Saxafrax Borzoi

13/08/2024

17/07/2024

IMPORTANT NOTICE:

Scammers on social media are becoming ever more rampant in the world of purebred dogs, and this problem has been escalating lately within the borzoi community. Fake profiles advertising puppies using images stolen from legitimate breeders can be found all over the web. Our photos have been stolen for this purpose on numerous occasions, including at least two instances of scammers creating fake business pages or profiles using our kennel name.

Although we file copyright take-down notices on these when we come across them, we may not catch them all. If you are looking to add a borzoi to your family, please keep these very important things in mind:

1. ALWAYS check the URL of a profile or page to make sure that it belongs to the legitimate breeder you are trying to get in touch with.

2. NEVER send money to a breeder sight unseen. Many breeders require deposits for their puppies and this is common practice, however, this is what scammers are banking on. I cannot in good conscience recommend that someone ever place a deposit without having thoroughly vetted the identity of their breeder and the dog they are inquiring about. Taking their word that they are who they say they are, or even talking on the phone, is not enough. Do your due diligence.

Please know that as of 2021, Saxafrax - Wild Rushes Borzoi does NOT take deposits. If you are talking to someone who is using our kennel names and they request a deposit from you, THEY ARE NOT US.

As a reminder, all puppies from our recent YABB litter are already spoken for, as are all of our adult dogs.

It is our sincere hope that no innocent party ever fall prey to a financial scam that used images of our beloved hounds to con someone out of money for a puppy or dog that was actually already in a loving home.

Our actual business accounts are:
https://www.saxafraxborzoi.com
https://www.facebook.com/saxafraxborzoi
https://www.instagram.com/saxafraxborzoi/
https://www.instagram.com/wildrushesborzoi/
https://www.tiktok.com/
https://www.gooddog.com/breeders/saxafrax-borzoi-oregon

Photo by Olyhillary Photography, watermark logo by Art By Ashley Cirimeli.

10/07/2024

The second baby to fly the nest was the inimitable Gadabout, now Fable! Most frequently termed “Gaddy” while she was here, this little firecracker was a trendsetter from early on in the whelping box. The first to get up steady on her feet, the first to begin playing with toys, and one of the leaders of the pack for their many adventures. Clever and funny, she was always a standout to visitors. She made my own choice of who to keep incredibly difficult, as this girl also shows a lot of lure drive and has probably my favorite outline of the litter when she stacks.

However, when you have a home who wants a do-everything girl, sometimes the choice makes itself. Elyse & I are proud to co-own Fable with Cali & Mikey up in Washington, where she has already been setting off on so many adventures! Keep an eye out for this little kangaroo in the show ring, on the field, or perhaps in other sports she sets her mind to. You can follow along her adventures over at .

Fable is formally known as Saxafrax Wild Rushes Written In Paperback.

Photos 6 & 7 by Quickshot Canines.

08/07/2024

We interrupt our regularly scheduled puppy posting for a proud breeder brag! This weekend down in Florida at the Citrus County Kennel Club, Rusalka from our litter was in the ribbons both days with her owner-handler, Sy. On Saturday under judge Joan Goldstein, Rusalka was Winners B for a 3-pt major (her second overall), and on Sunday under judge Roberto Velez-Pico, she was Reserve to the major. She now just needs a couple of singles to finish her AKC conformation championship.

I could not be more proud of this team, and I am thrilled for Sy, who has now also gotten both of their parents into the show ring with their borzoi as well. A lot of hard work and dedication went into these wins, and that is what we celebrate most of all!

Rusalka is Saxafrax Wild Rushes Adrienne C’Est La Vie, JC, BCAT.

06/07/2024

The first pup to fly the nest to his new home was Tarlatan (new name still pending). When we first took individual photos of the litter at two weeks old, sire-owner Janet was drawn to this sweet boy for how he reminded her of his dad, Porter. We are honored to have been able to breed to such a beloved hound, and thrilled that Janet gets to have a piece of her boy again through his son.

Tarla, TT, or Tanner - he earned many nicknames while here, and is still showing Janet who he is before his final name sticks. He certainly has a ton of personality to make that decision a challenge! He is equal parts feisty and sweet, a real cuddle bug and a bit of a party animal all at once.

Little man has been settling in wonderfully at Morozova Borzoi, and although it was hard to let the first one spread his wings, it was made easier by seeing how dearly cherished he already is.

