Episode 39 - Owning a Borzoi - COMPARISON: Silken Windhound, Italian Greyhound vs Borzoi

#borzoi #silkenwindhound #italiangreyhound
Discussing some of the basic similatarities and differences between silken windhounds, Italian greyhounds and borzoi.

[@larrys1911]

I owned an Italian Greyhound and it lived to be 19. They are wonderful companion dogs. They are clowns and very animated. They love to snuggle and play. Most are not aloof. They are very sensitive dogs. They stick to you like Velcro and love to be in your arms or lap. They range from 8 pounds to up to 16 pounds. Ours was 13 pounds. The larger ones are sturdier and healthier. They do alarm bark. They are not outdoor dogs. They have very fine hair, thin skin and no body fat. They radiate their body heat because of this. Pick one up and they will feel like a heating pad. They get cold very easily and if you keep your house cool at 73 degrees or cooler they will need a sweater. They shiver when they get cold which beginners think is nervousness. The rule of thumb is that if you are naked and cold then they will be cold. They are extremely hard to house break and many never fully house break, especially in colder climates. They can be litter box trained. I live in MN and we put 3 coats, one with long legs on her along with booties in the winter time to go outside. They also need ear protection from below zero weather as they are paper thin and can easily get frost bite. They actually make Snoods for their ears which is a hood that goes all the way around their heads and ears and has a draw string. They really cannot hold their bladders more than 6 to 7 hours so be prepared to get up early in the am to let them out otherwise they may pee in your bed. They need their teeth brushed a few times a week and yearly dental cleaning. This will save you thousands of dollars in dental bills. They need to be able to sleep in bed with you and they borrow under the covers to stay warm. They are very fast and can run up to 30 mph so they need a fenced area to run. They are not happy unless they get to run a few times a week. When they are puppies, their legs are fragile and they can easily fracture jumping off a bed or sofa. They do love to be around other Italian Greyhounds and they can get along with other dogs. We had 2 Giant Schnauzers with her and they used to run and play together. The bottom line is that these are great companion dogs but they are not for beginners. They need constant potty training with positive reinforcement. We would love to have another IG to run with our Deerhound but keeping them warm and the constant battle with potty training is a huge deterrent. If we ever move to a warm climate and can put in a doggie door we will probably get a couple of them as they are the ultimate companion dog. Sorry for being long winded but you need to know what you are getting into with an IG. Many end up for adoption because of the house breaking issue. We are thinking about a Silken Windhound to go with our Deerhound. Thanks for the great video's Jacob!

[@esperborzoi]

Thank you so much for sharing your experience!

[@chrismorrison9140]

They are very difficult to house-train, many people end up using potty papers or a litter box.

[@ginacirelli1581]

I have Italian Greyhounds and live in Northeastern Vermont. Mine will stick their snouts out the dog door and if it is too cold for their sensibilities, they just run away. I use Fresh Patch as an indoor potty for them during the winter.

[@lindalumae]

My friend in high school had an Italian greyhound named Louie. I loved that crazy boy!

[@wildmeadow_windhounds9004]

Hi Jacob. I have two silken windhounds (soon to be three!) and am active in the breed community. From my perspective your comparison between borzoi and silkens was accurate and fair. Really great to see more good info on silkens out there, especially in relation to other breeds! I'd love to own a borzoi someday, but for now the size and activity level of silkens fits my lifestyle better. Thanks for a great video!

[@esperborzoi]

Awesome!!! thank you! I am so happy to have this corroborated by a Silken Owner =) LOVE that breed, might have to get one to add to the noodle crew.

[@cultofmara]

I’ve had my silken for almost 9 years, she will be 13 soon and super easy, mellow, low effort. Mine is not super active but could get into a sprint from time to time. They do have that prey drive so no off leash. Really easy to interact w other dogs, no barking, affectionate and basically a lapdog. I took her to work with me and she just sleeps all day, good in the car and on the train. I raised puppies with the breeder one summer and it really depends on the dog- some are bred for show or sport- I’d make sure they are also being bred for temperament as that can vary. I’ve met very outgoing silkens, nervous ones, aloof, lazy - you can kind of tell even at 8 weeks old what the style will be. I love both borzoi and silken but I’m glad I got a silken to adjust to my changing life and locations. She’s very adaptable and small enough to take around. If I ever become settled my dream is have a borzoi and a silken 🖤

