"The Borzoi was bred for hundreds of years by the Russian nobility. They were developed by crossing the Arabian Greyhound with other longer haired Russian sheepdogs. The dogs were called Russian Wolfhounds in America, up until 1936 when the name was changed to "Borzoi", coming from a Russian word 'borzii' which means swift. Fierce on the hunt, this sight hound was used for hundreds of years to hunt wolves, fox and hare in the open planes of Russia. As the breed became more popular it was used more and more as a companion dog and its temperament became more docile. The Borzoi was recognized by the AKC in 1891. The Borzois talents include hunting, sighting and lure coursing."
--Dog Breed Info Center
http://dogbreedinfo.com/borzoi.htm

LOVE borzois......lovelovelovelovelove 'em. They're just so BIG! and so elegant! If i were to own a sighthound, it would probably be a borzoi.