Hortaya Borzaya vs Lakeland Terrier - 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 Lakeland Terrier hails from the lake district of England. They were bred to hunt foxes that were coming after the lambs during lambing season.

These dogs are connected to a number of terrier breeds such as the Bedlington-, Border-, Old English Black and Tan- as well as the Dandie Dinmont Terriers.

In 1921 the Lakeland Terrier Association was formed and the American Kennel Club registered a Lakeland in 1934.

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 Lakeland Terrier is a small to medium-sized dog which stands at between 33 – 38cm at the withers and weighs between 7 – 8kg.

The head is rectangular and he has semi-erect, semi-floppy ears and a docked tail which is held up. These days you’ll find the Lakeland being left with a long tail, taking away that attractive, square, compact look. The crisp double coat can come in a number of colors such as tan, grizzle, black and tan together, a wheatish color with some red and white. The coat is regarded as being hypoallergenic.

Temperament:

Possessing a number of positive attributes, Lakies, a nickname of these jaunty little dogs, is a friendly, loving, bold, self-confident dog. You’ll find that he is also determined and strong-willed but training and socialization turns him into a more obedient dog. He then gets on well with everyone in the household as well as with other pets.

They are intelligent dogs, so it won’t be difficult training him when proper training methods are used.

He is adaptable too and will adapt to life in the city or in the countryside, so long as he is exercised regularly as they are excitable, energetic dogs.

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.

It doesn’t matter that the Lakeland Terrier was bred to hunt and kill foxes in the Lake District of England because he is more than willing to settle down and become a loving and devoted pet too.

He is a robust dog, known for his determination and courage. He is an energetic dog too so when you bring him into your home, be prepared to up your activity levels to cater for your energetic friend.

You can add good health to his list of positive attributes. He is a healthy dog breed with few health complaints to write about. Treat him well as every dog deserves and you can have him around for about 15, 16 or 17 years.

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 truth about any dog is that good nutrition, exercise and lots of love can contribute to ensuring a long, healthy life for your pet.

Some health problems are inherited while others can be prevented simply by the kind of home you provide your pet with. Once you decide to bring a dog into your home, you need to do everything you can to ensure his wellbeing.

Luxating Patella:

This is a joint problem which can see your pet limping or moving along in a skipping manner. You will need to see the vet because sometimes friction can lead to osteoarthritis, pain and lameness.

Eye diseases:

Eye problems such as cataracts and glaucoma can lead to blindness.

Allergies:

Terrier dogs are prone to allergies and dry, itchy skin can lead to other problems such as bacterial infections and be frustrating and stressful for your pet.

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:

Grooming doesn’t only keep your 4-legged friend in tip top shape in terms of looking well cared for, it makes him feel good too and it contributes to his wellbeing.

Regular grooming also decreases the chance of health problems because you can simultaneously check him for lumps, scratches, parasites and allergies.

Stripping is a technique where you pull the dead hair out of the coat by either using your fingers or a stripping knife. This stripping makes makes room for a new coat to grow.

It is a good and effective grooming method for Terrier type dogs, and the best part about it is that if it is done correctly, the process is painless.

Other Terrier owners have a professional groomer clip the coat. In between these grooming procedures, brush your Lakie twice a week to keep the coat soft, springy and shiny.

General Grooming:

Other grooming needs for your Lakeland include trimming his nails as needed, checking the inside of his ears for dirt and too much wax and brushing his teeth twice a week to keep tartar and bacteria at bay.

If you’re a responsible dog owner and you are unsure how to do these grooming procedures, there is no need to fret as there are always professional groomers and dental cleaning procedures that your vet will recommend. These experts can do the job professionally and painlessly for your pet.

Diet:

Nothing is set in stone about what your Lakeland Terrier should eat, but it is a known fact that high quality, nutritious food wards off illness and increases longevity.

How much your adult dog eats will depend on his age and his activity levels. You want to ensure he gets the right proportions to avoid obesity too. The female Lakeland will give you 3 – 4 puppies and during this time you want to ensure she’s getting the very best, nutritious food there is – after all it’s for the sake of her puppies.

The truth about any dog is that good nutrition, exercise and lots of love can contribute to ensuring a long, healthy life for your pet. Some health problems are inherited while others can be prevented simply by the kind of home you provide your pet with.

Once you decide to bring a dog into your home, you need to do everything you can to ensure his well-being.