Hortaya Borzaya

Know as ‘Chort’ or ‘Chortaja Borzaja’, the Hortaya Borzaya is an intelligent breed of dog that originally came from the USSR region. Agile and quick in nature, these dogs are very tall built, but have a slender but athletic body fit for races and other outdoor sports. Due to its extremely accurate sight, these dogs are able to spot small objects at a very far distance. They are known for their hunting skills and are extremely good performers. Though not very popular around the world, these dogs are calm and docile in nature. With a calm and composed attitude, they are friendly and easily get along with human beings.

Belonging to a very uncommon hound breed, this breed is known for its extraordinary hunting skills that set it a class apart from the regular hound dogs that we see in everyday life. Originally, the Borzaya came from the steppe region located in the north of black sea; these dogs are tough and sturdy. Spread all across North West Asia and parts of Russia, this breed is also believed to have come from Afghanistan. Bred in regions as far as Kazakhstan and Ukraine, they only gained immense popularity in these regions due to their hunting skills and sportive and loyal nature. Kept solely for hunting purpose, the Borzaya mainly served as a guide and companion to provide three meals to its family. Treasured and an extremely valued canine, these dogs can cost a bomb. Their prices could go up as high as that of a well bred training horse.

The Borzaya come in five different varieties and have several sub divisions under them. Due to this, they are an extremely adaptable breed that can adjust itself to different surroundings including climate, temperature, terrain etc. Brought up in extreme geographical locations, ranging from the hot and arid climate of Afghanistan to the cold and dry winters in Russia, this canine is a one of a kind survivor. The males grow between 26-30 inches while the female gain a height of 24-28 inches. Seen in almost every color, this breed ranges from plain white to shades of brown and black. Weighing between 18-34 kg, the Borzaya complies fully with the statement “looks are deceiving”. This is because the Borzaya is a slender and thin animal that appears to weigh much less than its actual range. Having a life span of approximately 8-9 years, the Borzaya is a very smart animal with a high I.Q. usually peaceful towards human being and very loyal in nature, it can be a perfect companion to almost anybody. Once trained adequately, they can live in a town, provided their natural instinct to attack other animals is curbed. They resemble wolves in behaviour. This is because the Borzaya, just like wolves, behave similarly in a group scenario. Therefore, they get along great in a bigger social group. Commonly used to catch animals like hare, fox etc, the Borzaya could run over 4 kms just to catch the prey and would turn out successful nine out of ten times.