What kind of dog is Bluey? All about the beloved cartoon as perceived ‘Americanisation’ sparks outrage among fans

ABC Kids’ cartoon series Bluey has been one of the most successful shows from Australia that is available in over 60 countries. Since its launch in 2018, Bluey has reached the top spot in Australia on ABC’s iView with over 480 million streams for Seasons/Series 1 and 2.

In the USA, over Q1 2021, Bluey had become the third most-watched show on Disney Junior and Disney Channel, for kids ranging from 2 to 5. According to a July 2021 publication by the Daily Mail:

“American schoolchildren speaking in Australian accents after watching Bluey.”

The immense popularity of Bluey in America recently led to controversy in the Bluey online fan group on Saturday.

What kind of dog is Bluey?

The ‘Heeler’ family dogs, including Bluey, are supposedly from the Australian Cattle Dog breed. Cattle dogs were originally bred to help walk cattle over long stretches. They are also known as Blue Heeler and Red Heeler, which are the inspiration behind the names of the four-legged characters of the show.

The cattle dogs are medium-sized and range from 17 to 19-inches in height. They have a short double coat and weigh around 15–22 kg (33–49 lb). The breed typically has a lifespan of 12 to 14 years.

What was the controversy about Bluey potentially getting “Americanized”?

A viewer (presumably American) in the online Bluey group lamented over the cartoon series not having Thanksgiving or Halloween special episodes. The post rallied several Australian fans, hitting back at the comment by reminding the person that both holidays are of American origin and are not natively celebrated in Australia.

Several Aussie fans expressed their dislike over Bluey potentially getting ‘Americanized’ to cater to many viewers there. One viewer wrote:

“They don’t need to meet an American dog. They don’t need thanksgiving introduced. A Halloween episode would be cute and relevant because Halloween is becoming a thing in Australia, especially for kids.”

While another viewer said:

“I hope they keep this show as Australian as possible simply because THATS [sic] why we all like it. Because it’s not like the other shows. And if they change it to fit other places then it won’t be an Australian show anymore and it’ll lose its magic.”

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The comment received hundreds of replies within a few hours, with strong opinions from Australian viewers about celebrating foreign cultures on the show. A fan sarcastically also commented that a ‘4th of July’ episode should be next.

Bluey has become a cross-cultural phenomenon while being a hit in the UK and the USA (where it has garnered over 16 million viewers since its premiere on Disney.