Chortai

The Chortai is the smooth-coated steppe sighthound of the Don and the southern Russian and Ukrainian plains.

History

It descends from the Asian sighthounds brought north along the trade routes and has coursed hare, fox and wolf across open steppe since at least the eighteenth century, kept by Cossack households. Unlike the feathered Borzoi it stayed short-coated, which suited the hotter southern grasslands. It has never been standardised internationally and remains a working dog of the region.

Temperament

The breed is known for being quiet and undemanding at rest and single-minded in pursuit, loyal to its own people and reserved with strangers.

Care and training

It needs room to run and secure fencing. The short coat needs nothing and offers no protection from cold. Training works through relationship.

Health

Sighthound anaesthetic sensitivity applies; nothing else is widely documented. These are patterns for the breed rather than a forecast for one dog; the measured facts are in the panel.