# What Kind oF Dog Is Brian From "Family Guy" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 2, 2011, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-dog-is-brian-from-family-guy/573133 "2011-03-02T00:33:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-dog-is-brian-from-family-guy/573133/1 "2011-03-02T00:33:47Z")
Seeing as he’s a cartoon he probably isn’t any specific type of dog, other than being describe as a Melan-Collie (melancholy), for comic effect, what breed of dog, in real life looks closest to Brian? ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-dog-is-brian-from-family-guy/573133/2 "2011-03-02T00:36:22Z")
He looks sorta like Snoopy, but with smaller ears. Not that that necessarily helps. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-dog-is-brian-from-family-guy/573133/3 "2011-03-02T00:38:11Z")
Mutt. ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-dog-is-brian-from-family-guy/573133/4 "2011-03-02T00:49:25Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > He looks sorta like Snoopy, but with smaller ears. Not that that necessarily helps. That helps. It makes him a beagle. ETA: Unless ‘smug asshole’ is a recognized breed. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-dog-is-brian-from-family-guy/573133/5 "2011-03-02T01:17:28Z")
Except big floppy ears are one of a beagle’s defining features, so taking that away pushes him back towards “generic dog”. ---
**Author:** ![awldune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@awldune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/awldune)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-dog-is-brian-from-family-guy/573133/6 "2011-03-02T01:18:14Z")
Bull terrier? [http://my-doggy.com/images/articles/Bull-Terrier.jpg](http://my-doggy.com/images/articles/Bull-Terrier.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-dog-is-brian-from-family-guy/573133/7 "2011-03-02T01:28:58Z")
Mongrel. ---
**Author:** ![Acid\_Lamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Acid\_Lamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acid_Lamp)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-dog-is-brian-from-family-guy/573133/8 "2011-03-02T01:34:35Z")
Jack russel. ---
**Author:** ![B.Serum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/b.serum/32/14266_2.png) [@B.Serum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/B.Serum)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-dog-is-brian-from-family-guy/573133/9 "2011-03-02T01:35:07Z")
Racist. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-dog-is-brian-from-family-guy/573133/10 "2011-03-02T01:45:41Z")
Booze hound. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-dog-is-brian-from-family-guy/573133/11 "2011-03-02T01:48:12Z")
A talking dog. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-dog-is-brian-from-family-guy/573133/12 "2011-03-02T01:50:14Z")
_Canis lupus sapiens._ ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-dog-is-brian-from-family-guy/573133/13 "2011-03-02T01:51:23Z")
The animated kind. I could swear one one of his benders of self-discovery he mentioned being a mutt. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-dog-is-brian-from-family-guy/573133/14 "2011-03-02T02:00:07Z")
There’s a [wiki](http://familyguy.wikia.com/wiki/Brian_Griffin) that says he’s a “white labrador.” ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-dog-is-brian-from-family-guy/573133/15 "2011-03-02T02:08:47Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > A talking dog. Damn you & such! MY answer! MINE! You shall **rue** the day you trifled with me! Well? Start rueing! ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-dog-is-brian-from-family-guy/573133/16 "2011-03-02T02:47:08Z")
In an episode (IIRC the one where he and Stewie travel the multiverse), they show a live action version of him. It looked like a yellow Labrador. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-dog-is-brian-from-family-guy/573133/17 "2011-03-02T03:19:25Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > In an episode (IIRC the one where he and Stewie travel the multiverse), they show a live action version of him. It looked like a yellow Labrador. [Here](http://squareeyes.blinkx.com/2009/09/family-guy-the-cleveland-show-premiere-big/) is a pic from that sequence. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-dog-is-brian-from-family-guy/573133/18 "2011-03-02T03:28:25Z")
It’s unlikely he’s a mutt, since he came from a puppy mill. They only really make money by cranking out “pure” breds. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-dog-is-brian-from-family-guy/573133/19 "2011-03-02T03:43:49Z")
Horn ---
**Author:** ![TravisFromOR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cc9497/32.png) [@TravisFromOR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TravisFromOR)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-dog-is-brian-from-family-guy/573133/20 "2011-03-02T04:53:42Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > It’s unlikely he’s a mutt, since he came from a puppy mill. They only really make money by cranking out “pure” breds. My cousin bought a “mixed breed” in a pet shop. She paid $350 for the thing. :smack: [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-dog-is-brian-from-family-guy/573133.md?page=2)