What Kind of Dog is Snoopy? A World-Famous Beagle

Snoopy is a famous dog that appeared in the famous comic strip called Peanuts. And seriously guys, if you’ve never heard of Snoopy, where have you been for the last 70 years? Peanuts is one of the most famous comic strips of all time, with the two main characters being Charlie Brown and his pet dog Snoopy.

Since Snoopy is a curious-looking canine, avid Peanut readers and dog lovers alike have always wondered, what kind of dog is Snoopy?

Well, we set out to set the record straight once and for all, and to get right to it: Charlie Brown’s Dog Snoopy is a Beagle. Let’s stop snooping around and get straight down to the details.

The History of Snoopy

The comic strip Peanuts revolved around a group of young children and a dog, Snoopy. Their day-to-day shenanigans were followed by over 355 million people across 75 different countries and written in 21 languages.

Peanuts was the ingenious creation of Charles Schulz. It debuted on October 2, 1950, and was printed in newspapers every day until the day after Schulz’s death on February 13, 2000. This amounts to a whopping 17,897 comic strips over 50 years. Peanuts is “arguably the longest story told by a single artist in human history.”

Yes, Charlie Brown was the main character, but the star of the show was Snoopy. And to this day, Snoopy is the character that people think of when Peanuts is mentioned. Snoopy first appeared in Peanuts in the third comic, merrily passing by Charlie’s window as he watered his plants. And it was that day the world met one of the most famous dogs in history.

What Kind of Dog Is Snoopy?

Snoopy is a Beagle. When you Google what kind of dog breed Snoopy is, it comes up with Beagle in BIG, bold letters. But, we decided to do a little more digging. Schulz based the Snoopy character on his childhood dog, named Spike. And Spike was not a Beagle. Spike was a Pointer crossed with an unknown hound. This unknown hound was probably a Beagle because he looked a lot like a Beagle.

In the comic strips, Charlie Brown and Snoopy often discuss the Beagle dog breed. In one of the comics, Snoopy states that he cannot play as much as he would like because he “can never find twenty-one other Beagles.”

These discussions throughout the comics are why everyone thinks that he is a Beagle.

Snoopy vs. Beagle Comparison

So, is Snoopy a Beagle? Or is he a Pointer cross? Well, because Snoopy himself states that he is a Beagle, we believe him. To delve a bit deeper into the matter, let’s take a look at whether Snoopy is anything like the Beagle breed.

Appearance

Beagles have long and droopy ears, with big round eyes and a fleshy square nose. They have a short coat that sports the traditional hunting dog colors—usually black, tan, and white. Snoopy could be a Beagle, but there are some major differences. The most obvious is that Snoopy is black and white, with no brown to be seen.

Many people assume this means that Snoopy can’t be a Beagle. But, according to the American Kennel Club (AKC), black and white Beagles exist. However, they are much rarer than the traditional tri-color. If you look at a picture of Schulz with his pet dog Spike, it’s easy to see the resemblance between him and a black and white Beagle.

Snoopy is a bit distorted and doesn’t entirely resemble the shape of the Beagle. But, according to sources, there is a reason why he is misshapen. Schulz was a gifted illustrator who wanted to make his readers feel that they were in his comic strip—just another friend inside the Peanuts gang.

Schulz always drew Snoopy from the angle that a child would see him, which is why his face is larger and rounder. And when he smiles, it’s as if you are looking at him from under his jaw, which is the angle that a child would look at him. Snoopy’s ears are black too, much like the darker-colored ears of a Beagle.

Personality

So, his looks aren’t that clear-cut. But what about his personality? The AKC describes the Beagle breed as friendly, curious, and merry. Is this anything like Snoopy? Snoopy is a funny and happy character, which is why we fell in love with him from the start. He keeps us entertained with his musical talents, much like a Beagle does with his howling while playing the piano.

Snoopy is friendly and loving. A big theme in the Peanuts comic was that he was always trying to win the affection of his gang, by giving them ‘smacks’, also known as kisses, to cheer them up.