Photos 4 & 5 by Quickshot Canines.

27/06/2024

Introducing Saxafrax Wild Rushes Our Histories Interweave, “Sibylline”, staying at Saxafrax and co-owned with . Siby grabbed my heart from early on in the whelping box, but I tried my best to remain objective and stoically unattached as I evaluated the puppies for which would stay and hopefully carry forward our program.

The decision was incredibly hard, and I have to thank the many folks who tolerated me talking to them about making this choice. I further would like to thank all of the borzoi breeders who met the litter and offered their thoughts on who their picks were, and why. Your input was invaluable, although with Siby consistently being 1 of the 2 pick girls in a near 50/50 split of opinions, you all made this choice both affirming and more difficult. 🤣

I am grateful that the quality in both conformation and temperaments across the board in this litter made for such a difficult decision. New breeders such as myself count our lucky stars for that type of hard choice.

Some of the things that contributed to her selection were
- her substance, in muscle, bone, and width, is the right choice for what we needed to select toward in our next generation
- her nice loin combined with a tenacious lure drive is well-suited to my performance goals for her
- her sweet temperament is already very steady and meshes well with the adults in our pack
- through hard won experiences, I have learned that when you have a gut feeling about a dog, it’s better to not ignore it!

I’m so excited to start my adventures with Siby and see where we go. I will be sharing where the others are off to (or are already at) in the next few posts. Lastly, I want to thank all of the wonderful people who expressed interest in this litter. Thank you for believing in borzoi magic, and helping to keep this rare breed around for future generations to enjoy.

A note: I tried the watermark route as many of our photos have been stolen by scammers lately, but ultimately, it’s just too much of a time-add for me. PLEASE be careful out there and if you are talking to a breeder or rescue, make sure they really are who they say they are, and NEVER send money sight unseen.

Photos 6 & 7 by Quickshot Canines.

25/06/2024

We did it folks. The YABB litter made it to 12 weeks old. What a privilege it has been to raise these incredible little pups these last 3 months. Now, they begin to spread their wings and fly to their new homes and families. A few will be here longer or visiting regularly to help them grow out with sibling playmates, which will certainly lessen the emotional wave of having to say goodbye.

I am so incredibly excited to see them flourish with their families and see what they accomplish together. Just as with our first litter, we love the puppies we produce “from womb to tomb”, and being able to follow along with them throughout their lives is both one of the most joyful and sorrowful parts of being a breeder.

We are immensely grateful to everyone who has brought one of our puppies into their family for giving them enriching lives and cherishing them. I certainly can’t keep them all, would that I could, but knowing that they get to go off and become someone else’s best friend helps make the hand off possible. I will of course be sharing those who are going to homes with social media accounts for folks to follow along, in addition to announcing our keepers! I will be keeping a girl, and co-breeder Wild Rushes Borzoi will be keeping (surprise) 2 boys. Can you guess who our keepers are?

Posted in birth order, they are: Cormorant (F) - Folderol (M) - Eidolon (M) - Gadabout (F) - Tarlatan (M) - Parallax (M) - Sibylline (F) - Augur (M) - Bombazine (M)

19/06/2024

We’ve shared a lot about what life outside looks like for the YABB litter, as we love spending time in our green fields for exercise and enrichment. But I thought it would be fun to take a look at some of their inside moments as well. Our litters are raised in the home, as we keep all of our dogs as indoor companions. Here is a retrospective look at how the pups’ indoor world has changed since birth.

They began in the whelping box, in the corner of our dog room where we kept things carefully light- and temperature-controlled for their sensitive neonate bodies. I kept a bed for myself just outside of the whelping box, where I “slept” with one eye open for many weeks to make sure they were staying on schedule with nursing, and no one was accidentally getting squished by mama.

When they were big enough to get over the lip of the whelping box, they graduated to having an expen veranda off of the box. During this time was also when we set up their outdoor expen with obstacles and enrichment items. When they grew big enough that they would soon crawl over the sides of the whelping box, they upgraded again to a larger expen with a few open crates they could den inside of. This stage expanded several times in size.

Now, they are sleeping in crates at night! We keep litter boxes in their crates in case they need to potty overnight, and the pups alternate between crating either solo or in pairs at this age, with an emphasis on solo for overnights. They also get to wrestle in our living room (with a litter box available), and while they still have their outdoor expen set up for when we need to corral them or practice patience behind a barrier, they spend a majority of their waking time running around the larger dog yard, or going on romps with us into the pasture. But in case you were wondering what the pups get up to when they aren’t playing outside, the answer is usually cuddling while watching TV.