[@AshleyWilliams-xq7lj]

Having a silken is like this: you're wandering in the forest, and a strange looking canine approaches you. You're mesmerized by its odd, striking beauty. You reach out to the dog (is it a dog?) and it disappears. Perplexed, you return home, only to find it fast asleep, sprawled across the entire couch. You have no idea how it got in or how long it's been there. Little did you know, a trickster God of the forest has taken canine form and chosen you. Why? Who knows. Perhaps the God derives amusement from watching you pull your hair out during 6AM potty break zoomies in the freezing rain. Silly fairy tales aside, my silken is a big ole lapdog. She's still a puppy, but 30 pounds of lapdog is a bit much. I can't even imagine 50. She's either asleep, looking for trouble, or racing around like a bat out of heck. She spends most of her time sleeping. She's a velcro dog but aloof with strangers. She's very selective about who she likes. I let people know that if she likes you, you're special. People say most silkens never met a stranger but actual owners tell you otherwise. Most are somewhat aloof with strangers. My girl is on the higher end of Silken aloofness though.

[@susanbodell194]

I just love the information and seeing your beautiful hounds. Thank you 😊

[@hannmosshart2423]

To be honest, if I could request a video it would just be a compilation of random snippets from different days where we can just look at the 2 dog-beauties that you have and admire them! They are so beautiful, affectionate and gentle. I can’t get enough of them

[@esperborzoi]

Hahhaha, you described my instagram exactly. I'll make an "aesthetic" compilation? that work?

[@hannmosshart2423]

@@esperborzoi Hahahaha, if that means more borzois- sure, that will work! :) I just can't stop looking at them. They totally steal the show

[@VerdeFlowerCo]

We've had our little borzoi boy now for a little under two months, he is coming up on 4 months old now, and this channel has been so helpful, so I wanted to say thank you! Particularly for those first few weeks where I was suddenly very anxious that we had chosen a Borzoi for our first dog.I've had deerhounds and lurchers in our family for a long time, but Borzois are so unique. Also, you were *not* kidding about the growing 1inch a week!!! I feel like every time I turn around he has grown even more. And I'm so surprised by their magic fur, he can get really muddy and wet and within the hour he'll be dry and bright white again - I can't get my head around it. Either way, getting Sacha has been the best decision we could have made - particularly in a year when our lives have changed so dramatically;y due to the pandemic. It is seriously testing at times (we affectionately call him the Chaos Merchant, or Lord Chomperton) but the sheer amount of joy he brings to our lives outweighs his... surprising vocal outbursts and floorboard comping tendencies. He is a huge cuddle monster, has the softest head which is simple *perfect* for kisses and I just want to stare at him 24/7. Keep up the great content guys!! - and thank you from me (and Sacha)

[@VerdeFlowerCo]

Also: quick question! Due to the pandemic and being in the highest Tier here in Northern England, we are really limited in being able to see people to socialise Sacha. As a result, we have been taking him to puppy socialisation group where they all go in a big pen and play with each other. I was really worried he might be too boisterous (because with our family deerhound he just charged about and they tried to knock each other down constantly hahaha). When we came to pick him up from the group he was really content being there, but hilariously just going about doing his own thing, pottering around at the back on his own exploring stuff. The people running the group said he needs much much more socialisation, which I agree with entirely, but I wonder whether maybe that just isn't the right setting for him. He *loves* meeting dogs out on walks and meeting/playing with children, put simply he is a complete charmer and doing so well with his training. But he simply isn't interested in other dogs when in that setting. Are your lovely two selective? I'm finding he loves to charge about with other sighthounds but isn't do bothered by other breeds.

[@esperborzoi]

I am so happy to hear this!!!! thank you!!!

[@esperborzoi]

First of all, I don't agree with the MUCH MUCH more socialization. Borzois are HIGHLY selective about who they play with, who they talk to, and who they want attention from. A lot of times, in a busy dog park, Esper and Ora will just observe, sometimes for more than an hour, not playing, not even engaging. Either they spot someone they want to meet, or they don't. I find they get overwhelmed by crowds, and just want to watch (don't blame them I'm the same way). Alternatively, sometimes they meet a dog they really like, and they play for hours- they have a mind of their own. Also, on the street, or in a one on one situation, they want to meet and talk to nearly everyone.

