I HAVE to bring this argument to Tumblr. Bit of a yap incoming.
So, I’m a dog nerd (I’m a dog groomer, I frequent dog shows, I have purebred/well bred dogs of my own, etc) and I was scrolling the chapter 3 tag (so a bunch of DogDay fan art), and it got me thinking, what breed of dog is DogDay anyway? So I looked it up, and the wiki says that he could be inspired off an American Cocker Spainel, but I wouldn’t be making this post if I agreed with that.
In my rather professional opinion, he looks very beagle like, especially in his in game designs (both the mini critters and his bigger body). Now I present my evidence as to why I think he’s a beagle, and why maybe just maybe I could see why he’s possibly a cocker spaniel.
Why I think he’s probably a beagle:
•Ear shape; beagles have medium-long length triangular ear shape that comes to about to their jaw, and when compared to their snout, should almost reach their nose, but stop just short of it. American cocker spaniels ears are lower set, lining up with the eyes, rounder, and should extend to the nose. DogDay’s ears are higher, more pointed, and slightly shorter, much closer to the beagle standard.
•Coloration; While technically DogDay’s coloration (in reference to his markings and not the fact he is bright orange) is in standard and would be accepted in an American cocker spaniel, it is far less common. The white on his face and belly definitely give more beagle to me.
•Coat; Cocker spaniels have a naturally long, fluffy coat that grows straight down (called a long double coat and a drop coat respectively), while beagles have a much shorter double coat that grows back instead of down. DogDay clearly does not have a very long coat, even in his mini critter version where it would be much easier to depict. Although he could be completely shaved down, including his topknot/face, but it just seems odd to depict a cocker in such a short, informal fashion.
•Tail; American cocker spaniels typically have their tails docked (as it’s in their breed standard), while DogDay’s tail is obviously not. Cockers are born with tails, so it’s not impossible for him to have a tail, but cockers during this time were still commonly depicted with docked tails (I.e Lady from Lady and the Tramp) as it was a less controversial practice.
•Personality; The biggest thing to me is his personality. American Cocker Spaniels are actually pretty similar to beagles in temperament. They’re both good with people, high energy, and eager to please, but cocker spaniels are a bit more laid back and easier to handle. Beagles on the other hand are louder, don’t have as much of an off switch, and are much more stubborn when they have goals in mind, they’re also much more forgiving (hence why they are used in animal experimentation). DogDay is a strong willed leader, and seems to have the forgiving-ness of a beagle.
•Trends; DogDay (/The Smiling Critters) were created in 1989, about a year after the Snoopy Musical came out, which depicts the worlds most famous beagle. There had been cocker spaniels in media in the past (again, Lady and the Tramp), but nothing really recent for them to capitalize off of it. I will say though, the American cocker spaniel was the most popular dog breed in 1989, so the argument that beagles were popular at the time could definitely be shot down.
Now as to why I could maybe see him being a cocker spaniel.
•Trends; as I just stated, the American cocker spaniel was the top rated dog throughout the 80s. Everyone was familiar with the breed.
•Cartoon; in his offical art/the cartoon, his ears do seem to be a bit rounder and longer, closer to that of a cocker, but this did not translate over well to the mini critters or his bigger body.
•Field ENGLISH cocker spaniels; Field English cocker spaniels are a bit more outgoing and high drive than a show line or working line American cocker spaniel. They also have shorter coats and ears that are more pointed like DogDay’s, but they are a completely separate breed from the American cocker spaniel.
In conclusion, this was all for fun in the end. Whatever you think DogDay is, is (probably) totally valid since we don’t actually know. I just got super passionate about this since it’s two of my special interests. I would love to hear what you guys think he is as well! Whether that’s a cocker spaniel, beagle, or something else entirely! I’m clearly super passionate about the topic.
Image 1: DogDay’s Bigger Body
Image 2: DogDay mini critter
Image 3: Beagle
Image 4: American cocker spaniel (natural tail, shorter coat)
Image 5: Working line English cocker spaniel
Sources: AKC (Cocker Spaniel and Beagle information pages), NKC (Beagle information page), my own knowledge :).
What breed do you think DogDay is?
Beagle
American Cocker Spaniel
Other (Comment, I would love to hear it!)
