Russian Greyhound

History of the Russian Greyhound breed

References to dogs, with which our ancestors successfully hunted not only hares, but also wolves, can be found in printed publications of the XVII century. Presumably the first and most famous breeder of greyhounds was the Russian tsar Alexei Mikhailovich Romanov, who received several dogs of this breed as a gift from the Zaporozhye Cossacks. The version that the ancestors of today's Russian greyhounds were brought to us from Persia and the Kazakh Khanate back in the time of Ivan the Terrible also has the right to life. The autocrat respected greyhound baiting very much and was quite sincerely interested in new hunting breeds.

Since the XVIII century, the clan of greyhounds has been undergoing a large-scale "pumping". To improve the hunting qualities of dogs, they began to be crossed with Horty and English, and later with Crimean and mountain greyhounds. Breeding activities took place spontaneously, since the main breeder of the breed was the nobility, who kept their own kennels and had the opportunity to experiment with breeding to their heart's content. Not limited by any framework, landlords knitted animals, guided only by their own preferences, which eventually led to the fragmentation of the family of canine greyhounds and slowed down the standardization of the breed. As a result: the first standard for the exterior of dogs was written only in 1888.

At domestic exhibitions, the breed began to appear in 1872 and almost immediately disappointed all aesthetes who saw ordinary mestizos in animals who had lost the classic features of the Russian greyhound. But the judging panel of the Moscow exhibition of the Imperial Society of Proper Hunting treated the four-legged contestants more loyally and in 1874 awarded the dog a Russian greyhound named Award a gold medal. But even this decision did not put an end to the desperate disputes of experts about exactly how the right Russian greyhound should look. As a result, supporters of traditions continued to advocate a return to the original type of appearance of dogs, while the other half of breeders stubbornly voted for the updated appearance of greyhounds.

Since the beginning of the XX century, the breeding of Russian greyhounds was carried out at an accelerated pace, and by 1917 the number of purebred individuals in Russia exceeded 2000. Of course, during the years of the Civil and Great Patriotic Wars, the clan of Russian greyhounds suffered significant losses, but nevertheless it did not cease to exist, which made it possible for Soviet enthusiasts to start breeding these amazing animals again. The breed came to America and Canada at the beginning of the XX century, after Europe had had enough of the grace and hunting talents of its representatives and even managed to cool down slightly to them. By the way, it was on the other side of the Atlantic that Russian greyhounds gained the greatest popularity, where they were accepted not as hunters, but as sports, image pets.

Video: Russian Greyhound

Appearance of a Russian greyhound

Russian greyhounds are the epitome of sophistication and elegance. Among their own kind, these lean, ascetic beauties stand out with an exquisite exterior and fascinating ease of movement. Despite the rather high growth (males – up to 85 cm at the withers, bitches – up to 78 cm), Russian greyhounds do not give the impression of heavyweight giants. At one time, this feature of the breed was very subtly beaten by the genius of the Art Nouveau era Louis Icarus. It was worth the artist to depict the elongated, proud silhouette of a Russian greyhound a couple of times in the paintings, as it became a fashion trend, and illustrations, engravings and even sculptures glorifying the regal bearing of the canine greyhounds showered on French and Russian fans of the breed, as if from a cornucopia.

Head

The skull of the exemplary Russian greyhound has an elongated shape, which makes the dog's head seem very narrow. The occipital protuberance of the representatives of this breed is quite pronounced, and the line of the foot is noticeably smoothed.

Teeth and bite

Teeth of the Russian greyhound are strong, white. The bite can be straight or scissor-shaped.

Nose

The back of the nose is long, with a slightly noticeable hump. The lobe is large, mobile, protruding forward.

Eyes

The Russian greyhound has beautiful expressive eyes: almond-shaped, slightly convex, rich brown color.