[@VerdeFlowerCo]

You have described Sacha perfectly, really intrigued by everything but happy to sit and watch until he finds a dog he really loves (like our family deerhound). Thanks so much for the reassurance, I’ve been so impressed with him out and about meeting people and being hugely friendly so it is peace of mind to know this is likely a breed choosiness rather than him needing loads and loads of socialisation. Thanks again!

[@terrijohnson1719]

Great video! We have 3 silken windhounds. And absolutely are addicted to the breed. They do have zoomies but ours also have a great off switch. They are as lazy as my teenager that loves and shows them. We were attracted to them originally because they did look like a small borzoi

[@amandahansen8790]

I have an Italian Greyhound. The LOVE of my life

[@jameswoodard4304]

I had never heard of silkens before. Thanks.

[@miroslavzima8856]

At the start of the video, doggo surely thinks "Dad, why are you talking into that squeaky and fuzzy toy?"

[@hazelwood-wi9sk]

Just found your videos. Thoroughly informative. Thanks for posting them. Please let me have your opinion on Salukis.

[@esperborzoi]

My only interaction with Salukis was a few years ago, and they had such a striking independent vibe, gorgeous animals, but I felt like I was imposing just talking to them lol

[@irenezhou7167]

I loveee Borzoi but ended up with a silken cuz I live in apartment, and they are pawfect!

[@serenaserna4322]

How are they in apartments? What do you do for exercise? I am looking to get one and really need all the info I can get haha

[@falcolf]

From my research italian greyhounds are SUPER prone to breaking their legs - so maybe not the best breed for active or poor people. For me, I'm torn between the silken windhound and the borzoi and I'm leaning towards the silken because they seem a little more trainable having sheltie blood, but I remain very open to the borzoi! Question: how are borzoi as hiking dogs? What I really need is a dog who'll be happy keeping me company while I am being tremendously boring for hours doing art in my studio, who will snuggle with me, but who will also happily go on long hikes with me (after I have built up their stamina on shorter hikes of course!) And, I really love that with sighthounds on a normal day if I don't have enough energy for a hike I could release them to gallop in a properly fenced area and just admire them! I'm hoping that my future doghorse, be it silken or borzoi, might even eventually accompany me on short multiday backpacking trips. ❤

[@moonymagic]

Thanks for this video! We are looking to get a silken Windhound puppy shortly as our first dog although at some point I would love to get a borzoi. I've watched a lot of the KZbin content about both breeds, so if anyone has any other silken tips that would be amazing. I love love love your borzois!! ❤️🥰🎆

[@esperborzoi]

Thank you!!!!

[@elanorecastillo8268]

This morning I took my whippet to go to the bathroom in the front years and she saw some cats and pulled me into the wood boarder of the plants in front of the windows but I didn’t let that leash go 😂

[@esperborzoi]

oh man! Glad you survived =)

[@interdimensionalsteve8172]

How come nobody ever mentions Saluki in these kinds of comparisons? :) My Saluki is a Lot like other sighthounds.

[@vsalvato53]

Hi Jacob, I lost my wonderful Irish greyhound (rescued, former racer) about one and half years ago at age 11 and I would definitely like getting another as soon as possible; whilst greys and Galgos are easy to adopt through various orgs in Italy Borzoi's are much more rare to find. Silken's are not usually available for adopting. I am a bit concerned with Borzoi's care and health... are they hypoallergenic? Do they smell a lot? My loved jack was odorless even if bathed only a couple of times in a year... how about trimming... difficult? Adopting a 3 years old borzoi can we still hope to have a quiet and enjoyable ageing life companion for me and my wife?

[@steveandsheilaszanyi1400]

Hi Jacob. We just came across your channel and it is very informative. What are your thoughts on Windsprites? Thank you.

[@esperborzoi]

Aside from reading about them, I’ve never met one in person- I LOVE their look and how they are described though

[@steveandsheilaszanyi1400]

We have two 6 months old siblings, m and f. They are both incredible pups. After having 7 retired racing greyhounds over almost 20 years we decided to change to a smaller breed. They're very human-centric, love cuddles, love to run and play. We definitely recommend them as great fur family members.

[@laurairons3544]

Hi, I'm new to your channel and I've binge watched loads of your wonderful videos (and your beautiful babies) I'm in love with them. I have two Salukis and love hounds❤️. I would love to have a borzoi as an addition to our family and wonder if anyone has Salukis living with Borzoi's?