Snoopy loves to eat, and when he does, he celebrates mealtime with a happy dance. Snoopy once said, “one of the great joys in life is scarfing junk food.” This is a Beagle trait, and they are forever on the hunt for food. So much so that they can quickly become overweight if you let them.

Snoopy is curious and energetic; forever keeping up with the active children in the comic, and always imagining the next game to play. This is a lot like the Beagle, who needs at least 60 minutes of exercise every day. Snoopy also has a lazy side too, and one of his favorite places to be is on top of his kennel, snoozing the day away. Snoopy is also a loyal companion to his friend Charlie Brown. This is a lot like the Beagle breed, who is a faithful colleague of his hunting master. Snoopy also has a best friend called Woodstock, who he adores.

Snoopy likes the finer things in life and loves to be comfy. Which is why he is forever trying to steal Linus’s blanket in the Peanuts series. He can also be a bit stubborn, a lot like Beagles too.

Is Snoopy a Beagle?

We think that it’s safe to say that Snoopy is the perfect Beagle resemblance when it comes to his personality.

Yes, his Beagle appearance is questionable. But with that being said, have you seen any dogs that look precisely like Snoopy? Schulz drew Snoopy in his illustrative style, and from a child’s perspective, which is why he is quirky-looking. But, Beagles are round and chubby, just like Snoopy. Beagles have prominent noses, just like Snoopy. And they have dark-colored ears, just like Snoopy. We think out of all the dog breeds out there, Snoopy looks like a Beagle for sure.

Still, there are many people out there who think Snoopy can’t be a Beagle, and the choice is yours to make. But one thing is for certain, Snoopy thinks of himself as a Beagle, and for that reason, so do we.

Are There Any Real-Life Snoopys Out There?

Yes, there are many dogs out there that look like Snoopy. When searching on Instagram for “black and white Beagles”, there are over 1,000 hashtags. One of our favorites is Ellie the Black and White Beagle. She is an ex-lab dog who is now learning to love life just like Snoopy does.

There is also Otis the Sheepadoodle, and while we know he isn’t a Beagle breed, his momma thinks he looks like Snoopy.

How Tall is Snoopy?

No one knows the exact measurement of Snoopy. But a bunch of intelligent people have worked it out for us. Charlie Brown is around 8 years old, and the average height of an 8-year-old boy is 128cm. From looking at the comic strips, Snoopy is 5/9ths of his height, making him 41 cm tall.

Beagles are usually 13 to 15 inches tall, and 41cm is 16 inches tall. So, Snoopy is about the right height to be a Beagle.

How Old Is Snoopy?

Snoopy’s birthday was acknowledged in a comic strip as being August 10. Snoopy’s first appearance was in October 1950. This means that in the last published strip, Snoopy would have been around 50 years old. If you go by the 7 years per human year rule, Snoopy was 350 years of age and still going. If only our beloved Beagle friends could live that long!

Fun Facts About Snoopy

• Snoopy is the most famous Beagle in the world.
• Schulz originally wanted to call his dog character Sniffy, but this name was already taken. He remembers that his mum used to say that if they ever got another dog, they would call it Snoopy, and the rest is history.
• Snoopy had seven brothers and sisters.
• Snoopy has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
• Snoopy is NASA’s official safety mascot.

Conclusion

It’s safe to say that after a little digging, the question of “what kind of dog is Snoopy” can be answered simply: Snoopy is a Beagle through and through. At one of his surprise birthday parties, he said, “Well, I’ll be a brown-eyed Beagle.”

So, to once and for all settle the question: what kind of dog is Snoopy? Snoopy is a Beagle! And an adorable one at that.

See Also:

• 6 DIY Snoopy Dog House Plans You Can Build Today (With Pictures)
• What Kind of Dog Is Scooby-Doo? Not Just a Great Dane!

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Featured Image Credit: Characters by  Peanuts Worldwide LLC.  All rights reserved to the copyright owners.