Thank you to a couple of our puppy visitors for snapping a few of these photos!

11/06/2024

More wonderful photos from visit when the pups were 7 weeks old! Looking at these photos is wild since the YABB litter is 10 weeks old today and they have really shot up in growth. I will try and get to posting some updated photos and videos for you all.

We have been busy busy busy. The litter took a trip north with me the weekend before last to visit co-breeder for the weekend. It was their longest car ride yet (over 4 hours one-way, with a potty pit stop midway), a lot of new things to experience at a novel location, and more people and dogs to meet.

Then, 7 of 9 came along this past weekend to the Borzoi National Specialty Show which was held in Pasco, WA this year. What a trip! Their first stay in hotel rooms, more long car rides, and lots of practice for other life skills (crating, leash walking, and more exposure to the world) were the big focuses for the crew all last week. A huge thank you to all of the borzoi breeders and fanciers who met them and shared their time and thoughts with us. I’m so glad we made it to the National to see so many friends from all across the country. Although it was a careful balance to do this in a way that minimized risks for the pups, I think we struck the balance!

I am cherishing every moment we have left as a group, as they begin to head to their new homes very soon.

04/06/2024

A sampling of some of the amazing photos captured when she visited the other week! London got so many great shots that I will have many more still to share. But y’all aren’t sick of puppy photos, are you?

30/05/2024

This week the babies also got to go to their second veterinary appointment as part of turning 8 weeks old. Only one even bothered to look at their vaccine, and all were comfortable and unperturbed. This means we did a great job not creating any negative associations at their first visit! They also got to be loved on by the staff and discovered the joys of tuna Churu, so all in all another good vet experience, I say. Clean bills of health still, and growing like weeds - the biggest boy (Bomba) is 14 lbs!

I used this laundry basket to carry them inside from their car crates, and while only 2 of them fit in it at a time, they thought it would make a fun den while everyone was taking turns with their exams.

I can’t say enough how much I adore all of these puppies.

28/05/2024

The Youth & Beauty Brigade are 8 weeks old, and we reached an important milestone for conformation evaluation. We perform a point-by-point evaluation comparing each puppy to the breed standard every two weeks beginning at 6 weeks. This helps us keep track of how our lines develop, and we return to that data when they are adults to see how they compare. The 8-week mark is often a closer representation of what they will look like as adults, so this round of evaluations was an important one for assessing which puppies may have potential to show and/or compete in performance sports. We will continue to evaluate them before making final selections around 10 weeks old, by then also having gathered temperament data.

A generous thank you to for hosting our eval party and taking these photos as we stacked the squirmy, cheese-loving children. This party was also another great socialization opportunity for the pups to adventure in a novel safe yard, meet new dogs and people, and go on their longest car rides yet (2.5 hrs each way). They did fantastic with the whole experience and took everything in stride!

Posted in birth order, they are: Cormorant (F) - Folderol (M) - Eidolon (M) - Gadabout (F) - Tarlatan (M) - Parallax (M) - Sibylline (F) - Augur (M) - Bombazine (M)

21/05/2024

Remember that den Fennel was so proud of before she gave birth? Well, her children are having a lot of fun with it now, 7 weeks later. And I’m having a lot of fun watching them! Nine puppies is a lot of work, but I daresay they are worth it.

14/05/2024

Six weeks old and I can’t believe that my time with the whole litter is at its halfway point. I have loved watching them experience their expanding world. Last week they took their first field trip to a friend’s safe yard, which was also their longest car ride yet and they all did great.

Yesterday they had their first veterinary exams and vaccines with a wonderful fear-free practitioner who made sure their first clinic experience was a positive one. They even got to participate in a video series to help demonstrate subtle behaviors in puppies and how to vaccinate them in the least invasive way we can, while timing food reward delivery so that it won’t poison food with a negative experience in a young pup. This meant that each puppy received a tailored experience to their individual comfort levels, and I am so thankful to have these opportunities to help set them up for success over their lives.

Their world on the farm continues to expand as well with more time playing with the adults, continuing to meet new human visitors and soon safe doggy visitors, getting to see the goats up close (but still with a barrier between them), and continued sight and sound introductions. Of course, the puppies also get a lot of time to romp and play in the spaces and with the things they are already accustomed to.

