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.
Does Snoopy Have the Same Characteristics as Beagles?
Beagles are smart, affectionate, friendly, curious, and an overall happy breed. They are energetic and love children, and Snoopy loves the whole Peanuts gang, which are all children. Beagles have long, floppy ears and are of medium size, like Snoopy. They are scent hound dogs and love to eat, which is why Snoopy does his happy dance when it’s mealtime. All of these characteristics sound like Snoopy, don’t they?
Charles M. Shultz created the famous comic strip Peanuts, which first appeared on October 2, 1950, in seven newspapers nationwide, an impressive feat for a 27-year-old who dreamed of becoming a cartoonist.
Shultz would draw the dog he had growing up named Spike from time to time, and in 1937, he sent a drawing of the dog into Ripley’s Believe It or Not. Subsequently, they ended up running it in Robert Ripley’s syndicated panel, and that was when Snoopy was officially born.
A fun fact: Schultz wanted to name the dog Sniffy, but that name was already taken in another comic strip, leaving him to come up with a different name. He recalled his mother saying at one time that if they ever had another family dog, its name would be Snoopy. The rest is history.
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 that “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 and 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.
What breed is Snoopy?
Most everyone is familiar with the famous dog Snoopy and his funny antics, and if you’re not, good grief! Snoopy appeared in the famous comic strip called Peanuts alongside his owner and best friend, Charlie Brown, and Woodstock, a little yellow bird. Snoopy has characteristics and traits of a Beagle, and low and behold, a Beagle is what people guess him to be.
In this article, we’ll look further into Snoopy and decipher if, in fact, he was supposed to be a Beagle in the famous comic strip.
Yes, Snoopy is a Beagle. Even Lucy, one of the Peanuts characters whom Snoopy loves to irritate, calls him a “stupid Beagle” from time to time. In fact, Charlie Brown admits he’s a Beagle, too, rendering the question answered with a big yes.