Scooby Doo is a Great Dane. The character was created by Iwao Takamoto, an animator at Hanna-Barbera Productions, who studied the breed when developing the character but took plenty of liberties for the fictional series. Although Scooby Doo has some unique qualities for a dog, such as his finger-like front paws and his ability to speak English, he shares many characteristics with real Great Danes, such as his size, appearance, and temperament. Great Danes are known for being people pleasers, having big appetites, and being good with kids, which describes Scooby Doo well.