Bluey is an animated television series that premiered on ABC Kids in Australia in October 2018. The show centers around Bluey, a 6-year-old Blue Heeler puppy, and her family and friends. One of Bluey’s closest friends is Bingo, her 4-year-old little sister. Bingo is also a Blue Heeler dog. This has led some viewers to speculate that Bingo may actually be a dingo, not a Blue Heeler. In this article, we’ll take a close look at the evidence to determine if Bingo from Bluey is really a dingo or a Blue Heeler puppy.
What are Blue Heeler dogs?
The Australian Cattle Dog, also known as the Blue Heeler or Queensland Heeler, is a breed of herding dog originally developed in Australia for controlling cattle. They are fairly compact dogs with a straight, athletic build and coat color that can range from mottled blue to brown or red speckles. Some of the typical characteristics of Blue Heelers include:
– Muscular frame with an athletic, agile body designed for herding and working tasks
– Erect, pointed ears and an intelligent, watchful expression
– A coat that comes in blue, red, or blue mottled with other colors like white and brown
– A hard-working temperament that is loyal, protective, energetic and highly intelligent
Blue Heelers have great endurance and excel at tasks like herding, agility, and obedience competitions. They make loyal family companions but need a lot of mental and physical exercise. Overall, they are intelligent, active dogs that bond very closely with their family.
What are dingo dogs?
The dingo is a wild canine found in Australia and Southeast Asia. Though sometimes kept as a pet, they are primarily independent, opportunistic hunters that live in a wild, uncontrolled state. Some key physical and behavioral traits of dingos include:
– A medium-sized frame with a lean, athletic build suited for hunting and survival in the wild
– Erect, pointed ears and an alert, wary expression
– Coat colors like sandy, reddish-brown, black and tan, or pure white — solid color or patterns
– A strong prey drive and natural wariness of humans and dogs
– A tendency to howl and travel in packs for hunting
– Excellent survival skills with the ability to thrive in the harsh Australian outback
Dingos are classified as primitive canids, meaning they share many traits with early domesticated dogs. They are highly intelligent and cunning predators that play an important role in Australia’s ecosystem. Though sometimes kept as pets, they maintain many of their wild instincts.
Appearance comparison
Now let’s directly compare Bingo’s appearance and characteristics to the typical features of Blue Heeler dogs and dingos:
Coat color
Bingo has a coat that is primarily bluish-lilac along her back and sides, with tan markings on her legs, chest, muzzle, and eyebrows. This mixed coloration is common in both Blue Heelers and dingos, so coat color does not provide definitive evidence one way or the other.
Ear shape
Bingo has tall, pointed, erect ears. This ear shape matches both Blue Heeler and dingo typical ear shape. So the ear evidence is inconclusive.
Body build
Bingo has a very lean, narrow body shape with long legs, suited for speed and agility. This build is in line with both Blue Heeler and dingo morphology. So body build is not a distinguishing factor.
Facial features
Bingo has a long snout, triangular eyes, and alert expression typical of both Blue Heelers and dingos. Nothing distinctive in her facial features indicates one breed over the other.
| Characteristic | Bingo | Blue Heeler | Dingo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coat color | Bluish-lilac with tan markings | Blue, red, or mottled | Sandy, reddish, black/tan |
| Ear shape | Tall, pointed, erect | Pointed, erect | Pointed, erect |
| Body build | Lean, agile | Athletic, agile | Lean, athletic |
| Facial features | Long snout, triangular eyes | Long snout, triangular eyes | Long snout, triangular eyes |
As summarized in this table, Bingo’s physical appearance matches both Blue Heeler and dingo morphology, without strong evidence favoring one breed over the other.
Personality and behavior comparison
Since appearance doesn’t give a definite answer, next we’ll compare Bingo’s personality traits and behaviors against the typical temperament of Blue Heelers versus dingos:
Interactions with humans
Bingo is very affectionate with the human family members in Bluey. She seeks out pats, cuddles and attention from her mom and dad. This friendly, people-oriented behavior is much more typical of domesticated Blue Heelers than wary, wild dingos.
Trainability
Bingo is often shown learning skills like dance moves along with her sister. She also picks up pretend play easily. This tractability aligns much more closely with the intelligence and eagerness to please of Blue Heelers versus the primitive, independent nature of dingos.
Energy level
Bingo is very energetic, active and playful, enjoying games like Keepy Uppy. Her high energy matches the athleticism of both Blue Heelers and dingos who require lots of exercise. This doesn’t clearly differentiate the two breeds.
Pack socialization
Bingo has strong social bonds with her nuclear family. She also enjoys playing with other dogs at the park but doesn’t exhibit a broader pack mentality. The dingo’s tendency to form larger hunting packs in the wild contrasts with Bingo’s family-centered balance of dependence and independence.
| Trait | Bingo | Blue Heeler | Dingo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Human interaction | Affectionate, friendly | Loyal, bonds closely | Wary, keeps distance |
| Trainability | Eager to learn | Highly intelligent, trainable | Primitive, less trainable |
| Energy level | Very energetic, active | Energetic, high exercise needs | Athletic, high exercise needs |
| Pack socialization | Bonds with nuclear family | Loyal family companion | Forms wild hunting packs |
Based on personality and behavior, Bingo strongly aligns with the Blue Heeler temperament versus the wilder, more primitive dingo temperament. Her affection, trainability and family focus all point to Blue Heeler as a much more likely breed match than dingo.
Role and context
Finally, we should consider Bingo’s role within the show Bluey and her context as Bluey’s little sister:
Purpose in the show
As Bluey’s sister, Bingo was created to mirror Bluey and share key traits like boundless energy and a love of imaginative games. Having her be a different, wilder breed like a dingo would clash with the show’s goal of portraying a pack of energetic, adorable puppy siblings.
Treatment by family
Bingo is a fully domesticated family pet. She lives in the family home, interacts freely with the human family members, and is never treated like a wild dingo animal. Her context within the household strongly matches the role of a Blue Heeler companion versus a half-tamed dingo.
| Context | Evidence |
|---|---|
| Purpose in show | Created as Bluey’s playmate and sibling, matching her breed makes sense |
| Treatment by family | Treated as domesticated pet, not a wild animal |
The narrative context of Bluey heavily points to Bingo being created as a sibling of the same breed as Bluey. A wild, unrelated dingo would not fit the relationships portrayed in the show.
Conclusion
After comparing physical traits, temperament, and narrative context, Bingo matches the expected features of a Blue Heeler much more closely than a dingo. While some physical traits like erect ears overlap between the two breeds, Bingo’s affectionate personality and role as a domesticated family dog clearly fit the Blue Heeler breed. There is no compelling evidence to indicate that Bingo from Bluey is a dingo, rather than a Blue Heeler puppy like her sister. The context of the show makes it highly unlikely that Bingo was meant to belong to a different wild breed than the rest of her family.
Key points:
– Bingo’s coat color, body shape, and facial features do not clearly differentiate between Blue Heeler and dingo breeds.
– Bingo’s friendly personality, trainability and family bonding are much more typical of domesticated Blue Heelers than wild dingos.
– As Bluey’s sister in the show, it makes sense for Bingo to also be a Blue Heeler to match the rest of her family.
– There is no convincing evidence that Bingo was ever meant to be portrayed as a dingo rather than a Blue Heeler puppy like Bluey.
So in conclusion, while Bingo shares some physical similarities with dingos, the preponderance of evidence decisively indicates she is a Blue Heeler, not a dingo. This analysis firmly answers the question “Is Bingo from Bluey a dingo?” as a definite no.