ASTANA – The Kazakh Tazy breed has been included for the first time in “Dogs of the World,” a book by Lili Chin featuring more than 600 illustrations of dog breeds worldwide. Packed with fascinating details and colorful artwork, the book also highlights the world’s mixed-breed and village dogs, representing 85% of dogs with no official breed.
Photo credit: Chin’s Facebook page
In an interview with The Astana Times, Chin, a Malaysian-born artist based in the United States, shared her passion for the project.
Lili Chin, an author and illustrator. Photo credit: doggiedrawings.net
Known internationally for her animal behavior artwork, Chin explained, “My clients include welfare groups, professional dog trainers, behaviorists, veterinarians, and animal lovers who advocate for compassionate teaching methods and ethical animal care.”
Chin’s portfolio includes pet portraits, gift products, and three books: “Doggie Language” (focused on dog body language), “Kitty Language” (on cat body language), and her latest work, “Dogs of the World.”
The idea for “Dogs of the World” began in 2014 as an illustration project when Chin discovered the geographical origins of dog breeds.
“I became obsessed with looking up which breeds came from where and started drawing dogs from different regions in a series of posters,” she said.
What started as a series of posters of geographically categorized breeds soon went viral online. Over time, Chin expanded the project to include lesser-known breeds, focusing on celebrating diversity.
“In writing and illustrating ‘Dogs of the World’—which includes more than 100 more dogs than the original poster series—I wanted to showcase dog diversity and provide an overview of where breeds come from and why they exist,” she said.
Chin’s artistic approach stands apart from traditional dog breed literature, which often focuses on realistic depictions and formal poses. Instead, she chose simple, stylized illustrations with playful expressions.
“This project was a fun design challenge for me. I consider it to be a personal artistic expression that captures why we love our dogs,” she said.
Uncovering the Kazakh Tazy
Chin first discovered the Tazy while researching breeds such as the Afghan Hound and Saluki.
“I learned that over the years, different countries have developed and preserved their tazy-like breeds, all sharing a Central Asian ancestry,” she said.
Illustration of some Central Asian dog breeds. Photo credit: Chin’s Facebook page
Kazakh diplomat Janibek Bektemissov played a role in introducing the Tazy to Chin, sharing via social media detailed information about the breed and its significance in Kazakhstan. Inspired by her research and Bektemissov’s insights, Chin decided to include the Kazakh Tazy in her latest work, which will be published on April 15.
“I remember seeing a video from Kazakhstan of Tazy dogs hunting a wolf. They were incredibly fast and worked as a team. I love that Tazy are valued not only as hunters but also as beloved companions and family dogs,” said Chin.
Recently, The Tazy breed received a patent from the Qazpatent National Institute of Intellectual Property.
Chin expects that her work would foster an appreciation for all types of dogs, including lesser-known and indigenous breeds like the Tazy.
“I hope it generates curiosity and delight about lesser-known breeds and shows that these dogs are no less beautiful, important, or meaningful than more popular European breeds,” she said.
One challenge in illustrating rare breeds was the limited availability of visual references.
“Sometimes, I could only find one or two photos of a specific breed and had to trust that they were accurate. I am grateful to have connected with dog scholars who research, write about, and photograph indigenous dogs, and people who live with indigenous breeds—they often helped by sharing photos and insights,” said Chin.
