What Kind Of Dog Is Goofy?

What Kind Of Dog Is Goofy?

There are a lot of famous dogs in animation. For decades, we’ve seen shows feature canines in their lovable casts of characters. One dog stood against the test of time and has been popular from the 1930s until now. This dog, my dear readers, is no other than Goofy.

Goofy is one of the most iconic Disney characters in all of history. Goofy, Mickey Mouse, and Donald Duck are the most recognizable trio in animation and have been an important part of every generation’s childhood. Goofy himself has been featured in numerous shows, both on the large and small screen. But while this dog is known by everyone, one thing that remains a question is what kind of dog is Goofy?

And, to be honest, when we sat down and thought about it, our first reaction was “We don’t know!”

The History of Goofy

To understand what Goofy is, we need to first understand who Goofy is.

Goofy wasn’t originally named Goofy. He wasn’t even meant to be that young, clumsy, loveable dog that we knew of. Goofy’s origin dates back to 1932. He first appeared on a short called Mickey’s Revue, but under the name of ‘Dippy Dawg.’ This old-looking, glasses-wearing, pantless dog was soon revamped, and in the following years, became the dog that we know and love today.

Goofy will, later on, be featured in different cartoons, sometimes being the main focus of the shorts. He also has made appearances in different films, including a spin-off where he has a son named Max. He is also featured in the game Kingdom Hearts as a playable character. Overall, Goofy is a famous dog character that has been on many media, and yet somehow, throughout his life, his breed was never once mentioned canonically, and fans wonder why.

So Is Goofy Really A Dog? Or Some Other Animal?

There have been numerous theories about Goofy’s breed. Some have claimed that he is a Black and Tan Coonhound, another says he might be a Beagle. But while on the search on the mystifying nature of Goofy’s breed, we have uncovered an eyebrow-raising, possibly childhood-ruining theory.

What if Goofy is not a dog, but a cow!

This theory, according to Reel Rundown, basically says that Goofy might not be a dog but is actually a part of the bovine family, and Disney had to cover this up because of the political climate during the 1930s. A huge proof about this comes from the early appearance of Goofy (having flat teeth as opposed to sharp, canine ones) and the fact that he is in an on-and-off relationship with Clarabelle the Cow.

The theory is honestly outlandish, yet people believed it and had touted it as a truth. But the myth-busting team on Snopes claims that this is nothing more than false. Even if you don’t read through the whole article, it is pretty clear that, first and foremost, Goofy’s appearance, especially in later iterations, looks less like a cow and more of a dog. Not to mention, Clarabelle had a relationship with another character named Horace, who is a horse, so interspecies relationship is not something unheard of in the Disney Universe.

The Possible Truth (and Dog Breed) of Goofy

Remember when we mentioned how Goofy might be a Coonhound? Well, that theory might be inspired by the answer of Dr. Colburn, a veterinarian, who tried to answer what breed Goofy might be. He theorized that Goofy is a Hound Mix with human characteristics.

This conclusion came about after examining the appearance, personality, and size of both Hounds and Goofy. Appearance-wise, Goofy shares the long droopy ears and color with the Black and Tan Coonhound. Behavior, sadly, does not match well with Goofy, but the size definitely does as both Goofy and Hound dogs are big canines.

Dr. Colburn concludes that Goofy can be a mix of a Black and Tan Coonhound and Bloodhound. He even mentions that Goofy is far from being a cow. But then again, this is all just speculations from a vet who isn’t even working for Disney.

At the End of The Day : It doesn’t really bother us what type of dog is Goofy

What do you expect from a company that has a talking, magical mouse, a cow dating a horse, and a duck worth one multiplujillion, nine obsquatumatillion, six hundred twenty-three dollars, and sixty-two cents? Disney is not really known for its realistic depiction of animals. Goofy, at the end of the day, is simply an anthropomorphic dog. He does not have any real-life counterparts. And you know what? That’s okay! It’s kind of what keeps the magic of Disney alive. Besides, it’s not like we can ask Walt Disney about it, so let’s just keep things as simple as that.