Ears

The ears of the Russian greyhound are miniature, thin, set just above eye level. The ear cloth is noticeably pulled to the back of the head, and its tips are pressed tightly against the neck. In an excited or alert dog, the ears take a standing position.

Neck

The neck of the Russian greyhound is dry, rather long and muscular. From the sides, the muscles are slightly flattened, which makes the neck look flattened.

Housing

Thanks to the muscular back and massive, sloping croup, the top line forms a long arc, which is more pronounced in males. The chest of Russian greyhounds is deep, oval in shape, smaller or equal in width to the croup. The abdominal area is well tightened: the bottom line is steep, with a so-called catch.

Legs

The front legs of the Russian greyhound are dry, with good musculature. Shoulder blades are long, sloping type, elbows are normal, look back. The hind limbs of the RPB are set wider than the front ones. The hips are elongated, moderately muscled, the hocks are wide, well developed, with normal angles. The paws of representatives of this breed are narrow, arched, rusach type. The Russian greyhound moves in everyday life at an easy trot, on the hunt – with sweeping jumps (a fast career).

Tail

Crescent-shaped, long and thin, with a lush pendant. The calm Russian greyhound's tail is in a hanging position. If the dog is excited, the tail can rise, but not above the level of the back.

Wool

The dog's body is covered with long, wavy or slightly curling hair. On the ears, head and front side of the legs, the hair is very short, silky. On the neck of the animal there is a magnificent suspension from the restroom of the dog, the back of the thighs are decorated with cute "pants". In the area of the croup and shoulder blades, the curl of wool is steeper.

Color

All types of spotted and piebald colors are assigned to Russian greyhounds, with the exception of blue and chocolate tones. The suspensions on the dog's neck and tail, as well as the toilet fur on its thighs, are usually lighter than the rest of the body. A distinctive feature of dark–colored individuals is a muzzle with a so-called mazurina (black mask).

Defects and disqualifying vices

According to the degree of severity, defects in appearance can be both minor and serious. And if, for example, a Russian greyhound will never get the highest score for a stiff coat or a lightweight constitution, then for aggression and an asymmetric bite it risks not being allowed to participate in competitions at all. Most often, the exhibition commission rejects Russian greyhounds for cardinal discrepancies with the breed standard, for example, for the blue color of the iris, the absence of one of the teeth, the blue or brown shade of the coat, as well as for the presence of thumbs. Incorrect position of the canines, in which the soft tissues of the oral cavity are damaged, also leads to complete disqualification.

Photo of a Russian greyhound

Character of the Russian greyhound

Russian greyhounds are real geniuses of reincarnation. When hunting, they are unstoppable and reckless, but as soon as the animals find themselves in the walls of their native home, melancholic quiet people immediately wake up in them. In general, Russian greyhounds are one of the most comfortable pets: they are "uncooperative" and do not follow the owner with their tail to get their portion of attention. The Russian greyhound prefers to spend his free time from hunting and walking passively, resting on the sofa or nestled at the feet of the owner. The breed is also not capable of all sorts of unpleasant surprises like torn wallpaper and perforated shoes, of course, provided that the dog walks regularly.

The Russian greyhound does not feel much love for children, but it does not harbor much hostility either. Most of all, she is annoyed by sudden screams and laughter, so when the owner of noisy children's companies comes to the home, the dog, as a rule, tries to retreat. Due to their peaceful nature and innate delicacy, Russian greyhounds are moderately polite in communication, including with strangers, but in response they demand exactly the same attitude to themselves. Having a very vulnerable psyche, the Russian greyhound is extremely sensitive to any injustice, so the punishment for this breed is a real tragedy.

Increased excitability is another distinctive character trait of Russian greyhounds. Just now the pet was walking impressively at your feet, but now a random catfey loomed on the horizon, and your phlegmatic dog was blown away by the wind. The reason for such a sharp transition from one state to another is the instinct of persecution, which in this breed has evolved to the level of mania.

