What Breed is Scooby Doo? What Type of Dog?
Everyone knows who Scooby-Doo was as all of us were literally raised watching the cartoon. However, do you really know which breed was the cartoon based on, and what would he look like in real life?
In this article, you will learn how the Scooby-Doo characteristics matched with the particular breed of the dog were. You will also find about the creator’s imagination of this imaginary character while he was creating Scooby-Doo.
You might think that Scooby-Doo looks like Great Dane but that the truth is far away from this. Let’s find about this.
Scooby-Doo History & Origin
The character of Scooby-Doo was created by Hanna-Barbera Productions, Iwao Takamoto. He was one of the cartoonists with the Hanna-Barbera Productions. The original name of Scooby is “Scoobert.” The frictional character of Scooby became very famous since it was released as “Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?” in the year 1969.
The cartoon which became so famous had Scooby-Doo and four teenagers Fred Jones, Vilma Dinkley, Daphne Blake & Shaggy Rogers (Scooby Doo’s owner). All the characters are members of Mystery Inc, which is also a research society. The members have traveled all around the world in a van which is the Mystery Machine. Together they have been solving mysteries which has supernatural beings and ghosts.
After the original series became a super hit with all the age groups. It was kept alive generation after generation as there were a lot of reboots and spin-offs which were created. These characters had been a winner overall generations of viewers. Recently there was a Scooby-Doo movie that was released and still received similar responses to the earlier ones.
As soon as the Scooby-Doo comes out the mystery also deepens a lot about “what kind of dog is Scooby-Doo?” However, today you will find out about what kind of dog is the Scooby-Doo dog breed.
What Kind of Dog Is Scooby-Doo?
So, what type of dog is Scooby-Doo? You might be thinking that the Scooby Doo’s dog breed is a Great Dane. However, here are some facts about Scooby-Doo.
Scooby-Doo’s creator and father, Iwao Takamoto, has told everyone some interesting facts about this klutzy canine Scooby-Doo. He also talked about how he was inspired to create such ideal features when it came to creating such a character out of the prized Great Dane. He spoke to many dog breeder who showcased dogs and Takamoto learned “what made a prize-winning Great Dane and did something which is totally opposite to the characteristics of Great Dane” This is what he told Australia’s Sydney Morning Herald in 1997.
Mainly, Scooby Dog has all of the features which are opposite to Great Dane. So, is the Great Dane the main inspiration for Scooby-Doo? Well, that does not seem so.
Comparison: Scooby-Doo Vs Great Dane
Takamoto said that his main moto of making Scooby big and very clumsy. He said this would make the character more interesting and entertaining. Let’s find out about the Scooby Doo’s characteristics & then compare it to that of the breed of Great Dane.
Physical Characteristics
American Kennel Club once stated the picture of elegance and balance is the next name for Great Danes. Just their great size, appearance, smoothly muscled body & well-formed nature provide a lot of dignity and strength. Due to their stately grace, Great Danes are called the “Apollo of dogs”. Hence Great Dane is never clumsy it is intelligent.
In the creator’s (Takamoto’s) own words Scooby-Doo is an imagination of Great Dane which has a frame that is less refined and body type, unlike Great Dane. He said:
“The legs were supposed to be straight so I made them bowed, I sloped the hindquarters and made his feet too big. He was supposed to have a firm jaw, so I receded it. [Even his color is wrong].”
Different colors and patterns are available when it comes to the Great Dane’s coat & it is perhaps one of the best dog breeds which have the patchwork of black-and-white. Scooby-Doo has several distinctive black spots on his upper body and are brown from head to toe and does not seem to have a melanistic mask which is one of the most important features of Great Dane. This is one of the reasons why people get confused about what kind of dog is Scooby-Doo.
Emotional Characteristics
Scooby-Doo by nature is very timid, which is unlike a Great Dane trait. The emotional characteristics are totally different than those of Scooby-Doo. They are never timid. They are great home guardians, dependable & sweet by nature dogs.
Is Scooby-Doo A Great Dane?
As you have already seen the physical and emotional characteristics of Great Dane you must have noticed that both Great Dane and Scooby-Doo are different. Scooby Doo’s maker once said that Scooby is the totally opposite of Great Dane,
Everyone knows that Scooby-Doo is a fictional character. Scooby-Doo is a “peculiar Great Dane” dog. This imaginary character defies the general characteristics of the Great Danes. All the negative qualities are the ones that made Scooby-Doo such an iconic character and a lovely cartoon character even in today’s world.
You may consider it a Great Dane if you wish. Or if not leave it to your imagination. It is for sure that it has made a place for itself in the history of entertainment.
Scooby-Doo: Great Dane in Reality
Is there are Great Dane that looks like Scooby-Doo? There is a Great Dane, named Presley who is very much similar to the real-life Scooby-Doo.
The owner of Presley is Sian Barrett, 47, from Oldbury in the West Midlands in the UK, he has claimed Presley looks like real-life Scooby-Doo.
In an interview, Barrett said that “He is afraid of everything. He is always getting scared off by smaller dogs, and I’ve had to start hiding the plastic bags from him because he’s afraid”
He says that Presley is much timider than his cartoon character. He is so soft in nature and his behavior does not match the size at all and is scared of everything.
Sian Barrett told an interviewer that “There was a time Barrett was walking in the park with him he got scared off by a West Highland Terrier, which is very tiny when compared to him. Even because of the slightest fear he would run to his master.”
How tall is Scooby-Doo?
There is no exact value but you might guess the height of Scooby-Doo to be around 3.3 feet in the normal posture and when it stands on its hind legs, it might be around 6 to 7 feet tall.
How Old Is Scooby-Doo?
According to news reporters and media, Scooby-Doo is 7 years old. This states he is about 50 years old in human years.
He is like a full-grown dog. So, he might have died soon as the life span of Great Dane is not that good Great Danes lives approximately for about 8-to-10 years, some might live for even 6-7 but some even reach 12.
What is Scooby Doo’s Real Name?
According to many media outlets, Scooby-Doo’s real name isn’t Scoobert Doobert. His name is Scoobert Doo. His last name was however confirmed as Doo in “It’s a Wonderful Scoob,” which was released in 1985 & the “The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo.” Many say that Scooby Doo’s character is named after Frank Sinatra’s cat.
Even to this day kids simply love to watch Scooby-Doo cartoons and movies on television. While kids love the dog ghost catcher, adults still wonder about the type of breed Scooby-Doo actually is in real life.
