Miniature Schnauzer vs Hortaya Borzaya - Breed Comparison

The Hortaya Borzaya is an ancient sighthound from Asia with its origins in Kievan Rus = Grand Duchy of Lithuania = Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Empire of Russia. The Hortaya is a large dog, especially a long in body dog with a muscular build suitable for running fast. He is one of the most talented of sighthounds, able to track moving prey at quite great distances. He is an intensely active when running prey and quiet and well balanced when not working.

In Asia and Russia, it is still a working hunting dog, hunting a variety of game such as Saiga antelopes, wolves, foxes, and hares. With tremendous endurance, the Hortaya can run at great speeds and great distances on the hunt. The Hortaya Borzaya is a long distance runner rather than a sprinter like the greyhound we are all so familiar with. He also needs very little rest between runs of up to 4 km. The Hortaya uses his sense of smell as well as sight in the hunt. They hunt solo, in pairs or in packs.

It was not until 2004 that the Hortaya was first exported to Europe and given full breeding papers. They went to Germany, Slovakia and the Czech Republic in 2004. They went to Switzerland and Finland in 2005 and to the United States around 2005. Prior to this the Hortaya Borzaya was bred only in its original territory for thousands of years.

Unlike Western breeding programs, the Hortaya is not bred for the purpose of improving the breed. Like Asian thoroughbred horses the breed is considered “finished”. Because of this there was no inbreeding, linebreeding or incest. This is true for about 4-6 generations of a line. This helps the breed to stay healthy.

The breed was developed centuries ago being bred by many different groups of people throughout the region, making it impossible to say exactly where and how this Central Asian/Afghanistan/ southern Russian breed developed. The Russian Kynological Federation (RKF) member of the FCI, developed a standard for the Hortaya Borzaya, which unlike most breed standards, does not tell you what the Hortaya must be like. Instead it tells you what he cannot be.

It gives boundaries that the dog must fit inside in order to be considered a Hortaya Borzaya. This is because the breeds of these dogs in their native territories want to preserve as many different types and sub-types as possible under the banner of one breed. To most people these dogs would look like very different breeds. For this reason, they have not been accepted into International Breed Groups and Associations. The breeders of these dogs do not want to be tied down to one standard. They do not want the breed to be separated into western lines and the original line or show lines and working lines. They wish to keep all the dogs within one grouping.

The breed is recognized on the national level by the originating countries and federations, including Russia’s. There are an estimated 2500-3500 dog of this breed in existence to day. Only a few dozen of the breed exist outside of the original countries. In other Eastern and European countries, the dogs may be registered with hunting associations instead of a breed association.

The breed is held mostly by hunters in remote, local areas and villages that are fairly isolated. Here the Hortaya is seen as a partner in feeding the hunters family and the dog is invaluable. In these remote areas a good hunting dog is equal in value to the good horse. Both are essential to the hunter and his family’s livelihood.

The Hortaya Borzaya is a pack dog and does well with the family as well as an athletic hunter. They hunt in packs, small groups or alone and bring their catch back to the hunter for the family meal. No hunter had to go with the dog. In fact, the hunters would send the dogs several times for food. The Hortaya might travel for miles across tough terrain to get food for the family.

Miniature Schnauzers were first bred in Germany in the 19th century being bred from Affenpinschers and Standard Schnauzers.

This dog was always used to control rats on farms, but these days he is more a companion. It is believed that the start of the modern Miniature Schnauzer in the United States was around 1924 when dogs were imported from Germany.

It was in 1933 that the Miniature Schnauzer was recognized by the AKC as a separate breed from the Standard Schnauzer.

This athletic sighthound is a handsome dog, ranging from large to giant. Remember there are many different ‘types’ of dogs within the one line/breed of Hortaya. Breed standards are exclusionary, and performance based rather than inclusionary, and appearance based. Still most of the breed lines share many of the same traits.

They are a long legged breed with a very deep chest and flexible spine. They have immensely strong lungs and a narrow but long skull. Their gait is fluid, effortless trotting when not hunting. When she is hunting, they gallop like a horse and cover a lot of ground.

There eyes are usually black but can be any color and their fur is also any color. It is thick and dense. Finally, in the 2000’s, there were some dogs in a subline exported to Europe and to North America. Here, for this subgroup, a standard was established based on appearance and the color or the coat was now set at only white, blue, black, cream, red, sable and brindle, and piebald. They might or might not have a saddle. Definition of this type is still going on and has not been entirely settled yet. This standard is only for the European and American market show dogs.

These dogs, bred for show, have the same ability to run like the wind and for a very long time with his muscled body and long legs. The breed has strength and stamina that will fool you. He also has a long neck and broad back. He has thin, short ears.

The Miniature Schnauzer is a small dog breed that stands between 30 to 36cm in height and weighs between 5 and 10kg.

He has a sturdy body with a dense, wiry coat which most people prefer to have stripped. Because stripping is quite tedious, many of these dog owners prefer to have the coat clipped which actually gives the coat a greyish look to it.

The coat is usually a mix of black and silver. Some people refer to the Miniature Schnauzer as having a salt-and-pepper coat – hairs that are a mix of black and white. The dog has a double coat with the outer coat being wiry and the undercoat being a lot softer.

