Chortai
The Chortai, sometimes spelt Chortaj, is a breed of sighthound from Ukraine and Russia. The Chortai is said to resemble a cross between a Greyhound and a short haired Borzoi, being a quite heavily built running hound but nevertheless displaying typical sighthound features. The Chortai is believed to have been developed from the now extinct Krymstaja and Gorskaja breeds and was a favourite breed of the Russian nobility; one was exhibited at the London Zoo in 1829 as a Russian Greyhound although otherwise they have rarely been seen outside their own country. After the October Revolution remnants from the abandoned kennels of the nobility were widely crossed with local hound varieties producing what is now known as the South Russian Steppe Hound, despite this the breed received recognition from the Soviet authorities at the Cynological Congress in Moscow in 1952. The breed's numbers steadily declined under the Soviet Union to the point of near extinction, but with the collapse of the Soviet Union there has been renewed interest in pre-revolutionary breeds within Russia and attempts have been made to rescue the breed. The Chortai is typically hunted in the traditional Russian manner, with the hunters mounted on horseback accompanied by a brace of hounds and a raptor.
| Life Span | 10-14 years |
| Weight | 10-30 kg |
What to Know Before Buying a Chortai
Finding a responsible Chortai breeder requires more than browsing classified ads or responding to social media posts. The USDA requires any breeder who sells dogs commercially — especially those selling online or through third-party dealers — to hold a federal license and submit to regular inspections. A legitimate breeder should be willing to provide their USDA license number, invite you to visit their facility, and show you where the animals are housed and socialized.
Before committing to a purchase, ask the breeder for veterinary health records, vaccination documentation, and any genetic testing results relevant to the Chortai. Reputable breeders will also ask you questions in return — about your living situation, experience with animals, and ability to provide long-term care. A breeder who asks no questions and is eager to ship an animal immediately is a significant red flag.
Use the search tool below to check whether any USDA-licensed facilities breeding Chortais appear in our database. If they do, review their inspection history carefully. Look for patterns of violations, pay attention to severity levels, and compare their compliance grade with other breeders in the same state. This due diligence takes minutes and can save you from supporting a facility with documented animal welfare problems.
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Search our database of USDA-licensed facilities to find inspected breeders and check their compliance history.
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