The intellectual indicators of the Russian greyhound are quite good, although inexperienced owners at first may face difficulties in raising and training pets. It is important to understand here that the Russian greyhound is not a companion or a service dog, but a professional hunter whose main goal is to work with game. Accordingly, all the ingenuity and ingenuity of the breed goes precisely to the process of baiting the beast. At the same time, in ordinary life, the dog's brain works in energy-saving mode, which is sometimes mistakenly regarded as stupidity.

Education and training

Despite the fact that for the most part Russian greyhounds are malleable and obedient dogs, students from them are not the most diligent. By the way, experienced hunters are of the opinion that to record representatives of the breed on the OKD (General training course) is only to spoil their natural talents. With a Russian greyhound, you always need to keep your finger on the pulse: one accidentally escaped shout or a sharp threatening movement towards the dog – and she immediately regards it as an attempt to humiliate her dignity. So you should behave respectfully during lessons with these "aristocrats". Moreover, the Russian greyhound belongs to those breeds whose representatives have a pronounced personality, so the program and style of training for each individual can be radically different.

The first and most important skill that the owner must form in his pet is the ability to clearly distinguish between hunting and ordinary life. Smoothly wean the puppy to chase everything that moves during walks – the command "Nearby!" to help. In no case do not let him off the leash if there are smaller four-legged creatures nearby. It is also not worth trying to educate domestic servants and circus performers from a Russian greyhound. With all the softness of character, greyhounds will not bring slippers and walk on their hind legs.

You will have to forget about monotonous training with this breed, because monotony is the worst of evils for the Russian greyhound. Guide the dog seriously, but without coercion, encouraging him for success with treats. By the age of 6 months, the puppy must learn the basic commands of obedience ("To me!", "Near!") and be able to walk on a leash. The time interval from 6 to 10 months is considered the period of teenage rebellion. The grown-up dog tries to assert his own authority, ignoring the prohibitions in every possible way. For this period of time, it is better to be patient and restrain yourself as much as possible when there is a desire to give a shaggy limitless man a good beating on the loin parts.

It is better to fight with teenage leadership in Russian greyhounds with additional physical exertion. Moreover, the more work and training you put on a presumptuous puppy, the less time he will have for minor dirty tricks. The easiest way in this regard is for owners who have an adult Russian greyhound at home in addition to a puppy. An experienced dog will quickly put in place a teenager who is dazed by an overabundance of energy, becoming an example and a senior mentor for him.

Hunting with a Russian greyhound

The Russian greyhound is an excellent hunter in the conditions of the middle lane, with which you can walk both hares and foxes, and a wolf with equal success. And the point here is not only in natural instincts and innate intelligence, but also in a special, linear set of paws that allows the dog to sharply change the direction of movement, thereby ensuring lightning-fast capture of game. However, despite such obvious advantages of the breed, today's hunters often refuse its representatives as from little-used pets. The reason for this neglect lies in the fact that Russian greyhounds are often crossed with other hunting dogs, as a result of which the stalking instinct of the offspring is not clearly manifested. In addition, not all owners understand that although hunting with a Russian greyhound is a seasonal matter, it will be necessary to develop and hone the skills and abilities of a pet throughout his life. A dog that goes out to be baited twice a year, and the rest of the time lying on the couch, hunting trophies of its owner will definitely not fill up.

Russian canine greyhounds are short–distance runners. Optimal conditions for demonstrating the hunting talents of the breed are a treeless area up to 500 m long, although, as practice shows, 200-300-meter acceleration is enough for most animals to have time to grab the prey and present it to the owner. The innate impulsivity of dogs also plays an important role in the success of hunting: when a Russian greyhound sees an animal, it switches from standby mode to race mode in a fraction of a second. If attempts to overtake the prey were unsuccessful, the dogs are able to repeat the failed march after a half-hour pause.

