HOME / ENTERTAINMENT / TV

What kind of dog is Scooby-Doo? Facts and myths explored as Netflix drops first look at live-action series

The latest actor to play Scooby-Doo has been revealed and it has left the internet with more questions

Scooby Doo is one of the most popular dogs in the world. Recently, Netflix shocked everyone when it cast a real pup as Scooby Doo in its adaptation titled 'Scooby Doo: Origins.' In the past, Scooby Doo was either presented as an animation or in CGI. This time, a living, breathing individual will take over the part. The update set the internet on fire, with many arguing about the character's breed. As per official sources, Scooby Doo is a Great Dane. There was actually a specific reason why the creators categorized Scooby Doo as that particular breed.

It is well-known that Mystery Inc. mainly deals with supernatural mysteries, essentially cases that appear to be supernatural on the surface. Dogster claims that Great Danes are known in popular culture for warding off evil spirits. Hence, a Great Dane seems like a perfect fit for the group facing off against supernatural forces. Scooby Doo as a character, though, does not fit the description at all. In most versions, he has been portrayed as a 'scaredy-cat' who runs in the opposite direction with Shaggy whenever trouble comes close. There are a few and far-between moments of bravery when he stands up against the unknown for the sake of his close ones. 

As per a Redditor on r/Scoobydoo, Scooby Doo's contrasting personality with respect to his breed was intentional. Designer Iwao Takamoto apparently confessed that not only personality-wise but several physical traits in Scooby Doo were also unlike a Great Dane to make him more goofy. He had bandy legs, a sloppy back, spots, and showed little to no elegance at all. All of these traits are an abhorrence to a Great Dane. Their presence in Scooby highlights an important theme of the franchise as a whole: 'everything is not always what it seems.'

In the Netflix adaptation, the character will be played by a real-life pup. The character has mostly appeared in his adult form; however, there are two popular installments where the Mystery Inc. member has been portrayed as a pup. In these installments- 'A Pup Named Scooby-Doo' and 'Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated, the animators kept Scooby's typical color theme, which is light brown with black spots. The fans thought that if Scoob ever took the 'real' route, the pup would look the same as in the show. But that did not turn out to be the case. It is a brown pup, but its color is a bit duller than that of the animated counterparts. He is seen wandering through the wilderness before falling into the arms of his best friend, Shaggy, in the new footage.

Furthermore, its size and Netflix not mentioning the pup's breed led the fandom to speculate that a non-Great Dane has been cast in the role.  Social media came to the pup's defence, claiming that the actor was indeed a Chocolate Great Dane. As mentioned in the newly released footage, Scooby Doo will be unleashed in 2027, and this mystery will also be resolved in due time.