Although the Club standard of height has been raised from 27 and 26 inches to 29 and 27 inches for dogs and bitches respectively, it must be borne in mind that the best dogs of to-day far exceed these measurements, and, unless exceptionally good in other points, a dog of 29 inches at shoulder would stand little or no chance in the showing under the majority of English judges; indeed, bitches of 29 to 30 inches are by no means uncommon.

Not many of us can afford to start at the top of the tree, and, except for the favoured few to whom money is no object, and who can buy ready-made champions, there is no better way of starting a kennel than to purchase a really good bitch, one, say, capable of winning at all but the more important shows.  She must be of good pedigree, strong, and healthy; such an one ought to be obtained for P15 upwards.  Mate her to the best dog whose blood “nicks” suitably with hers, but do not waste time and money breeding from fourth-rate stud dogs, for if you do it is certain you will only meet with disappointment.  On the other hand, if you have had little or no experience of dogs, you may possibly prefer to start with a puppy.  If so, place yourself in the hands of a breeder with a reputation at stake (unless you have a friend who understands the breed).  It is a fact that even a “cast off” from a good strain that has been bred for certain points for years is more likely to turn out a better dog than a pup whose dam has been mated “haphazard” to some dog who may or may not have been a good one.  Big kennels also generally possess the best bitches and breed from them, and the bitch is quite as important a factor as the sire.  If, however, you prefer to rely on your own judgment, and wish to choose a puppy yourself from a litter, select the one with the longest head, biggest bone, smallest ears, and longest tail, or as many of these qualities as you can find combined in one individual.  Coat is a secondary matter in quite a young pup; here one should be guided by the coat of the sire and dam.  Still, choose a pup with a heavy coat, if possible, although when this puppy coat is cast, the dog may not grow so good as one as some of the litter who in early life were smoother.

As regards size, a Borzoi pup of three months should measure about 19 inches at the shoulder, at six months about 25 inches, and at nine months from 27 to 29 inches.  After ten or twelve months, growth is very slow, although some continue adding to their height until they are a year and a half old.  They will, of course, increase in girth of chest and develop muscle until two years old; a Borzoi may be considered in its prime at from three to four years of age.  As regards price, from P5 to P10 is not too much to pay for a really good pup of about eight to ten weeks old; if you pay less you will probably get only a second-rate one.  Having purchased your puppy, there are three principal items to be considered if you intend to rear him well; firstly, his diet must be varied; secondly, the pup must have unlimited exercise, and never be kept on the chain; thirdly, internal parasites must be kept in check.  For young puppies “Ruby” Worm Cure is most efficacious, and does not distress the patient.