Hortaya Borzaya vs Irish Water Spaniel - Breed Comparison

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 Irish Water Spaniel is one of the larger spaniel types and also one of the oldest.

He is sometimes referred to as the Southern Irish Water Spaniel. Hailing from Ireland, the precise origins of the dog aren't altogether sure. It is believed that the dog came from other dogs from Persia and there are references to these water dogs from as early as 1600.

The modern breed was developed in Ireland in the 1830s. The breed's purpose is that of a hunter of waterfowl and he swims strongly.

The Irish Water Spaniel was recognized by the AKC in 1884. In 1890 the Irish Water Spaniel Club was formed.

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.

A peculiar feature of this dog is its hairless tail which is partly covered in curls which the rest is all but hairless, giving him the nickname of Rat Tail or Whip Tail.

Looking much like a Poodle with his tight oily curls, the Irish Water Spaniel is a medium to large sized purebred dog, a robust, compact built dog with a skull which is shaped like a dome.

The muzzle is longish, the eyes dark brown and intelligent looking and the ears are long and floppy.

His hair is thick and curly and it sheds very little so that the dog is regarded as being hypoallergenic. The medium length coat is a dark brown, liver color with fairly tight curls that may even tend to cover the eyes.

It is interesting to note that he has webbed feet, which is useful for when the dog swims.He stands at roughly 51cm to 61cm and weighs between 25 to 30kg.

Temperament:

Temperament in any dog is affected by socialization and the way the human owner raises the dog. The Irish Water Spaniel is a water loving dog, being active and energetic.

He is an intelligent dog and easy to train and socialize. When trained he becomes such an obedient dog. He has also got a light-hearted side to him and is actually known to be quite amusing and clownish, providing plenty of laughs for you.

They make good family dogs, getting on well with children in the home as well as with other pets. They're also able to make good guard dogs, taking the protective roles seriously. He isn't an aggressive dog but he has a warning bark that can be a good warning to intruders.

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.

Your active Irish Water Spaniel just loves water so you can count him in whenever you go swimming. That is one characteristic of the Irish Water Spaniel – he just loves to be involved in all the action you're busy with.

He makes an ideal family pet for an active family, and he will be a loyal and devoted pet who will provide a lot of fun to your family with his mischievous side.

He is confident, independent and strong willed so first time dog owners should bear this in mind. He is essentially just a fun loving, busy dog and if you make sure to exercise him well and make sure he is a participating member of your family, he'll be your most loving and devoted friend.

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.

A generally healthy breed, the Irish Water Spaniel, just like with most other dogs, can fall prey to some of the more common dog ailments of which hip dysplasia is one.

Bone and joint problems like this can lead to lameness even in young dogs.

Eye diseases are also a problem, and cataracts can form in the eye, particularly when the dog is older and create a cloudy look to the eye. It's not painful for the dog.

Hypothyroidism, a treatable hormonal disorder is another disease worth being aware of.

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:

Your Irish Water Spaniel requires quite a bit of grooming that will involve his coat, his nails, his teeth and his ears. The double coat doesn't shed much so it can be easily maintained by brushing the coat twice a week.

It can help your water spaniel to look good by sending him in to a doggy grooming parlor to have his curls neatened. This is a dog that loves water and swimming, and you will need to check the inside of his ears for dampness, wax build-up and debris. This can all combine to cause nasty ear infections.

Exercise:

The dog is energetic and will need to be exercised. Take him for walks, play ball games with him and allow him to go on hikes with you or to go swimming. He loves being involved in all your activities as he is a social, active dog.

Diet:

Highly energetic, it will be important to feed your Irish Water Spaniel with food that enhances his energy levels. There are some good quality commercially manufactured dog foods on the market. Choose one that caters for active, athletic dogs such as the Irish Water Spaniel.

Dry kibble is more recommended to prevent canine tooth decay. Mix in some home cooked foods from time to time such as cooked chicken, rice, pasta and vegetables and try to include some raw meat every now and then as well. Make sure he has constant access to fresh, cool water.