Coat, Ears & Tail

AKC Hound Group · No. 99 in 2025

How to identify a Borzoi

The Borzoi is a tall Russian sighthound, ranked No. 99 by the AKC in 2025. The long, narrow head has almost no stop and a slightly Roman nose. The silky coat can be flat, wavy or curly, with a curly frill on the neck. The back rises in a curve over the loin.

Photo of a Borzoi
Photo: Pleple2000 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Field marks

These four marks are the ones the game gives you as clues. They paraphrase or briefly quote the AKC Borzoi standard.

  1. “Long and narrow” head, slightly domed and “inclined to be Roman-nosed,” with scarcely any stop
  2. “Long, silky” coat, flat, wavy or rather curly, with a profuse, curly frill on the neck
  3. Back “rising a little at the loins in a graceful curve” over a deep chest
  4. Long tail “carried low in a graceful curve”; “any color” allowed; males at least 28 inches

Tell them apart

Borzoi or Whippet?

Check the coat and the size. A Borzoi is tall, at least 26 to 28 inches, with a long, silky coat and a curly neck frill. A Whippet stands 18 to 22 inches and has a short, smooth coat. Both share the deep chest and the arched loin.

Borzoi

Borzoi

  1. “Long and narrow” head, slightly domed and “inclined to be Roman-nosed,” with scarcely any stop
  2. “Long, silky” coat, flat, wavy or rather curly, with a profuse, curly frill on the neck
  3. Back “rising a little at the loins in a graceful curve” over a deep chest
  4. Long tail “carried low in a graceful curve”; “any color” allowed; males at least 28 inches
Whippet

Whippet

  1. Small “rose ears” folded back along the neck at rest
  2. “Short, close, smooth” coat; “color immaterial”
  3. Backline with “a graceful natural arch” over the loin
  4. Long, tapering tail carried low “with only a gentle upward curve”; 18 to 22 inches

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