Russian greyhound is a symbol and pride of domestic dog breeding. This graceful and elegant breed has been cultivated for several centuries.
Appearance story
The Russian greyhound is mentioned for the first time in the report of the German ambassador, who is at the court of the father of Ivan the Terrible - Prince Vasily. A little later, a thorough breeding of this breed of dogs began. Representatives of the Tatar nobility, resettled by Ivan the Terrible to the Astrakhan and Kazan lands, opened hunting with greyhounds there. Hunting dogs came to the taste of the Russian landowners. After that, the breeding of a new breed of greyhounds, similar to the eastern one, but more adapted for those latitudes, began.
New hunting dogs appeared as a result of crossing the husky variety with Oriental saluki. The first of them gave the Russian greyhound courage and strength, and the second - grace and lightness. This turned out to be an excellent breed. A little later, the blood of western dirhounds, greyhounds, etc. was mixed with it.
Hunting with Russian greyhounds was carried out on foxes, wolves, hares, and sometimes on ungulates. These dogs were kept only in wealthy homes.
Russian greyhounds up to the nineteenth century were crossed with other breeds. As a result, four varieties formed:
- Courland
- ancient Russian canine;
- clean;
- dense.
Before the abolition of serfdom (1861), Russian greyhounds were numerous and popular. Subsequently, when the positions of the landowners were shaken, they stopped holding a large number of dogs. However, the Russian borzoi only benefited from this. Nurseries that appeared in the country were under the control of those people who knew a lot about breed breeding. In 1875, almost all of the famous Russian greyhounds gathered at the Moscow congress. At this meeting, it was decided to combine all existing varieties of the breed into one and name it like this: Russian canine greyhound. The history of dog breeding was another important stage. This happened in 1888 when the standard for this breed was adopted.
After the 1917 revolution, many dog breeders emigrated from the USSR. Despite the development of borzoi breeding societies, the number of these dogs in Europe was much larger than in Russia.
Currently, this breed has begun to return to popularity. Many people decide to start a Russian greyhound. However, it is worth considering that the price of a thoroughbred puppy is in the range of one to five thousand dollars.
Standard
The Russian greyhound is currently bred by dog breeders around the world. At the same time, the breed has a huge number of connoisseurs who are delighted with its strength, speed and aristocracy.
Russian greyhound (see photo below) has a height at the withers from seventy to eighty-two centimeters. This is a parameter for males. The height at the withers of bitches is slightly less. It ranges from sixty-five to seventy-five centimeters.
A pretty long body has a Russian greyhound. A photo of a dog of this breed clearly demonstrates its dark almond-shaped large eyes with an intelligent and friendly expression.
An impressive dog has a relatively rectangular body shape. The breed is used mainly as a hunting or hound.
The breed standard Russian canine borzoi is a head narrowed towards the nose. Ears are set high. They straighten when the dog is alert. In a calm state, the animal's ears are slightly backward.
The Russian greyhound always has a black nose, which protrudes slightly to the side and forward of the incisors. The teeth of these dogs are well developed. They are strong and healthy. The incisors have developed a bite resembling ticks or scissors.
The neck of a Russian greyhound is muscular and long. It is covered with a sufficiently thick coat and does not have a undercoat. The breed is characterized by a very elongated relatively long rib cage, as well as a wide, muscular and long croup. The saber-shaped or crescent-shaped tail of the greyhounds is rather low. The forelimbs of the dog are set straight.
In the description of the breed standard, muscular, long and wide hips are indicated. In this case, the dog has oval paws with arched fingers that are tightly compressed. Soft pads allow you to elastically repel when running and walking. Therefore, the speed of the Russian greyhound, which it can develop, is twenty-eight meters per second.
The coat of this breed is curly or silky, wavy and long. Color may be different. Sometimes it is white with a slight golden tint. There are individuals with a fiery color mixed with black. The Russian greyhound is characterized by the gray color of its legs and muzzle, which at the same time have shades from silver to yellow. The wool is decorated with tiger stripes. Their color may be fiery golden or gray. There are individuals with black or fiery stripes, as well as with any intermediate shades that these colors possess.
Character
The dog of the Russian Borzoi breed is restrained, calm and always self-confident. At the same time, it is a dangerous opponent in the battle, because under its appearance courage and strength are hidden.
Although the Russian Greyhound is a hunting dog, it can become a faithful member of your family. Representatives of this breed do not have intrusiveness. They can spend hours in the space allotted to them, without requiring any attention. In the presence of strangers, dogs are a little shy. Aggression occurs very rarely.
The Russian canine greyhound has aristocratic restraint, but at the same time loves to be caressed. Calm and gentle at home, this dog is always a hunter in his soul. When she gets to places where game is found, she needs control, because your darling will immediately set off in pursuit.
The character of the dog is adversely affected by the change of owner. If the greyhound is well-mannered, then it lacks nervousness and dangerous unpredictability. This breed is characterized by a balanced temperament.
