) and all derivatives of these colors. All colors can be uniform or pie. The fringes, panties, tail plume are considerably lighter than the background color. For charcoal colors, the black mask is typical.

Faults: Speckles of the same tone as the background colour

Severe faults: Brown (chocolate), blue.

 

FCI 2019

White; pale of different shadings (red-fawn, grey-fawn, silverfawn: pale with light-grey shading); light red or light gray at the root of the hair with darker red or grey main colour; red with black overlay hair often combined with dark muzzle (sable); grey (from ashy to yellowish-grey); brindle: pale, or red, or grey main colour with dark stripes, like stria on marble; red; black; transitional colours between red or black.

All the colours may be solid, pied and with tans. Typically, any colour tends to lighten up downwards.

Any colours from white to black in any combination are acceptable, except of brown, blue, isabella (lilac) and their shadings, i.e. dilute colours with not black nose.

Disqualifying faults: : brown (including cocoa, coffee, chocolate); blue, isabella (lilac), dilute colours with the tip of the nose other than black in colour.

British 2020

Any colour acceptable, with the exception of merle.

 

Summary Colour

It has been the believe that the light colors where preferred and correct. This goes back to the first UICL standard of 1924 written by Boldareff and the Cheremetieff brothers. They allowed their personal preference to be written into the new European standard, something that blocked out the darker colors, especially Black and Black and Tan.

To day are almost all colours allowed and appreciated. However, FCI strongly advice against Brown (Chocolate) and Blue and classifies these colours as discriminating!

On the list of not accepted traits are lack of pigmentation on nose and the British Standard also mention the Merle pattern.

 

  

Size

Standards

Jermolov 1888           

:  normal height at the withers for a bitch is 26”, or 30” for a dog.  One vershok (1.75”) either direction is just as well, as long as the overall balance remains.  So, a 24.5” bitch can be a true beauty and a good producer, just like a 31.5” male can be balanced and handsome.  However, heights less than 24.5” or more than 31.5” should be deemed as flaws rather than merits.

 

UICL 1924                    

Medium size: males 75.5 cm (17 verschlag, Russian measure), females 71 cm (16 verschlag). The largest dogs are seldom higher than 82 cm. Magnificence is generally valued as long as it is not at the expense of the harmony of the overall picture.

British 1953

Height at shoulder:  Dogs from 29 inches upwards, bitches from 27 inches upwards.

 

FCI 1968

The height at the withers is 70 to 82 cm and more for the dog; The bitch is about 5 cm smaller. As a rule, the largest size is estimated as long as it is not acquired at the expense of the harmony of overall appearance and performance. The height at the withers is barely greater than that of the rump or is equal to it.

AKC 1972

Mature males should be at least 28 inches at the withers and mature bitches at least 26 inches at the withers. Dogs and bitches below these respective limits should be severely penalized; dogs and bitches above the respective limits should not be penalized as long as extra size is not acquired at the expense of symmetry, speed and staying quality. Range in weight for males from 75 to 105 pounds and for bitches from 15 to 20 pounds less.

 

FCI 2001

Height at withers sought: 75 to 85 cm for males, 68 to 78 cm for females. In males, the height at the withers is equal to or only slightly greater than that of the top of the rump on the ground. In females these heights are equal.
Subjects exceeding the maximum height are allowed provided that the typical morphology is saved.

FCI 2019

Desirable height at the withers: males:    75–85 cm females: 68–78 cm

British 2020

Minimum height at withers: dogs: 74 cms (29 ins); bitches: 68 cms (27 ins).

 

Summary Size

Any size within what is described in the standards are accepted as long as it’s not to the expense of harmony in the overall picture.