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Last Updated on February 19, 2021
Who is not familiar with the appearance of the Scooby Doo dog. We all have watched it solving mysteries just like that. Eating everything Shaggy would have. But do you know what kind of dog is Scooby Doo? and what is the Scooby Doo dog breed?
Although the character of Scooby Doo is an inspiration from the Great Dane breed. Considering all the traits of the dog, it surely does not resemble a Great Dane completely. However it carries a huge existence and borrows some behavioral traits from the breed. But the fur of Scooby is not even close to any of the acceptable Great Dane coat colors. Which makes many of us propagate that Scooby Doo is not a Great Dane.
So what dog is a Scooby Doo?
In one word, Scooby Doo is a somewhat twisted version of Great Dane. If we look closely we can notice that the dog is at odds with a typical Great Dane. Hence it is not a Great Dane at all.
Here are the words of the man who presented Scooby Doo to the world on Sydney Morning Herald in 1997.
After meeting a show dog Great Dane breeder who was also an employee at the studio. He discussed “what made a prize winning Great Dane?” got aroused by the conversation “and went in the opposite direction” to draw the dog’s character.
So what came out is a rather audacious attempt to draw a boneheaded dog, called Scooby Doo. And fortunately it was received by the world positively. Even today the dog is still winning over kids in some way or another.
Scooby Doo vs Great Dane
As we know Takamoto had a discussion with his coworker on Great Dane breed standards. And then choose the exact opposite of the dog for the Scooby Doo. Thus the established confirmation of a Great Dane is totally different from that of Scooby Doo.
Physical attributes
Considering the Great Dane breed standards as stated by the A.K.C.,
The dog is an embodiment of elegance and balance. It is not a clumsy canine. Neither in temperament nor in physical appearance. Its regal appearance, huge size, well built, and evenly muscled body furnish the dog with a rather sanguine poise.
Whilst the Scooby Doo is quite different. We can find that the dog is mainly misshapen and bearing a distorted version of a Great Dane. It has quite curved leg viz-a-viz straight legs of a Great Dane. The dog has a small chin but not a strong one, a tilted back instead of a straight one. And the coat, almost everyone can point out the contrast in fur between an actual Great Dane and the fictional Scooby Doo. The latter holds a spotted fur on a brown base coat whilst the official Great Dane dogs wear a smooth coat except Harlequin. Its mask is also different from that of a Great Dane.
Temperament
The Great Dane dog does not have to be shy or fearful. Nevertheless it is a friendly and amenable dog yet strong enough to stand on guard. On the other hand we find Scooby Doo standing with a fearful temperament. Whenever there is danger it tries to hide itself. So the dog is not only timid but really a lily livered canine.
Scooby Doo
The scooby doo is a popular character who’s been favorite since its first appearance on tv in 1969 in the show Scooby-Doo, Where Are You. The mind behind the design of Scooby doo was Iwao Takamota. He was then working for Hanna-Barbera Productions. The character was initially referred to as Scoobert.
Scooby Doo Profile
In the early years of designing Scooby Doo, Joe Ruby, the co-designer, could not feel confident about the design. The team was nervous that the studio might face legal penalties by the Marmaduke producers. As the comic strip already presents a Great Dane. To avoid the problem they choose a sheepdog in lieu of a Great Dane.
But the CBS could not agree with the changed dog and after realizing the reason, the producer Joseph Barberra objected and told them to go with the Great Dane.
Name
In the papers the dog Scooby Doo is mentioned under the name Scoobert Doo. Just as Business Insider posted that Scooby Doo’s actual name is not Scoobert Doobert.
The real name of the dog was disclosed finally in “A Pup Named Scooby Doo” in 1988. When the second name was already confirmed in 1985 through the series “The Thirteen Ghosts of Scooby Doo”.
Age and Height
Alluding to the story and live action, the Scooby Doo is 7 years old. There are sundry details which also suggest that the dog is around 7 years old. But if you want to know the dog’s age in human yeast. Then the Scooby Doo is an uncle dog, it is almost 50 years old.
Whereas at the age of 7 years, most of the Great Dane dogs are suffering form old age or some diseases. Due to their short lifespan the dog might die even before 7.
The height of the Scooby Doo can not be settled. There are several versions. However the common impression is that Scooby Doo is somewhere between 39-40 inch at the withers. And if the dog is standing on its rear limbs it carries the height of almost 72 inch.
Conclusion
The Scooby Doo is not a typical Great Dane but an exact opposite of the dog. According to Takamoto he described the dog’s Scooby Doo existence as “I decided to go the opposite (way) and gave him a humpback, bowed legs, small chin and such. Even his color is wrong,”
Whether Scooby Doo is not a Great Dane we all have admired it for the endless adventures it brings on screen for us. And it has not ceased exciting the kids even today. With the present day genre, the reboot story Scoob.
But it can be said for sure that Scooby Doo is a reasonably adept cliched type of common large breed dogs. Its spirited voice, the random noises, and the almost unceasing food craving. And with the superior esteem for Shaggy, the dog can be said to be similar to Great Dane. And then we find the thick body and the level of activity we realize that it can never be a Great Dane.
In case you want to regard Scooby Doo as a Great Dane, here is the Great Dane coat color which seems closest to that of Scooby’s color.