Peanuts is a wildly popular comic strip that is home to a plethora of instantly recognizable and well-loved characters. Who doesn’t love the awkward and deeply sensitive Charlie Brown or Linus and Lucy, the siblings who can’t stop getting on each other’s nerves? But there’s one character who is perhaps more cherished than any other Peanuts character, and that’s Snoopy.

Snoopy is one of the most iconic characters in the history of comics, but what is he? Is Snoopy a dog? Peppermint Patty does refer to him as a “funny-looking kid with a big nose” sometimes. As it turns out, Snoopy indeed is a dog, and according to the official Peanuts website, he is a Beagle! Read on to learn more.

Who Is Snoopy?

Snoopy is an anthropomorphic Beagle character in the Peanuts comic strip and subsequent films and television shows. He is based on a dog named Spike that the Peanuts creator (Charles Schultz) had when he was a boy. Spike wasn’t a Beagle, however, but a black-and-white Pointer.

Snoopy first appeared in Peanuts on October 4, 1950, two days after the first strip debuted. Along with Charlie Brown, Shermy, and Patty, Snoopy is one of the four original comic strip characters.

He’s a very strong character with an extraordinary inner life. He retreats to the roof of his doghouse and daydreams himself into his fanciful world to survive what would otherwise be a dull and miserable existence. In his imaginary fantasy life, Snoopy is an author, a college student, and a flying ace in World War I.

He can be selfish, lazy, and not-so-nice to his owner, Charlie Brown. He’ll occasionally mock Charlie, and the two get annoyed with one another sometimes, but they’re still very close friends.

Is Snoopy Like a Real Beagle?

At first glance, it might seem as if Snoopy has nothing in common with the real Beagle breed he is modeled after. He spends his days daydreaming about flying a plane in the World War, after all; not something most Beagles likely think twice about. However, when you really get down to it, Snoopy does have quite a fair bit in common with his breed.

Beagles are active and curious dogs. It’s clear to anyone familiar with Peanuts that Snoopy, too, is a pretty active and inquisitive character as he is always off in his world, living his imaginary fantasy lives.

Though Beagles are pretty active, they can be prone to bouts of laziness, too. Even if you’re not a Peanuts fan, you’re likely familiar with the image of Snoopy napping on top of his doghouse. This is one of his favorite and most memorable pastimes.

Most Beagle owners can attest to the fact that their dog loves to eat. This breed seems to have little capacity to regulate its appetite and is prone to obesity. While Snoopy certainly isn’t obese, suppertime is his favorite time of the day. He claims to have a “stomach clock” that alerts him when it’s 6:00 pm when Charlie is supposed to bring out his meal.

Beagles are very loyal companions, and so is Snoopy. Though he and Charlie Brown butt heads once in a while, he’s shown both love and loyalty to Charlie.

Final Thoughts

Snoopy is one of the most instantly recognizable and beloved cartoon dogs. He’s also one of the longest-lived characters, having entertained multiple generations, showing time and time again that he (and the rest of the Peanuts gang) can stand the test of time.

Featured Image Credit By: Property of Peanuts. All rights reserved to the copyright owners.