The preparation for the first hunt can be considered the habituation of a Russian greyhound to a pack collar. You can start lessons from the age of 6 months: the puppy must learn to walk in a group without breaking forward and not dragging at the end of the pack. You can hunt a Russian greyhound for game as early as 10-12 months, but at first the animals are allowed to make no more than one attempt at persecution. Teenagers are not yet as hardy as individuals who have previously participated in hunting, and they easily overwork. It is wonderful if the owner took two puppies into the house at once, and it is absolutely not necessary that both were of the same breed. Growing up and competing for the role of an alpha male, they will try more to prove themselves during training.

It is better to train a teenager with a Russian greyhound on a wolf in the company of experienced dogs and their owners. But you can go to the hare alone, and in general, it is more expedient to start training young greyhounds in the race for game with the "big-eared brethren". Often during the first hunt, the greyhounds cannot restrain themselves and tear the small animal apart, or even eat it before the arrival of the owner. This, of course, is not a reason to get upset, but it's still worth slightly reproaching a pet for such behavior. In addition, if your ward demonstrates such "successes" in field trials, he will not see a diploma.

Maintenance and care

Russian greyhounds are not demanding of space, which makes it possible to keep them in a city apartment (with a sufficient amount of physical activity). However, do not forget that representatives of this breed extremely disrespect ordinary beds and are unlikely to be content with a modest corner in the hallway. Most of all, Russian greyhounds like to lie on the sofa or the master's bed, and you should not be angry with them for this. In this way, dogs relax, trying to rest their backs and overworked muscles. Some experts even advise to place at the disposal of the animal a separate sofa with an orthopedic mattress, if the living space allows. As for domestic animals, it is worth building a spacious aviary for them and installing a booth in it with a height of at least 1 m and an area of about 1.5 m2 with insulated walls and floor. If two greyhounds live in your house, the inner area of the booth will have to be expanded to 2.5 m2.

Hygiene

The fine wool of Russian greyhounds is practically devoid of undercoat, but often gets lost in tangles. Nevertheless, the dogs manage to keep the "fur coat" clean on their own. The owner can only comb the animal a couple of times a week, and after walking, choose the motes entangled in its fur. During the molting period, the same manipulations will have to be performed daily, which is generally a common phenomenon for dogs of all breeds.

In the issue of bathing frequency, the breeders of Russian greyhounds have not come to a consensus. As a result, some dog owners recommend washing the Russian greyhound once every three months, while others advise to completely abandon this activity and spend bath days only in the most urgent cases, for example, when the animal got dirty in liquid mud. The dog's eyes and ears do not require specific care. Just keep them clean by removing sulfur from the ear funnel and wiping dirt accumulated in the corners of the eyes with a damp piece of cloth.

The claws on the paws of Russian greyhounds should be trimmed so that they do not interfere with the animal while running. The hair between the fingers is also cut, which gets dirty very quickly and can become a place of accumulation of bacteria that provoke skin infections. In addition, greyhounds living in apartments will have to wash their paws after each walk. Moreover, in winter, it will not be possible to dodge this procedure either – the reagents that are sprinkled on roads in our country are extremely poisonous and can cause poisoning in a dog when she suddenly decides to lick her own paw.

Paddock

If you can't motivate yourself for morning and evening runs, then the Russian greyhound is your dog. No matter how passively representatives of this breed behave at home, it is not in their rules to walk decorously along sidewalks and park paths, which means that while walking your pet, you will also have the opportunity to warm up properly. If hiking is not inspiring, tie a leash with a greyhound to the bike and pedal with all your might: Russian greyhounds also respect such runaways very much. By the way, it is necessary to go out with a Russian greyhound in any weather, so you will not be able to get away from the promenades in the drizzling rain.

