Scooby-Doo is a Great Dane, the breed that inspired his creation and character design. Although Scooby exhibits some exaggerated and unique traits for comedic and storytelling purposes-such as a sloped back, oversized paws, a prehensile tail, and finger-like front paws with opposable thumbs-his core breed identity is that of a Great Dane

. Great Danes are known for their large size, gentle nature, and affectionate personality, which aligns with Scooby's lovable and loyal character. However, unlike the typically elegant and composed real Great Dane, Scooby is portrayed as clumsy, scaredy-cat, and goofy, which adds to his charm and humor

. In summary, Scooby-Doo is a stylized and cartoonish Great Dane, designed to be a lovable, somewhat cowardly, but ultimately brave and loyal companion to Shaggy and the Mystery Inc. gang