Russian vs North American Borzoi?
- Thread starter Michiyo-Fir
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There are good and bad in both. I know several Russian imports in person. For the most part they are lovely dogs. A couple of them are excessively shy, but then I know some North American lines that produce shy dogs as well.
The structure in a lot of the Russian dogs isn't really great, but that doesn't mean they're all like that. Some are really decent. I have never seen a modern Russian dog I would consider bringing into my lines but that doesn't mean they aren't out there. I just haven't seen them yet.
The structure in a lot of the Russian dogs isn't really great, but that doesn't mean they're all like that. Some are really decent. I have never seen a modern Russian dog I would consider bringing into my lines but that doesn't mean they aren't out there. I just haven't seen them yet.
I'm not very familiar with the health testing that's done in Russia. They're pretty serious about proving their dogs, which is great. They have hunt test titles the dogs earn. The lower tier is for successfully catching hares. The higher tier is for catching fox. I wish we had something like that here in the states but hound hunting laws vary so wildly between states it would be hard to do.
In continental Europe it's generally believed that bloat is not hereditary. In North America people do think it's hereditary and people expect it to be disclosed when doing a breeding, or buying a puppy. So, I don't know exactly where the Russian breeders stand on that issue. It's something to bear in mind. European breeders are absolutely not being mean or dishonest if they don't mention it. It's just not considered an issue. That does mean you need to ask them about it specifically though, to get an answer.
In continental Europe it's generally believed that bloat is not hereditary. In North America people do think it's hereditary and people expect it to be disclosed when doing a breeding, or buying a puppy. So, I don't know exactly where the Russian breeders stand on that issue. It's something to bear in mind. European breeders are absolutely not being mean or dishonest if they don't mention it. It's just not considered an issue. That does mean you need to ask them about it specifically though, to get an answer.
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Are there significant temperament differences though between the countries?
I'm not getting a Borzoi soon but it might be something I'm interested in. However, all my interest simply lies in having a non-DA, non-HA, healthy pet. I'm not looking to lure or hunt with the dog. So in terms of the countries, are there any certain personality traits that I should be aware of that may vary between countries and dominant/heavily used lines in those countries?
Also, how prominent is bloat. Is it something that most people can reasonably manage or needs lots of special attention and thought? I'm basically not familiar with bloat, never having had a breed with that problem.
I'm not getting a Borzoi soon but it might be something I'm interested in. However, all my interest simply lies in having a non-DA, non-HA, healthy pet. I'm not looking to lure or hunt with the dog. So in terms of the countries, are there any certain personality traits that I should be aware of that may vary between countries and dominant/heavily used lines in those countries?
Also, how prominent is bloat. Is it something that most people can reasonably manage or needs lots of special attention and thought? I'm basically not familiar with bloat, never having had a breed with that problem.
Bloat does tend to run in lines. The lines I'm working with have never ever produced a bloating dog. Ever. At least not in the last 5 generations. It seems to happen in conjunction with stress, and my dogs are totally bombproof (they are happy to go to professional fireworks displays) so maybe that's why? I suspect that dogs who are more nervy/anxious are probably more prone to bloat and that temperament stuff is definitely genetic.
There isn't a whole lot of difference in temperament between the different nations. There is between lines, but the big lines get shuttled internationally pretty regularly.
There isn't a whole lot of difference in temperament between the different nations. There is between lines, but the big lines get shuttled internationally pretty regularly.
