Episode #122 - Lili Chin: About Dog Breeds
What Dogs of the World Teaches Us About Seeing Dogs as Individuals
July 7, 2025
TLDL (Too Long, Didn’t Listen):
1️⃣ Breed ≠ Personality – A dog’s breed can’t predict everything about them. Breed ideals reflect human expectations more than canine realities, and every dog is an individual shaped by context, not just genetics.
2️⃣ Language Matters – Terms like “solo dog” instead of “aggressive,” and carefully choosing breed labels, can reduce harm and better reflect reality. Lili’s work challenges us to use language that is inclusive, accurate, and respectful.
3️⃣ A Broader View of Breeds – Lili breaks down the variety of dog types, like purebreds, landraces, and free-ranging dogs, and explains how understanding this spectrum can deepen our appreciation for dogs in all contexts.
Episode Overview:
How much can a dog’s breed really tell you? In this episode of Enrichment for the Real World, illustrator and author Lili Chin (she/her) returns to talk about her newest book, Dogs of the World: A Gallery of Pups from Purebreds to Mutts. You probably know Lili from her beloved body language infographics and viral artwork, and now she’s helping us better understand the complex, fluid, and very human world of breed identity.
Listen as Lili and Emily dive into why “solo dog” is a better term than “dog aggressive,” how breed traits reflect more about human ideals than actual dogs, and why terms like “pariah” and “primitive” might not mean what you think. Blending thoughtful art with a global perspective, this episode invites us to rethink breed labels and focus on what really matters: the individuality of every dog.
Meet Our Guest
Lili Chin
Lili Chin is an author-illustrator best known for her animal-related art and books. Since 2008, she has been providing custom illustration and a catalog of art products for sale, and creating expressive and educational illustrations for the world of companion animal behavior and welfare, animal lovers, and businesses. A partial list of prominent behaviorists, authors, and organizations that have used her art include the late Dr. Sophia Yin, Fear Free Pets, the RSPCA, Wallis Annenberg Petspace, and International Cat Care.
Her first book – “Doggie Language: A Dog Lover’s Guide to Understanding Your Best Friend”, published by Summersdale Publishers in 2020, has won two awards, and been praised for making an important subject more fun and accessible. Her second award-winning book, “Kitty Language: An Illustrated Guide to Understanding Your Cat” was published in 2023 by Ten Speed Press. Both “Doggie Language” and “Kitty Language” have been translated to multiple languages around the world. “Dogs of the World: A Gallery of Pups from Purebreds to Mutts” is Lili Chin’s third book, published in April 2025 by Ten Speed Press. It features over 600 illustrations of different types of dogs from around the world from purebreds and mutts, to street dogs and village dogs, and also looks at where dog breeds come from and what they mean to us.
Lili Chin is Malaysia-born, spent most of her youth in Sydney, Australia and currently lives in Los Angeles with a writer-husband, and two rescued and bonded cats – Mambo and Shimmy.
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Meet the Hosts
Allie Bender, CDBC, CPDT-KA, SBA
Allie Bender is a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant, Certified Professional Dog Trainer- Knowledge Assessed, and a Shelter Behavior Affiliate. She has been in the animal welfare industry since 2006 and professionally training since 2012. She is the founder and co-owner of Pet Harmony, co-author of Canine Enrichment for the Real World, and a national speaker.
While in the animal sheltering industry, Allie realized that her passion lied in helping pets with maladaptive behaviors. Specifically, she wanted to help prevent animals with rehabilitatable problems from being euthanized. She loves working with dogs and cats displaying stranger danger, resource guarding, and leash reactivity. Her favorite thing about working with pets and their people is seeing relationships grow and seeing harmonious households develop.
Emily Strong, CDBC
Emily Strong is a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant and Shelter Behavior Affiliate. She has been in the animal welfare industry since 1990 and has been a behavior consultant since 2008. She is the co-owner of Pet Harmony, co-author of Canine Enrichment for the Real World, and a national speaker.
Emily started working with animals at a young age and struggled with the notion that you have to hurt, scare, or intimidate animals to help them. When she discovered the behavior sciences and learned that it wasn’t necessary to do so– that we can care for emotional, mental, and physical health simultaneously– she plunged headfirst into animal behavior. Emily loves helping current and prospective behavior professionals and working with pet parents through our in-depth services. She enjoys working with all species.
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