We all know dogs are colorblind-or do we? Many people assume pups see the world in black and white, but that's actually a myth. While their vision is different from ours, it's far from colorless. In fact, dogs can see some colors, it's just not the full rainbow human eyes experience every day.
Because of this, dogs see the world in mainly two colors: blue-violet and green-yellow. They can't tell the difference between green, yellow, orange, or red. These colors all look like shades of yellow to them.
It's also worth noting that dogs struggle to tell the difference between blue-green and gray. So that teal toy you love? There is some research around dog color blindness, but we still have more questions than answers. Dog color vision is described as dichromatic, or "two-colored." Dogs are good at distinguishing between variations of blues and yellows, but they can't see red and green well.
Dogs see the world similarly to humans with red. Can dogs see color, or are they color blind? Research shows that while dogs can't see the same colors humans do, they can see some shades and combinations. As you can see, a dog's color perception creates something of a parallel world compared to what the human eye sees.
However, a dog's ability to see a tapestry of colors makes them far from color blind. With the filter on, you'll see the world in shades of blue, yellow and gray-the only colors your pup can perceive. But is this really how our furry friends see the world? What colors can dogs see best? Dogs have what is known as dichromatic vision - this means they can really only interpret two colors, instead of the wide spectrum of hues that humans can.
Experts say the two colors that they can primarily see are blue and yellow. This makes these two colors the most distinct and easily recognizable to them. Wondering what colors your dog can see? We break down everything you need to know about dog color capacity and vision in this article so that you can better understand your dog.
Dogs can see the colors we identify as blue, yellow and some shades of gray. While a human's visual cones are able to detect 3 different colors (blue, red and green) and its combinations, a dog's visual cone can only detect 2 (blue and yellow). This limited color perception is called dichromatic vision.
To fully understand, take a look at the image above for a visual comparison. Understanding what colors dogs see isn't just a scientific curiosity-it can help us bond better, choose the right toys, and even train more effectively. Let's take a deep dive into the mysterious and magical world of dog vision, and finally answer the big question: what colors can dogs really see?