[@esperborzoi]

That's a great question, I've met some Saluki owners and they are very much alike (Saluki maybe being even more independent) I would think they would get along swimmingly.

[@ginacirelli1581]

I have had Italian Greyhounds for about 30 years and I am happy to see that one cannot resist kissing Borzoi cheeks as is the case with my dogs. :) People who meet my dogs for the first time are amazed that they are so laid back. They truly do have the same temperament as the larger sighthounds since they were bred down from the large greyhounds, but I think they are more athletic since they have to do a lot more work to reach things. (They can bounce a few feet straight up in the air and can and will climb chain link fences like monkeys.)

[@timvibes]

In terms of temperament and energy level, any difference between Silken Windhound and Whippet?

[@kofiofosu9051]

Hoping to bring home a Borzoi tomorrow

[@esperborzoi]

Amazing!!!

[@karenviglione503]

I had a conundrum of wanting a sight hound.And there are none to be found. I talked to silken wind hound breeders and they are not breeding right now, I talked to whippet breeders and they are not breeding right now. My daughter has an Iggy Italian greyhound, this is her second one and just loves them I am in my 60s and talked to her breeder and decided I’d take a buddy Iggy into my world. I love the larger ones too, but I have a fear of being dragged off into the unknown, lol so wish me luck he will be ready in a few weeks. I had a thought to name him “expensive” ..... 🌞

[@esperborzoi]

I'm sure you'll find one... That said, we waited nearly 5 years til we found Esper.

[@zoneminormodification]

Hi Jacob, thank you so much for your videos, it help a lot people like me who want to adopt a dog. I'am french (sorry for my english), I got a question for you and for the community :) Do you know how it's possible to me to find a breeding of silken windhounds? In europe it's really difficult to find. Do you know if it's possible to import a silken in french? do you know a breeding that has already do that? I love Barzois so much, I'm thinking to adopting one soon ! I'am hesitate between Barzois and Silkens. Thank you so much all !

[@esperborzoi]

Oh man! I would try contacting some of the larger Silken breeders on instagram, I unfortunately do not have much experience with them as a breed in those matters.

[@TrueImmortality]

Hi Jacob. Would you say since the Silken Windhound is such a new breed they may have unforeseen health problems down the line? One thing that appeals to me about greyhounds is their fairly strong breeding lines.

[@esperborzoi]

That's a great question! Perhaps contact a silken breeder, the ones I've spoken with have been recall forthcoming about the breed.

[@micheleobrien1516]

Here in california if you talk to a borzoi owner about windhounds they are not fans! They refer to them as hyper cross breeds. But I've met windhounds and havent seen a hyper one yet. I like them both. I've met whippets that are mellow and sweet. Never have I seen a sight hound pulling on thier leash! I would love to have a borzoi as my next dog, or a windhound.

[@ericaallisonc]

I honestly don't think most Borzoi owners have ever met Silken Windhounds. For one. They are very uncommon. My city only has 5 silkens, all owned by friends of mine and bred by the same breeder but with different pairings. Most of them are lazy and aloof. My boy is a couch potato but LOVES his frisbee time. All of them get zoomies though.

[@piperweythman7368]

with their strong prey drive, could a borzoi be a good hunting dog? i haven’t heard much talk about that with zois but it would kind of make sense?

[@esperborzoi]

Good question! I believe it would depend on what you were using them for. They were intended to go out and PIN and animal so the hunter could come up and well... WHACK it.

[@calei8738]

where did you get your babies collars from? they so cute😌

[@esperborzoi]

They are both from Etsy, one is a show called Huggable Hound, the other is Cody's Creations. That said, I'm designing my own collar right now that should be done by Late July, eeeeee

[@calei8738]

@@esperborzoi thankyou!!! 😊

[@bluelight2681]

show just a video of their day!!!

[@esperborzoi]

That would be 23.5 hours of sleeping.

[@bluelight2681]

@@esperborzoi 😳 please! That would be incredible. Asmr borzoi sleep

[@forrestcopeland4664]

Does the Borzoi chew furniture or randomly chew up things in the house as an adult?? Also, would you say that a Borzoi puppy has the potential to grow up well with small children? I love your story about the 3 Borzoi and the burglar! LOL. Thanks for the videos, you have a lovely family❤️

[@esperborzoi]

Esper chewed while she was teething then never again. Ora never even chewed when she was younger ( she does like to eviscerate toys though!)

