How do dogs see - are they truly colorblind?
Narrated from: Curious Dog FactsOne of the common beliefs about dogs is that they see in black and white only.
This concept is based on scientific research… more than a century old. The truth is a little different.
Dogs do see colors. Just not the same colors as you.
You perceive color thanks to special cells called cones located in your retina. Dogs also have cones – but far less than a human. The best parallel that could be made is with a human suffering from deuteranopia – that is, red and green color blindness.
Red is the color that dogs find most difficult to see – which makes all the cheerful red-colored dog toys quite a funny thing. When you buy colorful presents for your dog – well, the color is for your convenience. Dogs see most clearly colors in the yellow and blue spectrum. Red they would perceive as a shade of dark-blue or even black.
Next question – can dogs tell the difference between colors?
Yes. Dogs see shades – mostly yellowish, grayish or bluish. Actually, dogs could perceive a rainbow, and it would have the same amount of colors as the rainbow we see, but there would be a variation in each color – instead of orange, a dog would see dark yellow, instead of green – gray and so on.
Yet, the fact that dogs cannot see all colors does not mean that they have poorer eyesight than you.
The main difference between dogs and humans is the area of specialization. You are good at seeing colors, depth and different details. The dog is a hunter, and it is good at detecting motion. Many breeds can spot movement from a mile away. They are also better suited for seeing in dim light.
So, the world is a little grayer if you are a dog. But that is no reason to be blue – especially if you can smell your next meal coming!
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