Excerpts from an interview with M.G. Ostrovskaya

Excerpts from an interview with M.G. Ostrovskaya, breeder of the Soloviev kennel, president of the National Breed Club

Magazine "Drug", March 2011 "Russian beauty"

It is an honor to be one of the best breeders in Russia. And to be the best in the breed that has become a symbol of our country is a double honor.
At the same time, it is a huge responsibility to breed dogs of the right type, capable of being a benchmark for breeders all over the world.

The owner of the kennel "Soloviev" Marina G. Ostrovskaya told the magazine about the achievements and problems of the Russian borzoi, as well as the prospects for the development of the breed.

- Marina Grigorievna, tell us how you came to borzois?

- Not right away. After the Airedales, she kept Great Danes for quite a long time (about ten years). But then I decided to change the breed, since the Great Danes, unfortunately, live very little, it is very difficult. At that time, I didn’t think about sighthounds at all, I wanted to start an exotic breed - a Mastiff napoletano. There were very few of these dogs in accessible countries, but I found people in the Czech Republic who dreamed of a Russian borzoi, and we agreed to exchange a borzoi for a mastino puppy.

And so my acquaintance with sighthounds began - quite by accident. In search of a suitable dog, I got to know all the breeders of this breed. We bought a bitch, but we fell in love with her very much, while she lived with us for a month, we parted with difficulty. And the Mastino puppy was never born. At that moment, we met a respected breeder of Russian sighthounds - Igor Borisovich Solovyov. Our kennel is named after him. He gave me the special honor of becoming the owner of a puppy born from his dogs. This was thirty years ago. The sighthound that we sent to the Czech Republic was missing one tooth, and the Czech breeder found buyers for her in France, where she became the mother of a galaxy of champions.

Now we have her grandchildren and great-grandchildren living in our kennel. One of them (Snegovik) won Eurasia four times!

— What attracted you to the Russian sighthound?

Borzoi is one of the most perfect, refined and intelligent breeds! This is a very pleasant dog. The Russian sighthound is a way of life. Those who have ever seen her run in the field, have been hunting with a sighthound, cannot give up this passion. Borzoi makes you quit everything at least once a year and go out intothe fields. We traveled all over Russia with our dogs, which we would hardly have done without them.

— What is your ideal Borzoi?

- Unfortunately, we very often began to meet a roundish bone, heaviness and lack of aristocratice refined appearance in the Russian sighhound. Therefore, first of all, I want to see in her dryness, elegance, correct anatomical structure and flat bone. And at the same time I like big, fairly tall dogs.

- Does the color of the dog matter to you in life and at the exhibition? Perhaps some color looks more advantageous?

- I believe that a dog is not a carpet and not clothes! Preference will be given to a good dog. The color scheme in this case is not important for me. Moreover, borzois have a huge variety of colors - almost all possible in a dog.

— There are many different types of borzois, among them which one do you prefer?

- It is precisely because of the many types that borzoi is a difficult breed to judge. Very difficult in terms of anatomy, as it differs from the generally accepted description of classical breeds. There, for example, a short loin is important, and in borzois, first of all, the loin should be long. It is difficult for judging, as people are used to compactness. Many types are due to the fact that the breed was historically bred and kept by landlords, in different kennelsborzois had different types of heads, different predominant colors. Therefore, there are heads with a straight upper line, and some with a curved one. Nonsense, but we still do not have a standard for the Russian breed in Russian! Not to mention comments on it. How often after incompetent judging I want to sit down and write such comments, but there is not enough time. Such amazing phrases can sometimes be read in the description of dogs, even from our Russian experts! For example, “eyes too big”, “hair too soft”, “loin too long”. And this is about the breed, which should have large expressive eyes, very soft delicate hair and a long loin, due to which the dog, in fact, runs! Due to the incompetence of judges, we are losing many valuable qualities of borzois, their expression. Often began to meet dogs with small eyes, without a specific passionate expression.

- How can judges and lovers of the breed learn if there is neither a standard in Russian, nor other literature?

- In fact, there is a lot of Russian literature of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Sabaneev, Gubin and other authors to learn from. These books contain detailed descriptions of the correct type of borzoi and its character. In a truly Russian sighthound there should be an image of a hunter, an image of a passionate dog. This is precisely borzoi - the dog is strong, but light and taut, without signs of heaviness and rudeness.

- How important is the right coat for a borzoi? How well should she be dressed?

- Coat is very important, because the name of the breed contains the word "psovina", which means coat, dog hair in old Russian language. A dog with scanty hair is ugly and atypical. But an excess of hair is useless for borzoi. Long hair should be in the right places. Collar, feathers, tail. A sighthound should not look like a shapeless "haystack". The abundance of coat should not hide its natural beauty and elegance.

- Do you think that borzoi must hunt?

- I think and with all my actions I try to prove that there is not and should not be a division into a working and show borzoi.

But does such a division exist?