Puppy selection
The decision to acquire a Russian greyhound requires careful consideration. The puppy must be properly educated, as well as provide him with personal time and a convenient place. All this is important for the harmonious and healthy development of the dog.
It is also necessary to determine how the greyhound will be used. It can be a hound or hunting, as well as a room or guard.
The ideal age of the puppy is from ten to sixteen months. Such a dog is ready for vaccination and training by the owner.
Walking with your pet
Puppies of a Russian canine greyhound require a lot of attention. For their education you will need a lot of energy and strength. First of all, your pet should be regular and proper. A puppy should not be bored with too long walks and active games. Do not disturb the pet even when he is resting. When walking with your pet you need to avoid slippery roads. Due to the underdeveloped muscles and ligaments at this age, you should not let him jump over the stairs. At first, the puppy should learn to play only on a leash, learn its name and go to the place of its choice. It is recommended to name a small pet simply and briefly. Only in this case the name will be easy to understand.
Some time will pass, and the puppy will voluntarily start to come to you. Squat down and hug your pet, affectionately calling his name.
When walking, do not pull the leash. A puppy looks at him as a certain restriction. Your task is to make the small pet treat the leash as a means of entertainment. Russian greyhound puppies are not allowed to walk on their own until they learn to obey the orders of their master. The innate pursuit instinct of this breed can cause a puppy to rush in pursuit of prey at any time.
Food
The diet of your pet should include all the elements necessary for health and normal development. The presence of fats and vitamins, proteins (especially animal origin), carbohydrates and mineral salts is mandatory in the feed. In this case, the correct proportion must be observed between the nutrients. For the health and fatness of the puppy, he needs to be given not too fatty and not too lean food. The first sign that the feed is correctly selected is smooth, good coat.
Care and maintenance
A person who takes a Russian greyhound puppy to his house will need to follow certain hygiene rules. A happy and healthy dog is characterized by brilliant thick coat. To keep the puppy you will need to purchase a brush or comb. With these devices it will be necessary to regularly comb and clean the wool, removing obsolete hairs, possible knots and dirt from its surface. Such care will be a preventative measure against parasites. Combing the hair will remove the scabies mites and fleas that wind up in it. In the distribution network, you can buy drugs against parasites, as well as other products such as therapeutic baths, lotions and collars.
A Russian greyhound dog can adapt remarkably to the conditions of a city apartment. At the same time, it is worth remembering that in order to maintain good shape she needs daily long walks.
Precautionary measures
When a small pet appears in the house, dangerous objects should be removed. They can be telephone and electric wires, as well as sockets protruding from the wall. All these items must be blocked or removed altogether, because they pose a great danger to the life of a puppy. Until about six months of age, a pet should not leave shoes and books unattended. This will only provoke the puppy. With age, the desire to be interested in all sorts of subjects and grab whatever he gets will pass. It is worth remembering that a small puppy, like a child, likes to indulge and have a good night's sleep. This should be treated condescendingly. Take your pet by buying him fun toys.
Health
To prevent your pet from getting sick, you must regularly take it to an experienced veterinarian. A correctly planned vaccination will guarantee a dog’s health. They have a specific schedule. So, at the sixth, ninth and thirteenth week, and then at six months, the puppy should be vaccinated against parvovirus. Your pet will need to be assigned to the veterinarian at the eighth week, and then at another three and six months. At this age, it is supposed to vaccinate the puppy against hepatitis, glanders and tapeospirosis. It will take a pet against rabies. It is done at the age of six months. After that, all of the above vaccinations are repeated annually.
Worms
When acquiring a puppy, it is important to find out from the seller whether he drove worms from the animal. This must be done before vaccination twice, taking a break of nine days. When the puppy turns three weeks old, the first procedure necessary to expel the worms should be carried out. After nine days, it is repeated, and then a vaccination can be given in a couple of weeks.
It is recommended to drive off worms in an adult dog four times a year, using special tools purchased in a veterinary pharmacy.
Training
A pet must be accustomed to teams. The most important of them is “to me”. It will take training for the teams "stand", "fu", "lie" and some others. Gradually, it will be necessary to train the puppy to participate in future exhibitions. Your pet should behave calmly when examining teeth, walk nicely on a leash and not be afraid of strangers. Gradually, the puppy should be accustomed to cars and noisy places. He must be made clear that they are not dangerous to him.
Character education
At the age of three weeks, the puppy begins to see and hear well. From this moment begins the formation of the character of the dog and the perception of the whole world. Moreover, a lot depends on the attitude that the owner shows to his pet. In the future, this affects the affection of the dog, its fears, affection, kindness, aggressiveness, etc. The process of character formation depends on contacts with the owner, because they allow the puppy to orientate correctly in the world around him.
Training
To support the innate instinct of the Russian Greyhound, your pet needs movement. With a puppy it is enough to walk constantly with a quick step. An adult dog must be released for free roaming in the fields. If it is not possible to travel outside the city, then for training dogs, you can participate in trials on an artificial beast. This will be an excellent training factor for young dogs.