Hortaya Borzaya vs Doxiepoo - Breed Comparison | MyDogBreeds

The Hortaya Borzaya is an ancient sighthound from Asia with its origins in Kievan Rus = Grand Duchy of Lithuania = Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Empire of Russia. The Hortaya is a large dog, especially a long in body dog with a muscular build suitable for running fast. He is one of the most talented of sighthounds, able to track moving prey at quite great distances. He is an intensely active when running prey and quiet and well balanced when not working.

In Asia and Russia, it is still a working hunting dog, hunting a variety of game such as Saiga antelopes, wolves, foxes, and hares. With tremendous endurance, the Hortaya can run at great speeds and great distances on the hunt. The Hortaya Borzaya is a long distance runner rather than a sprinter like the greyhound we are all so familiar with. He also needs very little rest between runs of up to 4 km. The Hortaya uses his sense of smell as well as sight in the hunt. They hunt solo, in pairs or in packs.

It was not until 2004 that the Hortaya was first exported to Europe and given full breeding papers. They went to Germany, Slovakia and the Czech Republic in 2004. They went to Switzerland and Finland in 2005 and to the United States around 2005. Prior to this the Hortaya Borzaya was bred only in its original territory for thousands of years.

Unlike Western breeding programs, the Hortaya is not bred for the purpose of improving the breed. Like Asian thoroughbred horses the breed is considered “finished”. Because of this there was no inbreeding, linebreeding or incest. This is true for about 4-6 generations of a line. This helps the breed to stay healthy.

The breed was developed centuries ago being bred by many different groups of people throughout the region, making it impossible to say exactly where and how this Central Asian/Afghanistan/ southern Russian breed developed. The Russian Kynological Federation (RKF) member of the FCI, developed a standard for the Hortaya Borzaya, which unlike most breed standards, does not tell you what the Hortaya must be like. Instead it tells you what he cannot be.

It gives boundaries that the dog must fit inside in order to be considered a Hortaya Borzaya. This is because the breeds of these dogs in their native territories want to preserve as many different types and sub-types as possible under the banner of one breed. To most people these dogs would look like very different breeds. For this reason, they have not been accepted into International Breed Groups and Associations. The breeders of these dogs do not want to be tied down to one standard. They do not want the breed to be separated into western lines and the original line or show lines and working lines. They wish to keep all the dogs within one grouping.

The breed is recognized on the national level by the originating countries and federations, including Russia’s. There are an estimated 2500-3500 dog of this breed in existence to day. Only a few dozen of the breed exist outside of the original countries. In other Eastern and European countries, the dogs may be registered with hunting associations instead of a breed association.

The breed is held mostly by hunters in remote, local areas and villages that are fairly isolated. Here the Hortaya is seen as a partner in feeding the hunters family and the dog is invaluable. In these remote areas a good hunting dog is equal in value to the good horse. Both are essential to the hunter and his family’s livelihood.

The Hortaya Borzaya is a pack dog and does well with the family as well as an athletic hunter. They hunt in packs, small groups or alone and bring their catch back to the hunter for the family meal. No hunter had to go with the dog. In fact, the hunters would send the dogs several times for food. The Hortaya might travel for miles across tough terrain to get food for the family.

The Doxiepoo is a designer dog breed - a combination of the Dachshund who was used to hunt for Badgers and the Poodle, a dog bred in France to essentially be a lap dog. There is however some dispute as to whether the Poodle descends from Germany or from the French Barbet.

Wherever the parents hail from, the Doxiepoo hails from the United States of America.

With both the Poodle and the Dachshund being intelligent, fun and loving type of canines, the two of them together have brought out a wonderful hybrid pet in the Doxiepoo. Today, the Doxiepoo is bred with other Doxiepoos.

This athletic sighthound is a handsome dog, ranging from large to giant. Remember there are many different ‘types’ of dogs within the one line/breed of Hortaya. Breed standards are exclusionary, and performance based rather than inclusionary, and appearance based. Still most of the breed lines share many of the same traits.

They are a long legged breed with a very deep chest and flexible spine. They have immensely strong lungs and a narrow but long skull. Their gait is fluid, effortless trotting when not hunting. When she is hunting, they gallop like a horse and cover a lot of ground.

There eyes are usually black but can be any color and their fur is also any color. It is thick and dense. Finally, in the 2000’s, there were some dogs in a subline exported to Europe and to North America. Here, for this subgroup, a standard was established based on appearance and the color or the coat was now set at only white, blue, black, cream, red, sable and brindle, and piebald. They might or might not have a saddle. Definition of this type is still going on and has not been entirely settled yet. This standard is only for the European and American market show dogs.

These dogs, bred for show, have the same ability to run like the wind and for a very long time with his muscled body and long legs. The breed has strength and stamina that will fool you. He also has a long neck and broad back. He has thin, short ears.

The Doxiepoo can range from being a small to medium sized dog, standing at anything between 20cm to 25cm in size and weighing between 3kg and 7kg, depending much on whether a standard, miniature or toy sized poodle was used in the breeding.

