by comformation judge L.V. Ponomareva
15 years experience of the breed Chortaya
Addition to the report from the 79th hunting dog show in St.
Petersburg 1995
After analyzing again the judge's critiques given in the 79th show, I
would like to draw attention of the Chortaya breeders to the somewhat
twisted impression of this breed. Evidently, the breeders and judges
of St. Petersburg prefer to see big, strong-boned, enormously
muscled, very broad and deep-chested dogs. In other words something
between a Chart Polski and a Greyhound. Yet the Chortaya has always
been slimmer muscled than the athletic Greyhound. That is why a
Chortaya is able to perform very speedy on shorter distances
(although not as speedy as a Greyhound would). In addition it has the
endurance to run for distances of many kilometers, several times a
day and even day after day during a hunting season. By discarding the
meager-muscled hounds we bring our own dogs closer to the Greyhound.
Yet the best ( and I emphasize - THE BEST) of the hunting Greyhounds
do not have the endurance for more than two runs within a short span,
not to mention that after 6-8 hours walk they in general don't have
the strength to run any more. That is why the Greyhound owners go
hunting with them only every other day. It should be mentioned that
according to the laws of biology the side-phenomenon of athletic
muscling are the tendons are often of the weaker kind. As a result
from this, even this working "intensive" (coursing every other day)
the Greyhounds will get their legs cripples quite soon. It can happen
that at the age of 4-5 years the dog may be limping each of his four
legs. On the contrary a Chortaya hunts until 10-11 years of age,
although being slightly slower in the later years but because of his
skills, stil with satisfactory results. Big size and massive bones
have other negative sides aswell. Such dogs are difficult to raise,
they grow up (mature?) slowly, start working late, and decay early.
It takes a lot of work to maintain such dogs in working- or sporting
condition. On the contrary,it is enough for a dog that is well taken
care off and has a dry contruction, a 6-8 hour daily outdoor
recreation with proper spurts, 3-4 days in a row and 3 chases after a
prey, enough rest - and the dog is ready to start a hunting season.
For a big dog such practice is not enough, and besides, for it the
exertion has to be added little by little to avoid any overexertion.
Let us admit, that a very deep-chested and well muscled sighthound
looks gorgeaous, but a Chortaya is first and foremost a working dog
and his greatest value has always considered to be using him for
effective hunting. Therefore it is not right to to aim solely to a
showy appearance. A harmonious construction, a dog with good angles
and compact muscles required by his purpose, is always the best
alternative. In addition to what has already been said, it should be
mentioned that several local types have developed from a breed which
is geographically distributed widely (it was proven long ago that
Chortaya is a very old breed belonging to the group of oriental
sighthounds, so that the statement that wanders from one publication
to another and says it is a cross between a Greyhound and a Borzoi,
is groundless and false). Of the said types the most numerous are the
two extremities: the Rostov type - big, slightly rough in
construction and looking modest; dogs of this type are usually
endurant runners; and the Stavropol type - smallish, elegant, light -
a swift runner. It would not be right to favor one type over the
other. In other words, dogs representing their own types should get
equal critique. While judging a dog, the defects in the construction
should be noted and not which breed type it represents. These days
there is reason to adopt a cautious attitude towards the extremely
deep-chested and imposingly muscled dogs, because in Ukraine, in
practice everywhere in Rostov area and in Pjatigorsk kennel center in
Stavropol area it is common to cross Greyhound with Chortaya and it
is not even mentioned in the litter's pedigree. Crossing the
greyhound, which belongs to the Western sighthounds, with the
Chortaya (especially in larger scale), may shake the Chortaya genetic
heritage (genotype?) and may ultimately lead into both losing the
hunting characters and the whole breed. It must be admitted that the
first generation after the cross are dowright phenomenal hunters, but
they are still "sighthound broilers". They have no breeding value
whatsoever. In fact they are downright dangerous. The Chortayas of
St. Petersburg are all big, and tendons of some specimen could be
better. Therefore there is reason to adopt a positive attitude to the
hounds that are well constructed, are well cared for in their outer
appearance, have musculature that is according to their purpose and
that have wiry tendons.
---ooOOoo--