[@esperborzoi]

At one point, when I was a baby, we had 4 borzois. From the ages 0 til now my sister and I were surrounded by them. We even brought our dog Mischa to my kindergarten class as a show and tell - they can be great with kids

[@forrestcopeland4664]

This is so wonderful to know, we are expecting a puppy soon!

[@AngieRival]

Hi, my dog Arlo is a big young male. A couple of months ago on a walk we stopped to chat with the local kids. He had 4 kids ranging from age 5 to 11 ish all squarking excitedly at his head height... patting and squarking. He just stood there and was very gentle. I'm sure Jacob could confirm, the main issue could be getting accidentally knocked over whilst they play... I was knocked over by a great dane when I was a kid... he ran full pelt and forgot to stop. He spun me like a bottle and I was winded. He apologised by giving me a sloppy lick on my face.. hahaha

[@esperborzoi]

@@AngieRival awww., the sloppy kiss! I've never seen an aggressive borzoi (towards humans), that's not to say it couldnt happen though, just from personal experience I've never even been "nipped" at by any of ours - a play bite is about the worst. To play devil's advocate, I could imagine a Borzoi with little exposure to kids who was raised in a less than positive environment might lead to an outburst done out of fear against a child, but with proper socialization I can barely fathom it.

[@longbilin3626]

Hi～ I just got a borzoi，her name Is SEA SALT 13weeks old . I don't know how much I should feed her and how many times a day. Right now I give her 3 meals a day, about 1/4 cup dry food 2 small cooked chicken heart 、1 cooked chicken tender and 1 cooked small chicken liver. Some time I change chicken liver with little steamd broccoli、celery or 2 baby carrots. Is this too much or I should give her more？

[@larrys1911]

Talk to your breeder about how much and how often to feed. I have a 2 year old Scottish Deerhound and feed her a high quality Giant Breed puppy kibble with 1/2 can of a high quality canned food twice a day. I followed the recommended amounts food from the manufacturer. You can check out the web site Dogfoodadvisor for recommendations for high quality dry and canned food. You should feed Giant Breed puppy food until about 2 years of age as these giant breeds really don't become adults until at least 2 years of age. By the way, high quality canned and kibble does not need to cost an arm and a leg if you do your research.

[@omgnoooooo]

I have never had a dog. But I sokd cable door to door. I stopped by a woman's house to sell her cable. Sge had two Italian greyhounds who would leap into her arms and sing. Omg.

[@peteroreilly8060]

We have a Silken and a whippet. That match fits well with us as they have the similar zoomie buzz.

[@philipquinn766]

Hi there I recently Rescued a borzoi From From a international dog rescue from China He was rescued from a wet market He's very nervous.And very jumpy We've only had him for two weeks and he suggestions on how we can get him to trust us.thanks

[@esperborzoi]

Joy, one of our rescue Borzois, came from South Korea (wet market shelter). It took her a long time to trust us. A lot of these dogs have been so neglected that the only thing that can unwind that is time. My advice would be extremely consistent with your behavior, make sure you are rewarding positive things with food. With Joy, it was really important for us, as masters/owners, to not play into every little thing that scared her. Sometimes we tend to overreact, approach the dog and say something exuberantly like "It's ok! No need to be afraid, it's fine!!!" With joy that did nothing but add to her anxiety. It changed once we talked to a dog trainer, and learned that you should be the calm one in all those situations. The dogs will start looking to you to see if it's "ok." To give another example, when I adopted Esper, it took her almost 2 months before she wasnt afraid to go up stairs - we worked on it EVERY DAY. Consistency, calmness, and time.

[@philipquinn766]

@@esperborzoi thank you so much for your advice he gets a little bit better every day.

[@esperborzoi]

@@philipquinn766 Nice! You got this =)

[@Ladykershaw]

Who is the laziest?

[@theoldfashioned_]

Basically Silken is a Hairy version of Whippet.

[@sharonmontano4924]

With all due respect, that is one ugly couch

[@ianbromley7218]

Tragic video - more nonsense from first time owners who have decided they are and expert. If only his Borzoi would take off and take this presenter with them. Borzoi and Italian Greyhound are further apart than just size. After 35yrs of owning sighthounds, viewing this type of fame hungry presenters is truly lamentable The two Borzoi’s deserve a better human