If you pause the telly at just the right moment and look in just the right spot, you’ll see one.
They’re called “long dogs”, and they’re the Bluey Easter eggs driving adults and kids crazy.
The phenomenon that is Bluey has captured the hearts and minds of adults and kids alike across the globe since its humble beginnings in 2018.
This month, the story of the inexhaustible six-year-old blue heeler dog turns five, meaning fans and addicts alike have had half-a-decade to Bluey-binge the seven-minute episodes.
Which is plenty of time to devour and analyse every aspect of the show, right?
Apparently not.
Secret’s out
The art of finding the hidden long dogs has recently taken social media by storm, much to the delight of the show’s lead background artist, Nick Rees.
“We love that Bluey fans love long dog as much as we do. It feels like a shared little nod once you find him,” Mr Rees says.
The first official appearance of a long dog came in episode five of the first season, Daddy Robot.
It was initially something just for the inner sanctum at Ludo Studios.
“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,” Mr Rees says.
“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.”
Super fans unite
Mary Bolling is a self-described Bluey “super fan” and co-host of the Bluey podcast “Gotta Be Done”.
She’s also a long dog aficionado.
“Once you see them you really can’t stop seeing them,” she says.
It may have taken a while, but adult Bluey fans are slowly becoming obsessed with finding these hidden motifs.
Various “adult fan” social media groups have been created to share the locations of the hidden long dogs.
“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,” Ms Bolling says.
“Every Bluey book has a long dog cartoon, and there’s a monthly Bluey magazine where can find the long dog. I think in one of the recent magazines, you could even make the long dog.
“So it’s not a secret anymore, but there are still a lot of people still discovering it.”
The official Bluey website and social media channels have released the locations of a select few hidden dogs.
However, hundreds remain waiting for eagle-eyed detectives.
And Mr Rees hinted that there were still a few hidden surprises within Bluey episodes that have yet to be spotted.
“Oh, there’s more than just long dogs hidden throughout the series,” he says.
“There’s a few that I’ve yet to see people spot.”
While some of the hidden long dogs can be hard to find without steady hands and a good freeze frame, Ms Bolling says there’s one sure-fire way of finding them.
Just give it a google on your social media platform of choice.
But really, where’s the fun in that?
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