The name of the game with socialization is controlled exposures at safe distances and durations to create neutral responses, avoiding flooding with too much stimuli at once. It’s a careful but important balance during the sensitive development period, but so very vital to the long-term resilience of a dog in our busy modern world.

11/05/2024

Happy birthday to the inimitable Shaniko! We stayed up late to see a magnificent natural wonder I never thought I would see living in Oregon - the northern lights.

Shaniko was happy to go out in the field with us at such a strange hour, but it is past his bedtime so naturally he wanted to curl up and lay in the grass while we skywatched. Still, he cooperated for a magnificent photo, so I’ll take that as a birthday win.

He spent the day enjoying the sunshine, watching over his grand puppies, playing fetch, and of course his very favorite activity, getting to eat birthday pizza. I love this boy so much, and thank him every day for being my partner and helping to bring a bunch of goofy, wonderful borzoi into this world.

08/05/2024

HOW are they 5 weeks old already? This rowdy bunch is definitely keeping us busy. Personalities are blossoming and while much will still change and develop, here’s a quick little snapshot of observations:

Augie always asks to get in my lap. He is bold and funny. Parallax has the most opinions and will tell you all about them, and is a nice blend of independent and social. Bomba is really steady and reminds me a lot of Fennel at this age - confident, calm, and affectionate. Eidolon has a ton of energy and seems to always be initiating play with the other puppies. Tarlatan is very people-oriented and kind of a space cadet 😂. Folderol is easily the most chill of all of the boys and very cuddly.

Gaddy continues to be the most outgoing and goofy of all of them, as you may have picked up on in videos. Siby is super affectionate and gives lots of eye contact and kisses. Corm is a little spitfire who does not act her tiny size. I can’t wait to see who they all grow up to be, and at the same time, wish I could slam a pause button to slow down their rapid growth.

03/05/2024

The outdoor pen has been upgraded now that the puppies are more mobile. We will be adding enrichment items on a rotating basis for them to encounter, to keep things novel and fun. Their indoor digs also got a new layout (documentation to come) to allow for easily letting them in and out between pens.

It was a big day as the puppies got to practice their first time being called over a good distance to come to us, and they navigated that like champs. Glimpses of their personalities are starting to come to life.

30/04/2024

The YABB litter is four weeks old today! Update on their development milestones: they have boogied on 7 different surfaces, they are learning to climb and can get from their whelping box into their expanded play area unassisted, they have met 30 people including kids of different ages, they can (enthusiastically) lap milk replacer out of a pan and are slowly being introduced to soft solid foods, they have been on their first car ride last week and are going for another tomorrow, they have been introduced to and played with a wide range of toys which we change up daily, listened to lots of loud strange sounds, get their nails trimmed every 3 days, and today they were introduced to the grooming table. We’ve been very busy with this bunch, so I’m sure there are experiences I’m forgetting to recall.

They grow so very fast, and I’m doing my best to absorb as much of them as I can to savor every kiss on their little heads, every cuddle, every play session, and the beauty of not just their development, but their relationship with Fennel. Seeing her in the role of motherhood brings a tear to my eye. She is so doting and patient with them, and seeing her natural instincts kick in is nothing short of awesome.

Shown in birth order: Cormorant (F) - Folderol (M) - Eidolon (M) - Gadabout (F) - Tarlatan (M) - Parallax (M) - Sibylline (F) - Augur (M) - Bombazine (M)

29/04/2024

Everyone is learning how to play, explore, and use all of their senses!

26/04/2024

Eyesight is getting more clear, ears are opening, and short outdoor sessions continue to be a hit with the YABB babies. We continue to introduce new experiences, like sound recordings of various things they will encounter in life, or playing them some live music on guitar. They have met the household dogs and already have been handled by 25 people, with many more visitors and soon socializing trips yet to come.

Other little milestones include becoming acquainted with their litterbox, which they are already learning to gravitate toward, learning how to play (the most adorable skill), and increasing those fine motor skills (or ANY motoring skills - they are getting quite active!). This is a really fun age.

21/04/2024

More outdoor photos because there were too many cute ones to fit in a single post! The babies have now had two outdoor sessions, and new experiences are added to their world every day.

