Chortaj
COUNTRY: USSR
HEIGHT: 25-26 inches
COAT: Thick and smooth
COLOR: Many colors allowed, often solids
OTHER NAMES: Eastern Greyhound
GROUP: Southern
Whereas the Borzoi of AKC has had all the world-wide publicity due to its association with the rights, borzoi less well-known (sighthounds) of the Soviet Union is far older and still bred and it is extensively looked for. By northern half of Russia, the search takes control of scenthounds or laikas. But in the south, through level and extensive steppes, the immovable hunting of the villagers to horse with one or two sighthounds and sometimes an eagle or a hawk instead of a weapon. This one is an old tradition of the centuries of the tartars and the Cossacks that placed these regions. The proximity from this area to the Middle East probably answers the question of the source, although these dogs would enter the area for a long time so, they now considers the chaste natives. In immense steppes of mountains of the Caucasus of the north, to the west of the Caspian Sea, above through the estuaries of Volga and the river of Don, the abundant game prospered, allowing the continuation of the tradition of the Cossack to attend. In these areas, the hunters use the Chortaj (hortai sharp) and several tensions of the Russian dog of the south of the steppe. They mount outside towards looking for the game, following the Chortaj, that has view sharpened enough to far stain the game up to 280 yards. Once it is considered, the search is caught.