Poll:Are dogs colour blind?

[Jods]

I have heard so many answers to this question and really want to know if they are are not. Any insight?

[shutterbug0303]

I'm certainly no expert, and I've heard a million things on this subject too, but the on that I see the most is that they aren't color blind, but see certain colors better than others. I think blue is on that they see and maybe red too. I can't remember exactly and am going to look it up...hopefully someone else will have more information

[senorita02]

I have heard both that they are and that no there not, i truly believe Face can see red, and i cant believe that they are color blind, i dont care what studies show, my babies can see in color :D

[Suki Wingy]

http://www.puplife.com/dogcaretips/howdogsseecolors.html
This link explains how motion has a lot to do with how they see, cool!
Actually, the most acceptable hypothesis is that the dogs are able to see only some colors, like blue and yellow. The rest of the colors would be detected as gray variations."
Here is from another site. I once saw a picture in a book- 2 actually. One normal and one in the colors dogs are supposed to see either only blues and green or only reds, oranges and yellows, I don't remember.

[Glacier]

I think they see color differently than we do, but I believe they see it.

Antare knows that his harness is yellow and blue. If I approach him with it in my hand, he's a happy, excited dog. Approach him with a different one and he won't let himself be harnessed.

[Cincy'sMom]

Originally posted by Glacier
I think they see color differently than we do, but I believe they see it.

Antare knows that his harness is yellow and blue. If I approach him with it in my hand, he's a happy, excited dog. Approach him with a different one and he won't let himself be harnessed.

I really have no idea if dogs can see color or not, but I thought I'd play Devil's advocate for my own curiosity. Do you think Antare knows what color the harness is, or can he tell by the smell? Maybe knows which harness has his scent, and which have the scent of other dogs?

Just a thought.

[Glacier]

Originally posted by Cincy'sMom
I really have no idea if dogs can see color or not, but I thought I'd play Devil's advocate for my own curiosity. Do you think Antare knows what color the harness is, or can he tell by the smell? Maybe knows which harness has his scent, and which have the scent of other dogs?

Just a thought.

It's possible. I do keep all the harness hanging in the same spot though, so I expect they smell the same. There may be something else that tips him off too--maybe I approach him differently when he's coming on the run. Maybe he just psychically knows when it's his turn! The possibilities are endless really. I'd love to know what goes on in his little head--Why am I scary with dinner in my hand, but not scary with a harness? How does he tell? Oh, the questions I would ask that little dog!

I still think they see color, but not like we see it. My dad is color blind, but he still sees color--shades of grey and brown, black, and BURGENDY!! As clear as day, the man sees burgendy! He loves that color! :D

[Tollers-n-Dobes]

I think dogs can see all colours but jsut not as vibrant as we see them.

[cyber-sibes]

My dad is color blind, but he still sees color--shades of grey and brown, black, and BURGENDY!! As clear as day, the man sees burgendy! He loves that color!

Well that sure makes it easier to pick him out a present! LOL
I don't know about dogs- I've always heard they are color blind, but that doesn't make sense to me. (No special reason, it just seems like a waste) I wonder how people studying this can even tell? Maybe by the cones and rods?

[Cincy'sMom]

Originally posted by Glacier
It's possible. I do keep all the harness hanging in the same spot though, so I expect they smell the same. There may be something else that tips him off too--maybe I approach him differently when he's coming on the run. Maybe he just psychically knows when it's his turn! The possibilities are endless really. I'd love to know what goes on in his little head--Why am I scary with dinner in my hand, but not scary with a harness? How does he tell? Oh, the questions I would ask that little dog!

I still think they see color, but not like we see it. My dad is color blind, but he still sees color--shades of grey and brown, black, and BURGENDY!! As clear as day, the man sees burgendy! He loves that color! :D

I think you are right...I think they see some color, but maybe not the way we do.

But at the same time, (just for fun), to us, I'm sure all the harnesses would smell the same. But I wonder, to a dog, if each harness, rubbing against one dog would be picking up the distinct smell of the dog that wears that harness. Kinda like the idea that my clothes and my husband's clothes hang in the same closet...but once we wear them, the clothes would take on different smells based on our individual smell. Sorta of the basis of how Bloodhounds track. (Guess I've read one too many Virginia Lanier books!)

[gkristian]

i've heard that the most common colour that dogs can see is light blue and yellow. Thats why people that do OPEN OBEDIENCE TRIALS paint their dods dumbbells either of these colours, and also at least one of the tunnels in agility is yellow. Apart from being able to see these two colours they can also see other shades of grays and browns.

[IRescue452]

Its has be scientifically proven that dogs eyes contain both rods and cones, therefore they can see both black and white and in colour. The concentration and amount of color receptors is smaller than in a person though so we can guess that what a dog sees is something like a soft out of focus picture we might get from the lens being dirty on a camera. I know my dog has great eyesight. If I put down a piece of paper that is close to the colour of my carpet, she will go to it right away to see what it is even if she didn't see me set it down. I've tried this a couple of times. It is just an old wives' tale about animals being colour blind. I think at one point in time this was used as a means to get people to agree that animals are a lower species.

[Denyce]

Our collie used to prefer yellow squeaky toys to any other color. Since hers was the only dog scent on them it couldn't be a different scent thing. She would have several toys in a pile and she always picked out the yellow ones. *shrug*

[wolfsoul]

I read in a book that wolves can see red and yellow and various shades of these colours or colours that are made up of them. They think the colours are significant because blood is red and urine is yellow. They said that dogs can see red, yellow, and blue.

They do know for sure that dogs see colour, they just don't know to what extent.

[cali]

I saw this one shwo that explained how they judge if an animal is colour blind or not by bars and cones or something like that, if more bars then its colourblind, more cones then its not(dont quote me on that lol) but its not possable to tell with dogs because they havean equal number of cones and bars.

[Suki Wingy]

I guess we all agree, so I wonder who voten colorblind?

[Pit Chick]

I used to think they were (as well as cats) color blind because that's what I had always been told. Then came Domino a Dalmatian I fostered. He hated yellow cars. Any other car that went by didn't seem to bother him, but if a yellow car drove by, he would almost yank my arm off trying to get to the it. I don't know what he thought he was going to do if he ever caught the big bad yellow cars.

As for cats, we had this tortie that would get all excited whenever she saw a Blue Jay in the backyard. We could have a whole yard full of birds, but none got her attention like the "blue ones". She would sit in the window and chatter at them.