- For some reason, for our hunters in Russia, the concept of "show dog" causes a contemptuous attitude. They believe that this is such a shaggy freak - a show dog. And in the minds of many who exhibit but don't hunt, a hunting borzoi is such a simple bald dog. So I'm trying to prove that this is complete nonsense: a dog must be both beautiful and working, then it's a real greyhound, the one for which it was bred, what Russian breeders aspired to. The Russian sighthound should be a beautiful dog that will take your breath away, but it should also take your breath away to see her working in the field. Therefore, my dogs are sure to hunt and participate in races. Our dogs are champions of Russia in racing, and one of our males last year became vice-champion of Europe in racing.

- In which country do the best borzois live now?

— It is difficult to answer this question. In countries where there is a sufficient number of representatives of this breed, both good and bad individuals come across. There used to be very interesting greyhounds in England, of the right type. After all, due to quarantine, the country was isolated from Europe for a long time, the blood that got there before the revolution or immediately after it, Russian native Russian greyhounds, was preserved there. I thought that it was England that retained that classic appearance of borzoi. But that was until the quarantine was lifted. Correct dogs immediately disappeared into a variety of imports. It is also impossible to say that in Russia there are only good or only bad dogs. Someone scolds American dogs, but there are also so many of them that, by definition, it cannot be only good or only bad. In general, it cannot be said about the breed that it is now in poor condition. There are enough good dogs. Only, unfortunately, there are very few good males. But there are many good bitches.

In Russia, of course, there are very strong dogs. This is evidenced by the results of major international exhibitions, where our dogs win. There are still good dogs in Sweden, Finland, USA, England. I believe that everywhere there are good dogs and bad ones. There are many dogs in America that are outwardly beautiful, but without the typical expression. Although I have a bitch from America, who has such eyes that the most borzois do not have. And say she looks like some kind of American dog? No, by type she is a very good Russian sighthound.

- Russian sighthound - a specialist in wolf, hare or fox?

- Borzoi in this sense is universal, it is able to hunt a wolf, and a fox, and a hare. She is a red beast hunter. Previously, during the time of great hunts, it was the hunt for the red beast that was the most spectacular action. It was hosted by wealthy landowners. They kept a great hunt of greyhounds, hounds and many people. They could afford to hunt the beast spectacularly and with courage. Imagine: hunters with borzoiss encircled a selected part of the forest (the so-called island), from where all the animals (wolf, fox) were driven out by hounds to a circular ambush from borzois. And a pack of borzois, on which the beast ran out, took him. Hunting for a hare was fun for the poorer landowners.

- Can our modern show borzois cope with a wolf?

- Naturally, those borzois who took the wolf were taught from early age, from a puppy. Of course, they were not taken and immediately thrown it into the wolf’s mouth. First, they were baited on a wolf cub, then - on a crippled wolf (which was secured). Borzoi got used to win. And only then did they start hunting the beast. Now we are trying to revive the hunt for the wolf, the former savageness towards the beast. But I don't think it's really necessary right now. Well, if only to show what it was back then. That there are these features in the bloodlines ... But we do not live in the forests, we do not go to the wolf every day. And what is it to revive anger towards the beast? That is, to make the dog aggressive? So the dog itself will suffer from this in the first place - it will not be able to participate in shows and competitions, it will not be able to calmly walk with you in the city. Therefore, I believe that for someone who wants to hunt, a hare is the best object. Unfortunately, modern trials for wolf in captivity vaguely resemble those real hunts for wolf. Now it is a poor animal that is being attacked by dogs. But in fact, the wolf is a strong animal. He runs very fast and can tear a dog apart very easily. Unfortunately, we do not yet have the conditions for holding decent wolf hunts. And one more thing: the landowner had many borzois - one would die, the rest would remain. And now each of us has his own one and only dear to one's heart.

- How popular is the Russian sighthound now in Russia?

- Recently, the Russian sighthound has become more interesting for shows and is quite popular. There are many new faces and dogs in the rings today. At the exhibition "In Memory of Sabaneev" 80 borzois were exhibited, the National Championship gathers about 200 dogs. When borzois start to win, there is interest in them.

- But a borzoi is a dog not for everyone?

- Of course, it cannot be super popular - this is a specific breed. Large, but not watchdog. Requires quite active walks, but in the city you can’t let her off the leash, because she sees very far and runs very fast.

Although at home she is ideal: she does not bark, she is unobtrusive, it is not burdensome to keep this dog in an apartment, because she sleeps 23 hours a day, and this is her normal condition. A sofa and borzoi are inseparable things. But on the 24th she must run! And preferably free.

Is borzoi a healthy breed?

- Yes. Borzois rarely get sick and live up to 12 years. But due to their speed, the most common problem is injuries that dogs can get by hitting something.

— What would you like to wish breeders and owners of borzois?

— I want to wish new enthusiastic and dedicated owners! As with any other breed, there are many excellent puppies, but, unfortunately, few good hands. And of course, so that all borzoi owners remember that there are no separate show dogs, there are no separate working dogs. Must be a beautiful, elegant, dry borzoi, which must run, hunt.