Because when he was introduced Pluto was a bloodhound, and because he has since shown his extraordinary ability to sniff out all matter of things, though he is now classified as a mixed-breed pup, the bloodhound is surely in the mix. Pluto's exceptional sense of smell is seen in several storylines and gags.
But, while neither Disney nor Farmer identifies a specific breed, one consensus answer is more widely accepted than all the others among Disney fans and dog breed experts. Goofy is a black and tan coonhound.
For one of the world's most famous dogs, Pluto started out with a dizzying variety of identities. After The Chain Gang, Pluto popped up in his rightful role as household pet in The Picnic (1930)—but he was named Rover and belonged not to Mickey but to Minnie.
Dinah replaced Fifi the Peke as Pluto's girlfriend in the later Disney cartoons. She appears as Pluto's girlfriend although she sometimes dates Butch the Bulldog as well.
Bluey, the anthropomorphic titular character of (alleged) children's show Bluey, is an Australian cattle dog. She's part of an entire family of cattle dogs—hence the last name of Heeler—and the hit Australian show portrays the breed accurately: energetic, curious, and quite intelligent.
The Moose Hunt, which came out on May 3, 1931, Pluto appeared as Mickey's pet, and was given the name "Pluto". Several months had passed between the naming of what was then classified as the ninth planet, Pluto, on May 1, 1930, and the attachment of that name to the dog character.
Clifford is a Giant Vizsla. Although Clifford is over 10 feet tall and weighs A LOT (we don't know exactly how much because he broke the scale!), the average Vizsla is only about 2 feet tall and between 45 and 65 pounds.
Courage is the title character and protagonist of the series. An overly frightened pink beagle who lives in Nowhere, Kansas. Courage was abandoned as a puppy after his parents were sent into outer space, but was adopted by Muriel Bagge. Her husband Eustace regularly mistreats him.
The original Pete (sired by "Tudor's Black Jack") was a UKC registered American Staffordshire Terrier named "Pal, the Wonder Dog", and had a natural ring almost completely around his left eye; dye was used to finish it off.
Disney's Pluto is not related to the dwarf planet Pluto, but is instead a faithful pup belonging to Mickey Mouse. He has been featured in Disney films, shorts and a variety of other media since 1930, and is an important character in the Walt Disney Company's Sensational Six.
In his 1950s cartoons, he usually played a character called George G. Geef. Sources from the Goof Troop continuity give the character's full name as G. G. "Goofy" Goof, likely in reference to the 1950s name. In many other sources, both animated and comics, the surname Goof continues to be used.
Despite their appearances to the audience, they are all people in their cartoon world. Only the audience sees them as looking like animals. Pluto, however, is an actual dog, which is why he can't talk."
As charming in life as in film, Dalmatians go from gallant to goofy to gallant again in the blink of an eye. They love to be a part of everything their family does. That said, they have high energy levels and need plenty of exercise.
Bolt's breed is never mentioned in the film. Joe Moshier, Bolt's main character designer, has indicated that Bolt is loosely based on a white German Shepherd puppy the animation team studied during the character's early design phase, but was never intended to be any one specific breed.
In truth, bully breeds are goofy, loyal, lovey dogs, by and large fantastic with children.
Scooby Doo is a Great Dane, one of the biggest dog breeds. The character was created by Iwao Takamoto, animator at Hanna-Barbera Productions. Takamoto studied the breed when developing the character, but took plenty of liberties for the fictional series.
The show has never shown how Courage got a hole in his tooth, but many believe it may be from bad hygiene.
This Friday marks the release of the Warner Brothers/MGM film, Max, which follows a Belgian Malinois who works as a military dog.
The English Mastiff is officially the world's biggest dog breed, weighing as much as 200 pounds. According to the Guinness Book of Records, an English Mastiff dog called Zorba weighed in at 142.7kg and stood 27 inches high in 1981. Impressive!
Mac(short for Machiavelli) is a blue Greyhound. In almost all Clifford episodes he is friends with Cleo, Clifford, and T-Bone, but in the episode "False Friends", he wasn't their friend (he was taking advantage of Cleo upon hearing she just got a new playground). His doghouse is full of prizes and awards.
Clifford's pet owner is Emily Elizabeth. Clifford has a mother, two brothers, and two sisters, all of whom are normal-sized dogs. Clifford was originally the runt of the litter, seemingly fated to be small and sick, but grew to an enormous size apparently due to Emily Elizabeth's love and care.
The playful, uninhibited nature of dogs generally reflects the fact that dogs have more or less juvenile minds. We have specifically bred them not to fully mature but to maintain a mind that is very similar to those of their wolf puppy forebears for their entire lives.
Goofy belongs to the Canis sapiens species. Pluto is just a regular canis. In the Disney cartoon universe, Goofy is not a dog. He is a person who is drawn to resemble a dog, just as Mickey Mouse is a person who is drawn to resemble a mouse and Donald Duck is a person who is drawn to resemble a duck.
Pluto is a rescue dog in the frozen north. But when he tangles with a baby seal, it turns out that he is the one who needs to be rescued.