The Borzoi, known prior to 1936 as the Russian Wolfhound, has been used in Russia since the early seventeenth century for hunting wolves and coursing hare and other game.

Fairly recent research into the much discussed origin of the Borzoi brings to light an interesting discovery, to wit, that in the early seventeenth century a certain Russian duke, who liked very fast dogs for hunting, imported a number of Arabian Greyhounds, probably dogs known as gazelle hounds. These were speedy runners, but it seems that having thin coats, they were unable to withstand the severe weather and cold winters of Russia and soon died.

Undaunted by his first failure, the duke later sent for more of these hounds and carefully crossed them with a native Russian breed somewhat similar to the Collie of today, but slightly more powerful and different in build, having longer legs, longer gracefully curved tail, slightly longer neck, very heavily furred ears and a carriage more like the Wolfhound of today....The result of this crossing was the graceful, elegant and aristocratic dog we know as our own Borzoi.

There were several importations of the Borzoi into North American commencing as far is known, in 1889 with a dog from England, but somewhat later, a Mr. Joseph Thomas imported directly from Russia from the Perchina Kennels, owned by the Grand Duke Nicholas of Romanoff and also from the Woronzxova Kennels. and from these two kennels, Mr. Thomas found the good ancient type of hound that everyone interested in the breed was looking for. The reason these two kennels were able to preserve the original acient type against the degeneration that had been taking place throught Russia with this breed, was because their stock was so far out of the way, the craze for random and haphazard crossing of this breed that had been taking place, did not reach their area.