Up until 1936, the breed was known in America as the Russian Wolfhound, but in a series of letters to friends, Joseph B. Thomas complained that the term, “wolfhound,” was a misnomer brought into official use around 1890 on the suggestion of a well known judge, James Watson, because of a controversy among certain fanciers about the names “Borzoi” and “Psovoi” (or Psovaya). As an aside, Thomas contributed to the establishment of the breed in America by making three trips to Russia in 1903 to purchase dogs from the Perchino Kennel of Grand Duke Nicholas and the Woronzova Kennel of Artem Boldareff. The Borzoi Club of America, then known as the Russian Wolfhound Club of America, was formed that same year.

Historically, Russians named their hounds for descriptions, not names like “Boris,” “Natalie” or “Laverne.” “Borzói”  is the masculine singular form of an old Russian adjective that means “fast” or “swift,” while “Psovaya” was derived from the word “Psovina,” meaning “wavy, silky coat.” In late 1936, the breed’s name in America was changed to “Borzoi” to conform with the name used for the breed in the rest of the world, while in Russia, the Borzoi is officially known as “Russkaya Psovaya Borzaya.”

One other thing: Although the plural form, “Borzois” is sometimes used, the preferred plural form of Borzoi is Borzoi.

Borzoi Profile by Dottie Dracos
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