Fried Chicken or Puppy? 5 Dog Breeds That Look Like Fried Chicken Photos

Some dogs are so stinking cute that they remind you of a tiny teddy bear; some look fierce and resemble their distant cousin, the wolf, and others make you hungry. 

That’s right. There are dog breeds out there that have the perfect color and texture of fur that look like one of America’s favorite comfort foods—fried chicken. When you bring everything together, photo props and all certain breeds make you go, “Fried chicken or puppy?”

Keep reading to learn more about the right color, photo props, breed, and other factors to consider if you want your own little drumstick. 

What Makes a Dog Resemble Fried Chicken?

So, before we dive into which breeds look like chicken, let’s examine the “why.” There are specific characteristics that they all share, which contribute to that crispy (or original recipe) look that’s so cute and funny. 

Color

Beginning with the color, it’s arguably the more important of the two, as chicken has to be some variation of brown, reddish brown, or orangish brown. 

You can’t have a litter of gray dogs and get the same effect, right? So, this one’s pretty self-explanatory. Fried chicken is a hue of brown, so the dogs on our list have that coat color. 

Now, you can get specific, as not all shades of brown will work here; for example, you don’t want a chocolate brown dog, as now you’re crossing over from crispy to burnt! 

That said, if it’s too light, the “chicken” seems undercooked. There’s a balance between overly dark and overly light that gives you crisp perfection. Usually, those are your reddish brown dogs, which one might also refer to as apricot. 

Hair Texture

Having curly hair is critical if you want your dog to have that “fried chicken or puppy” moment when people look at photos of your furry friend(s). The curls resemble how the chicken skin looks when you’ve drenched it in the egg wash and flour batter afterward. 

When the dog’s fur is smoother, it might look like baked chicken, which is also cool but not what we’re going for. Tight curls work best because they look like ridges from afar.

Fried Chicken or Puppy? 5 Dog Breeds That’ll Trick You

While there are more than just these selections that could pass for the crispy delight, these options are the best to choose from. Without further ado, here are our top five dog breeds that look like fried chicken:

1. Poodle

It only makes sense to start with the breed that makes it possible—the Poodle. You can get a Poodle in multiple colors, but you’ll want to find one that is the apricot color we mentioned or medium to light brown. These dogs have curly coats that often look fluffy, and they come in various sizes as well. 

You can get a Toy Poodle, Miniature or Standard size, and you’ll be thinking of delicious fried chicken all the same. 

While you don’t have to get a Poodle if you like the idea of a fried chicken puppy, you’ll notice as the list progresses that the Poodle is the most crucial factor when finding a breed that matches our description.  

2. Labradoodle

Starting with the breed that makes it possible, we now arrive at the dog that looks most like fried chicken—the Labradoodle. It is a mix of a Labrador Retriever and a Poodle. 

There’s a photo floating around the internet called “Labradoodle or Fried Chicken?” and if you didn’t know any better, you’d swear you were looking at little baskets of perfectly fried chicken. Their curls are so defined that it looks just like you took them from a bucket of extra crispy chicken from your favorite restaurant. 

3. Irish Doodle

The Irish Doodle is another breed that looks like a piece of fried chicken. This breed is a hybrid combination of a Poodle and an Irish Setter, hence the name “Irish Doodle.” These dogs resemble fried chicken primarily because of the colors that the Irish Setter brings to the table.

Irish Setters are breeds endowed with red coats, a perfect color for fried chicken. When you combine the Irish Setters’ color with the Poodle parent’s curly hair, you get puppies that resemble perfectly fried chicken. 

Consequently, you end up with a pup with a thick coat of curly ringlets that can be cream, red, brown, or apricot. Remember that their coats can be curly or wavy, but the tighter the curls, the better.

4. Poochon

The Poochon is a mixed breed dog that consists of the Bichon Frise and the Poodle. Interestingly, the Poochon inherits the curly hair trait from both parent dogs. Consequently, Poochons have a great chance of looking like fried chicken.

This Poodle mix typically makes puppies cream, tan, and apricot in color. When you consider their curly coats in conjunction with their potential colors, someone could easily do a double take at one of your pictures, thinking it’s fried chicken instead. 

However, since the fur color of a Bichon Frise is white, your Poochon depends on the Poodle parent tremendously for their color. To maximize your chances of your pup looking like fried chicken, search for a puppy whose parent Poodle is a darker color.

5. Cockapoo

Another dog that looks like a crispy piece of fried chicken is the Cockapoo—a Cocker Spaniel and Poodle mix. Thanks to the Cockapoo’s common brown shade, this pooch will have a great chance of looking like everyone’s favorite fried food.

The wavy coat accentuates the dog’s coat, making the coat resemble the crispy skin of some fried chicken. The Cockapoo has an assortment of colors, including black, chocolate, apricot, red, white, and golden. 

Additionally, there are other patterns such as phantom, parti, tricolor, and merle. However, if you’re looking for a pup that looks like a bucket of chicken, go for the golds, browns, or reds. 

Choosing the Right Background

If you want your dog to look like a particular food item, don’t ignore the background; it can be the difference maker. For example, your Labradoodle simply lying or sitting on the couch or floor may not take the shape of fried chicken, so you may have to improvise.

The best way to make your litter of Labradoodle pups resemble fried chicken is to have them stand on the floor or some kind of grate. It may give people the impression of fried chicken cooking on a grill at first glance.

Or, you might try purchasing a round white blanket and placing all your newborn pups strategically. It’ll look like a plate of crispy fried chicken ready to take to the table. Of course, you won’t actually do that, but it’s a great idea for a fun pet blog. 

Conclusion 

Perhaps you’re surprised to learn that so many dog breeds look like fried chicken. The common traits among these breeds are their curly and reddish-brown fur. Lastly, the Poodle lineage is the final component that these breeds have in common.

Because Poodles pass that curly hair trait, they make up the bulk of fried chicken dog breeds. When you combine this curly trait with the distinct coloring of the other dog breeds, you create a litter of puppies that look just like fried chicken.