What Do Bluey’s Parents Do For Work? Hint: They’re Careers That Dogs Would Love

Bluey centers on an exuberant young blue heeler and her little sister, Bingo. But the show isn’t just about childhood adventures—it’s also a story about Bluey’s parents, Bandit and Chilli. But do Bandit and Chilli actually have jobs?

Yes, they do! And we know what those jobs are!

Here’s the lowdown on what Bandit and Chilli do for a living.

Bandit is an archaeologist

Back in the old days (like, a year or so ago), there was a short on the Bluey YouTube channel that showed Bandit speaking at an archaeologist conference. In the short, Dr. Heeler (yes, apparently he has a PhD!) introduces a bone he found in the field, showing an ancient bipedal canine ancestor. After presenting the find, though, Bandit succumbs to the urge to gnaw on the bone. Because he’s a dog! Dogs like bones! Bluey is a show about dogs, you see.

Even though that short isn’t online anymore, though, there are other clues to Bandit’s profession. In the episode “Yoga Ball,” you can see various artifacts and maps in his home office. In “Curry Quest,” Bandit goes on a dig for six weeks, saying hello to his family via FaceTime calls. On the tablet screen, you can see that Bandit is covered in dirt with a digging tool tucked behind his head.

Chilli does something related to airport security

When it comes to Chilli, it’s a little harder to pinpoint her exact job, but consensus has gradually formed that she works in airport security. Some sources claim that her job used to be part of her character profile on the Bluey website, although that information is no longer there. She doesn’t seem to be a rank and file security agent, though—at least, not full time. In “Tradies,” she tells two contractors that she’s working from home, and in another episode, she has to fill in for a sick coworker and slips her laptop into her backpack before she leaves. She seems to have an office job that she can do remotely some of the time.

How does airport security connect to dogs? The connection isn’t as cut and dry as Bandit chewing on a bone he found, but I guess real dogs do work in airport security.

Do Bandit and Chilli ever actually go to work?

Although they seem to have infinite time to spend playing with their kids, you do occasionally see Bandit and Chilli working. In “Daddy Drop-Off,” Chilli leaves early for work. In another episode (I’m sorry I don’t recall every single Bluey episode, I truly am), we see Bandit emailing a coworker on his phone. It seems that although their work schedules are a little kinder, Chilli and Bandit have the same work-life balance issues as the rest of us, letting their jobs encroach on their home life.

The real question is, how do they afford that amazing house? Alas, the show has yet to give us any answers to that question.

(featured image: Disney+)