The Map of All Dog Breeds in the World (and Their Countries of Origin)

Have you ever imagined a map that includes all dog breeds in the world? This feat is what artist Lili Chin has almost accomplished, creating a map with nearly all canine breeds from each country, totaling 366 varieties of the more than 400 that exist.

It all started when in 2014, Lili Chin published Dogs of the World, a series of illustrations categorizing dog breeds by country. It was then that she received many requests to draw even more dogs and to include them all in one poster.

"My goal was to include mixed breeds, lesser-known breeds, and local breeds," the artist explains. Lili Chin did not include all breeds due to space limitations on the map, and most of them are not registered with the American Kennel Club, a registry of purebred dogs, or the Fédération Cynologique Internationale, which studies these animals. However, the artist welcomes "suggestions for future editions."

Over the years, Chin has worked to update and make her map more accurate. To do this, she consulted with expert historians on dog breeds who helped her relocate some breeds, and she even modified some dog designs after seeing them in person.

One interesting aspect of the map is that the countries appear distorted, and as Chin herself states, "to include as many breeds and local varieties as possible, it was necessary to take liberties with geographical realities." As a result, we see countries like France, Germany, and the United Kingdom much expanded, as these developed the most dog breeds, unlike others like China, which appears much smaller due to its fewer standardized breeds.