Preservation breeder of AKC borzoi in the Pacific Northwest.

3 borzoi dogs wearing racing jackets and muzzles running

OUR VALUES AND BREEDING GOALS

In order to achieve preservation goals in our breeding program, we believe it is essential that each breeding:

  • Preserve genetic diversity by holding onto rare lines and haplotypes;

    • Our foundation dogs are free of popular sires* from the last 15+ years. All of our borzoi are tested for genetic diversity through UC Davis's Diversity Panel. We upload results to BetterBred to inform our breeding choices.

  • Preserve breed function & form by utilizing dogs with proven coursing ability and conformation ring success;

    • We compete in conformation, lure coursing, amateur racing, obedience, and rally with our borzoi. Additionally, puppies we have produced dabble in agility, dock diving, and nosework.

  • Preserve correct, stable & family-safe temperaments;

    • We utilize a blended Puppy Culture & Avidog whelping & raising program, evaluate our puppies through board-certified veterinary behaviorists, and carefully match temperament traits of sires and dams used in our program. We target both nature & nurture to preserve classic borzoi breed traits while setting individual puppies up for success as much as possible to thrive in today’s busy world.

  • Preserve overall health and longevity through health testing and pedigree research;

    • Our borzoi are health tested to the Borzoi Club of America's CHIC guidelines, which includes cardiac echocardiogram, thyroid, eyes, and DNA for degenerative myelopathy. Additionally, we holter test our borzoi to further track cardiac health and require at least two holter tests performed a minimum of 6-months apart on all brood bitches.

*we define a popular sire as a dog who has more than 50 unique descendants

We strive to preserve the borzoi breed for future generations to admire, live with, and love. We believe preservation requires equal emphasis on the dogs we produce and the people who love them. We are passionate about connecting the families of our puppies with support and education through ourselves and the wider sighthound community.

ETHICS & MENTORSHIP GOALS

We also believe that strong breeding principles move beyond the lines we develop and into the communities and homes we serve. This means we are invested in:

  1. Prioritizing matching the best home for each borzoi we breed, working to ensure the best chance at lifelong homes and partnerships.

  2. Supporting diversity in backgrounds & life experiences of our puppy homes. We stand for human rights, equity, and inclusivity.

    • We are members of the LGTBQIA+ and neurodivergent communities, and believe strongly in providing welcoming, safe environments and interactions with people of all backgrounds.

    • We provide sliding scale financial assistance on puppy costs to BIPOC individuals.

  3. Building relationships with our homes and lasting mentorship for the life of their Saxafrax-Wild Rushes puppy or dog (and beyond).

  4. Committing to always learning more, doing better, and evolving our practices and seeking diverse mentorship for ourselves.

  5. Public breed education through outreach, information sharing, and community presence.

Read more about our policies and our borzoi-community-vetted checklist on what qualifies an ethical breeder.

Photo by Olyhillary