It's great if you have the opportunity to periodically take your pet out into nature, where he can unleash his own hunting instincts. In the conditions of the city, such a number will not work, so walk the dog strictly on a leash, if you do not want a pet interested in a stray cat to leave you forever, because Russian greyhounds who are carried away by the chase simply do not hear the owner's commands and shouts. In addition, dogs that are not taken hunting will have to find an interesting alternative hobby. This can be, for example, coursing classes (a race for a mechanical "hare") or simple entertainment like running after a ball and frisbee.

Feeding

In the case of Russian greyhounds, experts advise to adhere to the principles of fractional nutrition. Representatives of this breed are fed 3-4 times a day, dividing the daily diet into small portions. Dry food for greyhounds is also not contraindicated, unless it is a budget option from the nearest supermarket. The basis of the diet of the Russian greyhound, eating "straight", should be lean raw meat. Breeders consider horse meat to be an ideal variety, since it is extremely rarely infected with brucellosis. Dogs and low-fat sea fish of the cod family are included in the menu, which, if desired and available finances, can easily be replaced with squid meat.

Buckwheat, oatmeal and rice are suitable for the breed from cereals. By the way, it is better to cook porridge from them by brewing, pouring the cereals with boiling broth or milk and leaving them to swell for half an hour. Vegetables are given to Russian greyhounds in boiled form or simply added to the soup. It is impossible to overdo it with fermented milk products, so pamper your four-legged friend with kefir or ryazhenka more often.

For the normal growth and development of the Russian greyhound, the correct balance of proteins and calcium is very important. For this reason, from the age of 4 months, when the puppies begin to change teeth, mineral fertilizing is introduced into their menu. In addition, up to six months, dogs are given calcined cottage cheese and a chicken egg several times a week. But with pharmacy calcium-containing drugs, you should be more careful, since an overabundance of this macronutrient is no less harmful to the puppy's body than its deficiency.

Prohibited foods:

• any food from the master's table;
• legumes;
• potatoes and other vegetables with a high starch content;
• sweets;
• fatty meat and lard;
• tubular bones;
• river fish.

Russian greyhounds are usually fed after a walk, putting a sufficient amount of food in a bowl. The dog should not drive a bowl around the apartment, licking it clean.

Health and diseases of the Russian greyhound

The Russian Greyhound is a relatively healthy breed, but very sensitive to all types of anesthetics. In addition, many individuals are allergic to flea and tick remedies, so it is worth choosing such drugs especially carefully. As for the genetic predisposition to specific diseases, most often Russian greyhounds suffer from intestinal inversion, bloating, retinopathy (retinal damage), cataracts and Wobbler syndrome (compression of the spinal cord in the cervical spine).

How to choose a puppy

• Choose February or March litters, the babies of which will be ready to move to a new home in May-June. In this case, you will be able to diversify your pet's diet with seasonal fruits and vegetables containing most of the vitamins necessary for a growing body.
• Don't get hung up on the specific type of appearance of the future pet (for example, the owner breeds white dogs, and you want a gray one). The Russian greyhound is one of the most diverse breeds, and each of its representatives is beautiful in its own way.
• If you hope to raise a professional hunter from a puppy in the foreseeable future, ask if his parents have field diplomas. It is also not worth deluding yourself unnecessarily about hereditary talents, since hunting skills are not always passed from parents to children and largely depend on proper training.
• The exterior of a growing Russian greyhound puppy is constantly changing, so it is unlikely to be possible to choose the most spectacular baby from the litter. However, it is still worth visually assessing the correctness of the bite, the purity of the dog and the general condition of the future pet.

Photos of Russian greyhound puppies

How much is a Russian greyhound

If you want to become the owner of a show-class Russian greyhound puppy, get ready to spend from $400 to $600 on it. Future miners of hares and foxes from parents with hunting diplomas will pull on $200 - $300. Since most dog breeders continue to believe that the first litter of Russian greyhounds is not always successful, there is a chance to save decently on this cliche. So many breeders sell the offspring of a female foaled for the first time at a reduced cost (from $150), which they notify potential buyers in advance.