Borzoi - The Russian Wolfhound. Its History, Breeding, Exhibiting and Care (Vintage Dog Books Breed Classic): Vintage Dog Books

By Nellie Martin

Originally published in 1931, this extremely scarce early work on the Russian Wolfhound or Borzoi, is both expensive and hard to find in its first edition. VINTAGE DOG BOOKS have republished it, using the original text and photographs, as part of their CLASSIC BREED BOOKS series. Only a handful of books have ever been written on this truly magnificent aristocrat of the canine race. This particular title is an important, complete and practical work, and the author has endeavoured to show the breed as it truly is. Its origins and history have been well researched, with information on other topics being gathered from breeders worldwide, including the authors own wealth of practical experience with the Borzoi. The book's one hundred and eighteen pages contain numerous comprehensive chapters, each being illustrated with rare vintage photographs and line drawings: Origins and History. Famous Dogs of United States, Canada and England. Official Standard. Head, Body, Legs, Feet and Tail. Coat, Colour and General Appearance. Traits and Disposition. Training, Feeding and Kenneling. Preparing for the Show Ring. Breeding Principles. Handling of the Stud. Questionnaires. List of Russian Wolfhound Champions. Etc. This is a fascinating read for any Russian Wolfhound / Borzoi enthusiast or historian of the breed, but also contains much information that is still useful and practical today. Many of the earliest dog breed books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. VINTAGE DOG BOOKS are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Read Books Ltd.
• Release date: Mar 6, 2013
• ISBN: 9781444659696

Book preview

THE RUSSIAN WOLFHOUND

CHAPTER ONE

ORIGIN OF RUSSIAN WOLFHOUND

This magnificent animal known as the borzoi, or barzoi, in his native land comes down to us from antiquity. As far back as 1260 A. D. we read of these graceful hounds. Positive representation is contained in an illustration about 1750 which is perfect enough to convince one that it is the same breed we now call Russian Wolfhound.

Authorities however do not agree on the origin of this dog. There is strong belief that Persia has every right to claim it, it being more like the dog of that nation than like the deerhound. It is adapted to withstand the cold and the Asiatic plateaus and to travel over snow. All of these hounds whether from Tibet, Persia or Russia had an abundance of warm silky hair, as well as hair covered feet, which suggests a cold climate.

The modern specimens of the breed from which our typical show dog has been chosen came from Russia, where the Czars for a long period maintained large kennels of the best. There were originally two distinct types—the Circassian or shorter-coated wolf-dog, by some considered the better for soft snow; the other having a long, silky, flowing coat reaching sometimes on the body to a length of five to seven inches and on the tail as long as fourteen inches. The Circassian is said to have been derived from the Siberian. He was swifter than the Siberian and thought to have been more intelligent.

Quite a strong belief exists that the Russian wolfhound was founded upon the hounds of the Arabs or the saluki, but there is no conceivable reason for believing that this original hound was crossed with the Arctic wolf in order to produce the white coat. No dog is more unlike a wolf than is this one and there is every reason to believe that not a drop of wolfblood has gone into the production of the Russian wolfhound.

Champion Zan of Zenovia, famous show winner owned by Zenovia Kennels, Hatfield, Pennsylvania

CHAPTER TWO

HISTORY OF RUSSIAN WOLFHOUND

The Russian wolfhound has long been affected by royalties outside of his own country, and among the first to exhibit them in England, where they did not become known to any great extent until about 1889, was King Edward while Prince of Wales. Queen Alexandra was also famous for dogs and bitches of this variety, one — Alex — being a great winner, was given to her by her brother-in-law the late Czar just before the monarch’s death.

The Duchess of Newcastle has for years kept up a large kennel of the breed in England. Over forty years ago a puppy was given to her mother by the Marquis de Quadelmina. This puppy he had brought back from the Imperial kennels and it was called Spain, being a bitch, and became so devoted to the Duchess that after her marriage she determined to have borzois of her own.

She procured in Paris a dog Ivan by name that had been a first prize winner, and the mating of Spain and Ivan produced a litter of eight which in 1890 were shown at the Kennel Club show and to use the Duchess’ own words—Never have I been prouder of any prize than the third won by one of them.

Happy dogs at the Vaski Kennels of E. M. Burke—Photograph by courtesy of Kennel and Bench

These hounds together with several she later purchased from the Grand Duke Nicholas, General Balderoff, Count Stroganoff and others, founded her kennel together with the strain from which the English borzois have come, except importations since the war. The Duchess has never lost her enthusiasm for the breed, and beside maintaining today one of the most successful kennels in England, her opinions as a judge are highly valued.

Headstudy of the great Champion Romanoff Lasky. An ideal head. Lasky is now owned by Mrs. Marie Roach, Zionsville, Indiana

Early in the year 1890 the first borzoi known to have come to America was imported by the late William Wade of Hulton, Pennsylvania. This importation was soon followed by others and because the dogs were known to have come from Russia, where they were used for hunting wolves, America soon began to call them Russian wolfhounds, altho many years ago small Russian wolfhounds were exhibited as Persian greyhounds.

It was only after considerable difficulty that this first wolfhound, or pair of wolfhounds as it afterwards turned out to be, reached America, and Mr. Wade had much to do with making the Russian wolfhound popular in this country. In the early 90’s Mr. Wade began to write in the American papers about these borzois which were then being seen in increasing numbers at the English shows, and that some of the owners of these dogs were representatives of noble families and highly placed persons in the social and artistic world.

Mr. Wade cabled Mr. Freeman Lloyd about 1889, who was then residing in London, asking him to go to Brussels, and purchase one or more borzoi which Mr. Lloyd had seen and described in the old Turf, Field and Farm, New York. When Mr. Lloyd reached Brussels he found that Madame Bodnias would not sell her borzoi, and after going a long way around in search of a good bitch, found exactly what was required back in London. This was Elsie, a very high-quality, good-headed, heavily-coated and perfectly sound white bitch with black or dark blue and tan markings on the head and a patch on the body.

Left—Ch. Zan of Zenovia; right—Ch. Zanoza of Zenovia. Zan was winners twice (1928 and 1929) before two years old, at Westminster, best of breed in 1929, in which year both dogs won best brace as they did also in 1928. Owner Zenovia Kennels (Nellie L. Martin), Hatfield, Pa.

Elsie was not a large bitch but her type was of the kind that was thought to be suitable to cross with the huge in stature and high quality dog Champion Krillutt, who was quite the best of his breed in England and that, up to that time, had been shown in the British Isles.

While attached to the British Embassy in Russia, the Czar of that time had given to Col. and Mrs. Wellesley the great Krillutt, which later when exhibited in London was to set the Russian wolfhound fashion in England and America.

In due course Elsie and Krillutt were mated and the bitch shipped to America. This happened in the winter time and the vessel on which Elsie sailed, became disabled in midocean and was towed back to England. So trying had been the experience of the bitch that Mr. Wade decided it would be better to allow Elsie to whelp on the other side. So Elsie had her puppies at Mr. Lloyd’s place on the Caledonian Road, London. Mr. Wade wished Mr. Lloyd to keep a dog puppy for himself and this was subsequently known as Whirlwind and won the Millais Cup for the best borzoi bred in Great