AI-generated dog breed images: what to know first

The dog images in Dog Image API are AI-generated illustrations. They show no real dog, they are not photos, and they are not a breed standard. Use them as visual stand-ins in apps, charts and layouts. Do not use them to identify a dog, judge health or prove pedigree.

What AI-generated means here

A computer model produced each picture. No dog was photographed, and no artist drew each image by hand. The result is an illustration of one adult dog, standing, shown from the same nine views for every breed.

That is why the catalog can be consistent. It is also why the images carry a limit: a model draws what a breed usually looks like, and it can get a detail wrong in a way a person would not.

How sets are checked

Each set passes an automatic check of its nine views before it is published. Sets are also reviewed by a person over time.

Read that as quality control, not a guarantee. An automatic check can confirm that a set is complete and framed to the standard. It cannot confirm that every marking on a coat matches a particular breed. The review by a person happens over time, so a set may be live before anyone has looked at it closely. The nine-view standard describes what is checked for framing.

Known limits

Expect these kinds of mistakes, and look at an image before you rely on it:

• Tails. Length, curl or carriage may not match the breed.
• Coats. Texture, length or feathering may be off.
• Markings and colors. Spots, masks, patches or shades may not follow what a breed club accepts.
• Small anatomy. Paws, ears or eyes can look slightly wrong in any view.
• No individual. Each image shows a generic dog, not a particular animal and not a show-quality example.

The images are also not a breed standard. A breed standard is a written description kept by a kennel organization. This catalog does not replace one. For the breed's accepted description, go to the organization that keeps it.

When not to use them

Do not use the images where accuracy about a real dog matters:

• Identification. Do not use them to tell a visitor which breed their dog is, or to label a found dog.
• Health. Do not use them to show how a healthy dog, a sick dog or a body condition looks.
• Pedigree and sales. Do not use them to represent a litter, a sire, a dam or a dog for sale.
• Legal evidence. Do not submit them as proof of what an animal looks like, such as in a dispute or a claim.
• Anything that says "this is a real dog." A product that implies a photo of a real animal should use real photos.

They suit lighter jobs: a breed picker, a quiz, a game, a printed chart, a placeholder in a design, an illustration beside an article. If you are unsure, see how a photo API compares.

Labeling good practice

Tell readers what they are looking at. A short, plain label is enough:

• Put "AI-generated illustration" in a caption, a footnote or the page text where the images appear.
• Do not call the images photos, and do not describe them as real dogs.
• Keep the label with the image when the image is shared or exported.
• If you show a free preview, also keep the credit link the license requires.

A caption can be as simple as this:

<figure>
  <img src="https://dogimage.dev/img/v1/dog/pug/fawn/adult/front@512.webp"
       alt="Illustration of a fawn Pug, front view" width="512" height="512">
  <figcaption>
    AI-generated illustration.
    <a href="https://dogimage.dev/dogs/pug">Pug image: Dog Image API</a>
  </figcaption>
</figure>

A note on rules

Some places have transparency rules for AI-made content. The European Union's AI Act, for example, has an Article 50 on transparency obligations for certain AI systems and content. Whether and how a rule applies depends on who you are, what you publish and where. Check the rules that apply to you. This guide is not legal advice.

The reference for what you may do with these images is the license page, which is marked as a draft not yet reviewed by a lawyer.