Luvk9s Dog Training

Are dogs colorblind?   

Can dogs see colors?

How dogs “see the world” is a question that has been pondered by many a dog owner. Can dogs see colors? Or do they see the world in black and white?

Stanley Coren, PhD and author of How to Speak Dog, notes in Psychology Today that dogs do see colors, but not like humans do. Humans and dogs have “cones” (light catching cells) on the retinas at the back of their eyes that allow them to see color. Humans typically have three cones which allow them to see the full spectrum of color. Humans who are colorblind – and dogs – only have two cones.

With two cones, dogs (and colorblind humans) still see colors, but fewer colors. Dogs see the colors of the world in shades of blues, yellows and grays. Green, yellow and orange appear yellowish to dogs; violet and blue appears blueish.

If you participate in dog sports, being aware of how your dog sees various colors could make a big difference in how your dog performs. Kristin Kaldahl, a dog agility instructor and competitor discussed this in detail recently at pethelpful.com. Being aware of the color of the equipment, the colors of the arena you are running in and even the clothing you wear can make a big difference in how clearly your dog sees you and thus reacts.
  

For example, Kaldahl notes “if a disc competition is being held in a park with green grass and blue skies, then the discs need to be in shades of dark blue, white or black.  If a disc competition will be held in a park in the winter with dried, brown grass and gray skies, then discs in shades of blue, white, pink, purple or black would be best seen.”
    

Contact equipment in agility is usually painted yellow and blue; because dogs see these two colors clearly, it doesn’t matter what color the surface or background might be – some part of the equipment will always be clearly visible to the dog (and will keep the dog from missing the equipment and getting hurt.)
     

How does this relate to our pets in their home environment? After reading Kaldahl’ s article, I had an epiphany a few days later when my dog tried to jump into the back seat of my SUV and missed. The interior is black and the SUV was parked in a the dark garage. I realized my dog couldn’t clearly see where the seat was. I placed a bright blue blanket on the back seat, which now seems to have solved the problem.
  

Part of the attraction of chasing tennis balls is because they are bright yellow and easy for dogs to see. Kaldahl suggests that selecting toys in a color that contrasts with the environment will make them more appealing and engaging to your dog and can help your dog learn faster and stay safer.