For a show about a family of talking dogs, Bluey‘s best episodes sure know how to sink their teeth into the emotional jugular, stirring up big feelings in children and adults alike. But in between children’s cartoon-induced crying jags, fans of the series have alighted upon another reason to love Bluey: the long dog.
What is a Long Dog?
It’s not a fairground food. It’s not something you need to adjust parental controls to find. It’s a running Easter Egg in the series.
In every episode of Bluey, the animators include a stuffed wiener dog in the background of a particular scene. It’s similar to the little waving snail that appears in every episode of Adventure Time. You might not see him on the first watch, but he’s there. The long dog is the same. He stands in the back of the frame, ever vigilant of the episode’s action even through his closed eyes. His facial expression is sphinx-like. What do his frowningly serene features mean? Is he upset that he is not given a moment in the spotlight? Or is he instead focusing inward in calm mediation, content with his place on the sidelines?
Perhaps the long dog is, like many of us, simply waiting to be found. To be considered. To be loved. While we may never know the answer, we can find joy in the search for him again and again. And maybe that’s just how the long dog wants it to be.
(Featured Image: Disney)
