Borzoi are housedogs, and they like their comforts. Expect to share the furniture with them or to provide them with cozy beds throughout the house where they can rest their bones. Some do best in a home with a yard, while others are fine simply being walked every day. If you are considering a Borzoi for an apartment or condo, however, take into account whether you'll need to carry the dog up and down the stairs if he's ever sick or injured and can't manage them on his own.

Borzoi are not generally high-energy dogs, but activity levels vary among individuals. Some will exercise themselves if turned out into a yard while others are lazy and must be taken for a walk. Most Borzoi will be satisfied with a 20-minute walk daily and the occasional opportunity to run full out in a safely fenced area.

Walks on leash or playtime in a safely fenced area are musts for this breed. The Borzoi is a sighthound, born to chase, and he'll go after anything that's moving, even if that means running in front of a truck. And you definitely won't be able to catch him once he takes off. An underground electronic fence will not contain a Borzoi. The desire to chase a moving object will always overcome the threat of a momentary shock.

Like all hounds with a hunting heritage, Borzoi have minds of their own, which doesn't make training easy. People who don't understand the Borzoi mind may label them stubborn or dumb. They're stubborn, all right, but they're not dumb. They're just debating whether they want to do what you've asked and if so, what's in it for them. They quickly become bored with repetition, so keep training sessions short, fun, and interesting. Constant positive reinforcement is the key to successfully training a Borzoi. Training through intimidation will never work.

Borzoi should not be difficult to housetrain. Crate training is recommended, not only as an aid to housetraining, but also to protect your belongings and prevent your Borzoi puppy from getting into trouble when you're not around to supervise. When introduced properly, Borzoi become very fond of their crate and will often spend time in it on their own. Be sure to provide padding to protect their bony body. A good crate size for an adult Borzoi is 26 inches wide by 36 inches high by 48 inches long.

Borzoi puppies are slow to mature, so don't expect puppy destructiveness to disappear any time soon. You can alleviate it by providing your Borzoi with plenty of exercise and companionship.

« Personality | Next: Feeding »