20/04/2024

First time outside! We stuck to the shade as the babies’ eyes are still sensitive, and kept the field trip short before anyone got too cold, but the crew were very interested in the new sights and smells. They of course also needed to swarm mom for a picnic meal.

Uncle Dresden the silken windhound has been getting more and more curious and excited by the little beans, and seeing them outside got his tail really wagging.

It feels like we are crossing new milestones every day with these little ones who are shedding their grub phase in favor of being miniature dogs. 😭🥹

18/04/2024

They grow so fast, you blink and suddenly they are twice the size. The pups are entering a phase of rapid development as their eyes are now beginning to open and their ears won’t be far behind. They are able to walk (or rather stumble) up on all fours, and have been learning new vocalizations including a tiny howl today.

My favorite activity with them, however, remains cuddling. They’re big fans of this as well. 🖤

15/04/2024

Two weeks old today, and it’s time to introduce the grubs individually! Some of you may have recognized the litter theme already: the “Youth & Beauty Brigade” have been named in honor of local PNW musicians The Decemberists, who surely never asked for a litter of Russian hounds to be named after them, but we couldn’t help but think how fitting this combination is.

A fun fact about & I is that we met in person for the first time at a Decemberists concert in Seattle. All points in time lead to somewhere in the future, as they say, and this one has led us to these beautiful babies.

Decemberists lyrics are known for think-outside-the-box vocabulary and $10 words, so our litter I.D. names have all been chosen from words found in their songs. Without further ado, here they are in birth order:

Cormorant (F), Folderol (M), Eidolon (M), Gadabout (F), Tarlatan (M), Parallax (M), Sibylline (F), Augur (M), Bombazine (M), bonus shot of mama Fennel taking a break 😝

08/04/2024

One of the little girls and mama’s snoot. 🥰

07/04/2024

The Youth & Beauty Brigade are 5 days old! Fennel has been a fantastic mama so far, attentive and caring to her brood, with strong natural mothering instincts. The whelp itself went smoothly for her, for which I could not be more grateful.

The days that followed were very low on sleep, as we devoted extra time and care to the second born, a girl we named Largesse, who came out weighing just 168 grams (well below average for a borzoi puppy, she is on the left in photo 5). To give her the best chance possible, we provided supplemental tube feeding for her, and when she continued to struggle to gain, added in an antibiotic and subq fluids with veterinary guidance. After an initial rallying period, yesterday she took a tragic turn for the worse and passed away.

I will not soon forget her and her tenacious fight to survive. She was so well loved for her brief time with us. There is a lot of heartbreak in the life of a breeder, and I don’t believe it will ever get easier to face these kinds of losses. Even knowing we did all we could for her, I will always wish we could have had more time.

Now, we hold space for grieving her while simultaneously honoring the joy her siblings bring as they grow. Thankfully, all 9 of them are gaining and doing well alongside Fennel.

Thank you to everyone for the well-wishes and celebration of this beautiful bunch. We feel so blessed to have them here, and to have been the landing place Largesse chose for her brief time on earth.

02/04/2024

Today we welcomed 10 little ones into the world. Fennel graciously chose the daytime for her active labor. 6 boys, 4 girls. All spotted sables. Mama and babies are all doing well, although we’ve got some little ones to pay close attention to. Further updates when we’ve all got a little rest.

01/04/2024

Fennel would like you to know she is very proud of this den. Unfortunately for her, she doesn’t get to have her babies there, but in the whelping box. We are still waiting, but signs are pointing to soon. 👀

27/03/2024

Fennel is full of spaghetti! 10 tiny noodles confirmed now in their last stage as fetuses before they join us earthside as puppies. We take an X-ray the week puppies are due so that we can track labor and know if/when something is going wrong that requires intervention (up to requiring an emergency C-section). This is an especially important step because ultrasound counts are unreliable - as you can see, she was hiding a puppy! Now we know her labor is not done until all 10 are accounted for.

We have an incredible reproductive vet who has guided Fennel’s entire pregnancy, and remains on standby when she goes into labor. However, like most canine pregnancies, we will attempt and hope for smooth sailing with an at-home birth.

The beginning of her whelping window is this Friday night, so puppy watch begins shortly (and to a degree, has already begun). Meanwhile, Fennel has been re-acclimating to the whelping box and choosing to spend a lot of her time nesting there. As a treat, I’ve included a photo of the first time she was in this whelping box.