The Doxiepoo could look like either one of the two breeds, but he will have a strong, sturdy body with a curly or wavy coat of varying lengths and various colors - cream, black, tan, apricot, grey or white. The poodle side of him ensures he is a hypoallergenic dog.

Temperament:

Between the Dachshund and the Poodle, you’re going to get a wonderful array of characteristics as they both come with their strong points. Certainly you will be well entertained and amused by your pet, while he can also be useful as a watchdog.

Being a small dog, he will fit well into life in the city or in the countryside. He is as bright as a button and learns tricks and new skills quickly. With training and socialization he becomes obedient and well behaved wherever he is, getting on well with other pets in the home as well as with all children and adults.

The Doxiepoo is a lively, alert, energetic dog and will require being exercised – lots of ball games and a walk will keep him lean, muscular and content.

Children friendliness

Children friendliness - yes, they are very good with children and will play with them for hours.

Special talents

They have tremendous stamina, speed and intelligence to hunt on their own without the hunter and bring the prey back in good shape for the hunter’s family to eat.

Adaptability

No they are not very adaptable in terms of living arrangements. They will not do well in an apartment and probably not in the city as they need land to run.

Learning ability

Learning ability yes, they are intelligent and learn easily.

The Doxiepoo is a sweet, loyal, loving dog, making an excellent family pet.

Every dog, even the little ones like this, will require some kind of input from you if you want to get the best from him. Every puppy bought as a gift when they’re cute and cuddly turns into an adult, and often the very person who received him as a gift, loses interest and neglects him. Then they wonder why the dog becomes irritating and destructive.

A dog is a long term investment and if you commit to your sweet Doxiepoo, you’ll get years and years of devoted friendship.

As previously mentioned, the original breed is isolated and therefore has a pretty good health track record. Most of the breed specific illnesses or conditions that usually are inherited barely exist in this breed.

They have a propensity toward obesity and diet is essential to prevent other issues.

Chronic or acute pancreatitis is possible because the breed developed eating small meals and hardly any meat. Too much meat or fat could cause this.

No tolerance for high protein dog food. Can cause puppies to have life threatening damage to bones and cartilage that is irreversible.

Bloat – because of the deep chest and the intolerance for large meals they are prone to bloat.

The life expectancy of the Doxiepoo is around 12-15 years of age if he is well looked after. He is a robust dog, but he can still face some health issues that both his parents contend with.

Just some of the diseases that the Doxiepoo might face while in your care are ear- and skin infections, dental disease, digestive tract problems, heart conditions and epilepsy. If you think your pet has any kind of illness, it is imperative to get him to the vet for a checkup.

Poodles, particularly are prone to skin disorders. They can be allergic to grass, parasites and food. If your Doxiepoo chews or licks his paws or some other area a lot, and the skin is red, he could have a skin allergy.

The vet will be able to diagnose your dog’s allergies with some skin- or blood testing. For instance, sebaceous adenitis is an inherited allergy that affects the lubrication of the skin and hair follicles. Symptoms of the disease include scaly skin, sore and even hair loss.

Feeding the puppy

As mentioned above do not overfeed a Hortaya Borzaya puppy. There is serious risk of irreversible damage if you do. Feed small meals 3-6 times a day with lower protein.

Feeding the adult

3 cups of an average protein high quality dog food served at least 3-4 times per day. To avoid bloat do not feed large meals before or after exercise and don’t let your dog drink a lot of water at one time.

Points for Good Health

They have tremendous stamina and speed.

Games and Exercises

This is an extremely active dog bred to hunt 5-6 times a day over wide expanses of various and rough terrain. They need exercise. If you run, they will run with you happily and they will outlast you. They are good at and enjoy fetch, chase, agility, and field trials. They will last hours at any game they play.

Grooming:

You can’t be sure what kind of coat your Doxiepoo will have but he will certainly require brushing at least twice a week. In some instances it may be wise to seek out the services of a professional groomer who does an excellent job of trimming the hair, cleaning the teeth, checking the ears and clipping the nails.

Training:

The Doxiepoo, just like any other dog, will need to be trained and socialized early as he is a stubborn dog and will need to be trained to be obedient. With this training and socialization, he becomes amicable around children and pets in the home. He learns easily too and this is what makes him a great pet for first time dog owners.

Exercise:

The Doxiepoo is a moderate energy dog, so he will do well on a walk every day. You can also make use of ropes, balls and frisbees to give him a bit of a workout in the garden.

He loves water too and will enjoy a run on the beach and cooling off in the ocean. He adapts easily to life in the city or in the country, so long as he is with his human companions.

Diet:

The Doxiepoo will eat dry kibble, particularly if it is from the highest quality brands and chosen according to the dog’s size, age and activity levels.

Now and then you can add in a little bit of cooked rice, vegetables and chicken for variety. Some raw meat can play an important role in keeping the skin healthy and free from dryness and itchiness. Make sure that he always has fresh, cool water available to him.