This is a dog that will need to be groomed frequently to prevent matting. A noticeable feature with these dogs is the rectangular shaped head with alert slanted eyes and bushy eyebrows, mustache and beard. In fact the word ‘Schnauzer’ means beard or muzzle.

The ears have been traditionally cropped but these days they are left and then they tend to be half-erect, half-floppy.

Temperament:

This is a tough little dog, fearless, cheeky, arrogant, alert and also friendly. A draw-card with him is that he is considered as a low-shedder and being hypoallergenic.

They’re very intelligent dogs too and will learn quickly when you give him training and socialization. This is important for a dog like this as he can quickly show you that he is strong willed and independent. Training and socialization makes him much nicer as he becomes more balanced and obedient.

He is full of life and extroverted and you can count on him to join you wherever you are and whatever you’re doing. Whether watching TV, swimming or hiking, he’ll be there and turn every occasion into a festive event. He is a loving, loyal dog, making a splendid pet.

He's protective of his human family and tends to be suspicious of strangers, and this is what makes him such a great watchdog.

Children friendliness

Children friendliness - yes, they are very good with children and will play with them for hours.

Special talents

They have tremendous stamina, speed and intelligence to hunt on their own without the hunter and bring the prey back in good shape for the hunter’s family to eat.

Adaptability

No they are not very adaptable in terms of living arrangements. They will not do well in an apartment and probably not in the city as they need land to run.

Learning ability

Learning ability yes, they are intelligent and learn easily.

Miniature Schnauzers are such adaptable little dogs, quite happy to make a home with you in the city or in the countryside.

They’re sociable dogs, so just being with his human family wherever they are will suit him well. If he lives in the city however, he will need to have a walk everyday or taken to the park for a run.

He is also a dog that scarcely sheds, so he suits people battling with allergies. With an average life expectancy of 12 to 14 years, if you nurture your Mini Schnauzer and give him the best food and exercise there is, as well as loving him, you’re going to have a loyal and devoted pet.

As previously mentioned, the original breed is isolated and therefore has a pretty good health track record. Most of the breed specific illnesses or conditions that usually are inherited barely exist in this breed.

They have a propensity toward obesity and diet is essential to prevent other issues.

Chronic or acute pancreatitis is possible because the breed developed eating small meals and hardly any meat. Too much meat or fat could cause this.

No tolerance for high protein dog food. Can cause puppies to have life threatening damage to bones and cartilage that is irreversible.

Bloat – because of the deep chest and the intolerance for large meals they are prone to bloat.

Your Miniature Schnauzer is pretty healthy and he isn’t likely to cost you much in terms of vet fees. There are however some common dog problems that you want to be aware of such as cataracts of the eye and hypothyroidism.

Cataract:

This a a problem in the lens of the eye. The lens should be clear, and when a dog has a cataract, it obscures the vision. The size of the cataract can lead to blindness.

Diabetes in a dog can bring on cataracts as can genetics or damage to the eye from exposure to ultraviolet light. Fortunately, dogs with cataracts can still see. Dogs with old cataracts can have surgery to remove them.

When a dog owner suspects a cataract in their pet’s eye it is best to treat it immediately with anti-inflammatory dog cataract eye drops. Cataracts never go away however without surgery.

Hypothyroidism:

The thyroid gland in the neck produces a hormone called thyroxine. It controls metabolism, but with hypothyroidism, enough of the hormone isn’t made. Its a common disease which affects all dog breeds.

Signs of hypothyroidism include hair loss, weight gain, intolerance to cold and a troublesome skin. To have the disease diagnosed, the vet will do a series of blood tests.

Feeding the puppy

As mentioned above do not overfeed a Hortaya Borzaya puppy. There is serious risk of irreversible damage if you do. Feed small meals 3-6 times a day with lower protein.

Feeding the adult

3 cups of an average protein high quality dog food served at least 3-4 times per day. To avoid bloat do not feed large meals before or after exercise and don’t let your dog drink a lot of water at one time.

Points for Good Health

They have tremendous stamina and speed.

Games and Exercises

This is an extremely active dog bred to hunt 5-6 times a day over wide expanses of various and rough terrain. They need exercise. If you run, they will run with you happily and they will outlast you. They are good at and enjoy fetch, chase, agility, and field trials. They will last hours at any game they play.

Let’s look at several ways you need to care for your Miniature Schnauzer -

Make sure you have his puppy injections on time. This means knowing which veterinarian you’ll use. Later on if you don’t want to go in for breeding, you will need to have your pet spayed or neutered.

Make sure you have a nice warm, dry spot for your dog to sleep. It can be a cardboard box, or you can buy a dog basket or sleeping platform. Make sure your pet loves it and knows he can retreat to it anytime he wants.

If he goes outside for a few hours, make sure that he has a place to lie in the shade and away from the elements.

Good food promotes good health and longevity. You can feed your pet one of the top quality commercially manufactured foods and give your pet some variety by adding in some boiled chicken, vegetables and brown rice. Some raw meat occasionally can also be excellent for your pet.