What kind of dog was Clifford in the movie?

The trailer for the upcoming Clifford the Big Red Dog movie, starring Jack Whitehall, has sparked a debate on Twitter. Everyone is wondering the same thing: what breed is Clifford?

Fans seem to have mixed opinions.

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Twitter debates Clifford’s breed

Ahead of the movie release, Twitter can’t decide if Clifford is a Labrador, a bloodhound, or anything in between.

In all fairness, he’s the size of a house and he’s red – so it’s pretty hard to tell the breed!

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We just asked Hibs what the biggest dog breed was and she’s asking us what breed Clifford the big red dog is😭😭😭

— ellie (@elliemead_) April 15, 2020

One user tweeted: “I have one question: what breed is Clifford the big red dog?”

Another wrote: “I can’t tell if clifford is a lab?”

Somebody else took to social media to write: “What is Clifford the big red dog meant to be?”

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Clifford the Big Red Dog rendered realistically looks unnerving. It looks like someone spray painted the dog red. Not a fan!!

— John Hurt Solving a Rubik's Cube (@thecorch) June 29, 2021

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Don’t let the sheer size of Clifford the big red dog distract you from the fact that he was also red. Not a naturally occurring coat color for any dog breed

— The archnemesis of Anwar Hadid (@kpeals4) September 30, 2020

According to this source, Clifford actually displays the characteristics of a giant Vizsla. Although, this claim has not been confirmed by the creator.

Other sources suggest that the fictional dog is based on a Labrador – though, again, this has never been confirmed or denied.

However, the initial prototype of Clifford was reportedly based on a bloodhound. Creator Norman Bridwell admitted that he took inspiration from behaviour of a variation of dogs.

Watch the trailer for Clifford the Big Red Dog

If you want to work out Clifford’s breed for yourself, take a look at the first trailer release for the upcoming 2021 movie.

Clifford the Big Red Dog (2021) – Official Trailer – Paramount Pictures

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Clifford the Big Red Dog (2021) – Official Trailer – Paramount Pictures

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The new film sees a fresh take on the children’s classic, casting Jack Whitehall and Darby Camp.

Set in New York City, Camp takes on the role of a middle-school student, Emily Elizabeth, who falls in love with a ‘little’ red puppy.

Reportedly, The film also features Tony Hale, Horatio Sanz, David Alan Grier, and Kenan Thompson.

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When is the 2021 movie released?

Clifford the Big Red Dog is set to release in theaters 17th September in the US and on 24th December in the UK.

Whether you know Clifford, the Big Red Dog through books or movies (or even video games), it is definitely one of the most popular big red dogs of all time. If you’re thinking of contesting that because you thought of Scooby Doo, hold it right there because we said big red dogs.

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Haha, a technicality. Yes.

But after all these years of reading and watching dear Clifford, what do we know about him?

So, What’s the Breed?

Clifford started off nothing like one particular breed because its creator Norman Bridwell said that he wanted this dog to be a mix of all dogs.

But eventually, it became fairly clear that Clifford was a Giant Vizsla. This is a breed that is originally from Hungary and is a hunting dog.

Although Clifford mostly does regular dog things in the stories, he is more than 10 feet tall and is quite heavy. He broke a scale, so that’s a mystery.

If you’re really angling for a number, consider this. An average Viszla is about 45-65 pounds but it is only about two feet in height.

So, let’s not get caught up in the math, okay?

Vizslas, in general, are known to point the prey to their hunting humans and also retrieve the prey whenever required. But some of them also have the ability to stay very close to their humans.

That’s why you see them cling to their humans, but it’s not just a physical thing. These dogs are also extremely loyal and we see in the stories that Clifford was exactly that when it came to Emily.

What Do We Know about Clifford and His Creators?

Clifford’s creator Norman Bridwell, the illustrator, was originally told that he wasn’t going to succeed. He was told that the pictures of the dog did not stand out which meant that his stories would not stand a chance in the market.

But at some point, a critic told him that the pictures needed a story that combined his drawing of a little girl. That changed everything because, within a month, Scholastic Books was on board.

The name Clifford came from Bridwell’s wife’s imaginary friend from when she was a child. The big red dog was almost named Tiny but Mrs. Bridwell thought that was too ordinary.

Many have wondered why this dog is red and Bridwell’s response to that was simply that the drawing table had red paint on it the night he was illustrating.

The stories tell us that Clifford’s parents and siblings were average-sized, but this guy was about 5x times the typical Vizsla size.

We also learn that Clifford has a health problem called acromegaly. That’s a real condition involving the growth hormone, but it’s actually quite rare, especially in puppies.

Is the dog Clifford in the movie a real dog?

The main character in the newly released 'Clifford the Big Red Dog' doesn't actually exist. To bring the dog to life, production turned to two puppeteers and put them in a massive 75-pound canine exoskeleton.

Is Clifford the Big Red Dog a beagle?

He is a beagle. His name derives from Pablo's hobby of reading about superheroes in comic books. Hudson (voiced by Markeda McKay) is Charlie's dog.

What is Clifford the Big Red Dog based off?

Clifford the Big Red Dog was the manifestation of Bridwell's childhood desire for a dog the size of a horse. Bridwell was a struggling commercial artist in New York City, and he hoped to expand his career by making illustrations for children's books.