What Kind Of Dog Is Goofy Supposed To Be

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Goofy, the popular cartoon character created by Walt Disney and the Disney company, is a lanky, tall humanoid dog whose typical outfit is a turtleneck sweater with a vest and patched-up pants and shoes. He also wears white gloves and a blue hat, which some have said looks like a rumpled fedora.

However, even though it’s obvious that Goofy is a dog, it’s hard to say exactly what kind of dog he actually is. In fact, this question has even stumped many trained veterinarians, who have had to take a closer look to find an answer.

Goofy is a Hound mix. While not known with exactness, his breed has been narrowed down to likely being a Black and Tan Coonhound, Bloodhound, or some mix between them.

He also has human characteristics, which makes it harder to make a clear decision. Vets had to analyze various physical traits of this character to come to a decisive conclusion.

But was it really that hard to decide on Goofy’s breed? Well, it looks like it was! We’re going to examine this decision process more closely below, as well as who Goofy is as a character and what is special about the breed of dog he belongs to. Keep reading to get all this information and more!

A few key factors and anatomical features led vets and other experts to the decision that Goofy is, in fact, a Hound mix. Let’s go through each of them to get an idea of how this was decided.

Goofy is a cartoon character created by The Walt Disney Company. He is a tall, anthropomorphic dog who typically wears a turtle neck and vest, with pants, shoes, white gloves, and a tall hat originally designed as a rumpled fedora.
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Goofy
Created by Walt Disney Wilfred Jackson
Designed by Walt Disney Tom Palmer

Is Goofy a Dog or a Cow?

What Kind Of Dog Is Goofy Supposed To Be

Disney is very clear. Mickey is a mouse, Donald is a duck and Pluto most certainly is a dog.

And while Mickey and Donald have human-like qualities, Pluto does not.

Perhaps that is why people think Goofy can’t be a dog and that he must be a cow.

What Kind Of Dog Is Goofy Supposed To Be

I mean, would Disney create two dogs, giving only one human-like quality?

What Kind Of Dog Is Goofy Supposed To Be

The second cause for believing Goofy is a cow comes from his love interest.

Throughout Disney movies & cartoons featuring the loveable character, we are shown that Goofy’s love interest is Clarabelle Cow.

This probably leads people to once again believe that Goofy is a cow.

What Kind Of Dog Is Goofy Supposed To Be

Why do People Think Goofy is a Dog?

If you look into the history of Goofy, you will find that Disney originally created Dippy Dawg back in 1932. You can find him in Mickey’s Revue, sitting beside what appears to be an early version of Clarabelle Cow.

What Kind Of Dog Is Goofy Supposed To Be

Later that same year, Dippy Dawg seems to transform into a younger version renamed Goofy in the cartoon Orphan’s Benefit.

Size

What Kind Of Dog Is Goofy Supposed To Be

Because Goofy is a good-sized dog, we can assume that his breed is also of a large size. This also fits well with the Black and Tan Coonhound and the Bloodhound, fairly large breeds of dogs.

Considering each of his anatomical features, we can see that Goofy is most probably some Hound. Though it’s not terribly clear which kind of Hound he is, it looks like the Black and Tan Coonhound and the Bloodhound are the best fits for him.

FAQ

Is Disney’s Goofy a dog or a cow?

Let’s travel back to the early days of cartoon dogs and meet one of Mickey Mouse’s friends, Goofy. What type of dog is Goofy? Answer: One theory is that Goofy is a Black and Tan Coonhound. Some say he is an “anthropomorphized dog.”

What kind of dog is Pluto supposed to be?

Farmer says “Canis Goofus” is the Latin term to describe Goofy, meaning that Goofy is not simply a dog or a cow. He’s just Goofy. The acclaimed voice actor stars in Disney’s It’s A Dog’s Life, the ongoing Disney+ show, launched in 2020, revolving around dogs across the United States and their important jobs.