Are dogs colorblind? We spoke with a vet to break down the myth of color blindness in dogs and explain how pups really see the world. What colors do dogs see? Discover the truth about canine vision, debunking the black and white myth. Learn how their unique perception impacts their life & yours.
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.
How dogs see the world is very different to humans, and can only distinguish between blue and yellow hues. 🌈 Vet‑approved 2025 guide to how dogs see color! Discover how dogs perceive the world-from blues and yellows to muted reds-and get tips on choosing the best toys and tools with Ask A Vet, Woopf & Purrz support. Why should humans be curious about the colors that dogs see? Many dog owners like to "get inside the mind" of a dog to be able to pick out toys and other items that appeal to a dog's color vision.
Understanding the color vision of dogs can also be useful when training dogs to respond to or retrieve objects. But to really understand how dogs see the world, we need to move beyond color, says Sarah-Elizabeth Byosiere, an animal behaviorist and former director of the Thinking Dog Center at Hunter College. 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.
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.
Dogs experience the world in color, but not in the same way we do. Humans have trichromatic vision, meaning we can see all three primary colors (red, green, and blue). Dogs, however, are dichromatic.
This means they have two types of color receptors (cones) that are most sensitive to blue and yellow wavelengths.