If you’ve ever paused your TV at just the right moment and looked in just the right spot, you might have encountered a peculiar sight – the enigmatic “long dogs.” These quirky canine critters are the Bluey Easter eggs that have been delighting both kids and adults and driving them a little bonkers. The phenomenon known as Bluey has held the world in its canine clutches since its humble beginnings back in 2018.
Fast forward to today, and the six-year-old blue heeler’s adventures have now turned five. This means fans have had a solid half-decade of Bluey-bingeing on those delightful 7-minute episodes. You’d think that would be plenty of time to digest every nugget of the show, right? But apparently not, because a hidden treasure hunt has taken social media by storm, and it’s all about those adorable “long dogs.”
The secret was well-guarded initially, with long dogs making their official appearance in episode five of the first season, Daddy Robot. These quirky creatures were like an inside joke among the talented crew at Ludo Studios. Nick Rees, the show’s lead background artist, shared, “All of the background artists took a shine to him, so we started adding him into other backgrounds for the crew to find and enjoy. Originally, it was a bit of fun for the crew. It was always so funny to have animators come up to you and be like ‘I found long dog!’ while they were working on a scene.”
Now, “long dog” aficionados and Bluey “super fans” like Mary Bolling can’t get enough of them. She’s a co-host of the Bluey podcast “Gotta Be Done,” and she’s been hunting long dogs with the best of them. As Mary put it, “Once you see them, you really can’t stop seeing them.”
This little secret society of Bluey enthusiasts is growing. Various “adult fan” social media groups have sprung up to share the locations of these hidden long dogs. Mary explained, “It took a while for people to start noticing, but if you’re immersed in the world around Bluey now, it’s hard to miss. Every Bluey book has a long dog cartoon, and there’s a monthly Bluey magazine where you can find the long dog. So it’s not a secret anymore, but there are still a lot of people still discovering it.”
And there’s a twist: not all long dogs have been unearthed. The official Bluey website and social media channels have spilled the beans on some, but hundreds remain shrouded in mystery. Nick Rees himself hinted at more hidden surprises within Bluey episodes yet to be uncovered. “Oh, there’s more than just long dogs hidden throughout the series,” he said. “There’s a few that I’ve yet to see people spot.”
While finding these hidden gems might require a keen eye and nimble fingers for pause buttons and freeze frames, there’s a simpler way – just Google it on your social media platform of choice. But where’s the fun in that? So, happy hunting, Bluey fans, and may you discover all the long dogs your heart desires!
