One of the best resources for information about Borzoi is the Borzoi Club of America (BCOA) website, which you can find here. The BCOA website provides information on the breed, current initiatives to better the breed, and announces upcoming events hosted by the breed club.

You may also find information and events put on by your local regional breed club. The Midwest Borzoi Club (MBC) is my local Borzoi club, and they do a great job of balancing social and competition events for their membership and Borzoi enthusiasts.

I will have MBC events posted to my calendar if I plan to attend; these events are always open to the public and may be a good way to meet breeders, other fanciers, and many specimens of the breed in a more casual, comfortable atmosphere.

As a deep chested breed, Borzoi are at risk of bloat and GDV. GDV is the twisting of the stomach and follows bloat (which is the build up of gas in the stomach). GDV is fatal and should be treated IMMEDIATELY if suspected.

There are many suspected causes for bloat and GDV, and as of most recent studies, the major causes are attributed to genetics (specifically the first-generation relatives of a subject; if any of them have bloated, it puts the subject at higher risk), eating speed (faster eaters have a higher risk of bloat), stress levels (dogs with a naturally high level of anxiety or stress are more likely to bloat), and age (older dogs are more likely to bloat than younger dogs; dogs at higher risk from the aforementioned reasons are more likely to bloat as they age).

Other health issues exist but are avoided by making educated decisions for breed pairings.

OFA is the acronym for the Orthopedic Foundation of Animals. They are considered the “Gold Standard” when it comes to health testing. The OFA records health testing for any dog regardless of breed or mix, but specifies health tests by breed for purebreds. For Borzoi, the OFA requires multiple tests in order to obtain a CHIC number for an animal. The CHIC number is obtained when all mandatory health tests have been performed.

For Borzoi, the mandatory tests are: DM, eyes, advanced cardiac (not auscultation), and thyroid. Recommended tests are elbow and hip dysplasia. (It should be noted that dysplastic joints are not very common in Borzoi, especially compared to their similar-sized counterparts from other breeds.)

I’ll be posting several articles on the importance and limitation of health testing in the future.

Like any breed, there are unsavory people motivated by money and not the interest of their buyers or their own animals. It is your responsibility as a buyer to do your due diligence and vet your potential animal’s breeder.

Reputable breeders will be able to produce evidence of health testing, compete in AKC events with their dogs, breed firstly for their own interests, and sell their dogs on contracts with a stipulation that their animals will return to them if the new owner(s) cannot keep them for any reason. If they cannot do these things, keep your guard up and don’t be afraid to inquire about anything that seems suspect. An ethical breeder will entertain your questions.

Borzoi come in several different coat types (though not as distinct as in some breeds like Dachshunds where wire, smooth, and longhair are options), but for the most part have a low maintenance coat.

It is important to brush your Borzoi frequently to avoid matting and tangles, especially during heavy shedding seasons where loose hair is more likely to cause tangles on its way off the body.

In general as a novice exhibitor in conformation with my Borzoi, I can get by on a long-bristled pin brush, steel comb with dull teeth, a pair of thinning shears, and a mister bottle.

A quality shampoo correctly matched to your dog’s natural pH ensures their beautiful coat stays looking healthy.

Firstly, an owner should do what is best for their unique situation when it comes to keeping an intact animal (even if it is contrary to scientific recommendation). A young spay/neuter is better than unintended litters, after all.

That said, Borzoi should be a slow-to-develop breed. It is not recommended to alter your Borzoi before their growth plates have been allowed to fully develop and close. For females, that process takes 24+ months; for males, that process takes 30+ months.

The development and closure of growth plates is vital to proper growth and development of your puppy. Pediatric alteration is often very apparent, even within the same litter.

My Borzoi are not currently (and will never be) available at public stud.

Anyone interested in my male(s) is welcome to contact me via email or my contact form, but I will not entertain offers of unproven females, from novice owners, and/or of mixed breed litters. At a minimum, anyone interested in using one of my males must abide by the BCOA Code of Ethics and Guidelines for Borzoi Breeders (the same standard I am held to as a BCOA member) regardless of their membership status with the national breed club and be required to sign a stud contract.

I’m planning a whole written communication on this in the near future that will be linked here, so sit tight for that!

In the meantime, you can take a look at my calendar to see events close to the southern Ohio/Pennsylvania border, and reach out if you need more information on how to enter.

It is very important to know that it is (thankfully) incredibly difficult to source a Borzoi from your local shelter. This is a testament to the work of ethical breeders routinely utilizing their First Right of Refusal when needed and intensely vetting their prospective buyers.

There are, of course, some dogs who slip through the cracks and land in rescue. It is uncommon to see Borzoi-specific statewide rescues like you might in other breeds. The national Borzoi rescue is the National Borzoi Rescue Foundation (NBRF).

It is often the case that NBRF does NOT have any dogs available, so it is far more likely that you will end up sourcing your Borzoi from a breeder. I am planning to post an article on how to find a good one, since ethical breeding is a spectrum that changes here and there between breeds.