Why Are Dogs Colorblind?

When you look into the eyes of a dog, you may see love and happiness. When you look through the eyes of a dog, it is a unique view that is quite dissimilar from what humans see on an everyday basis.

  1. Misconceptions

    • The term "colorblind" does not necessarily mean seeing no color at all. The eye has three different color receptors, and when one malfunctions it causes a deficiency. Any kind of color deficiency in vision is called color blindness.

    Color Receptors

    • A study published in the journal "Visual Neuroscience", concluded that dogs have only two color receptors in their eyes, unlike humans who have. This means that they are dichromats.

    Range of Color

    • The same study, and subsequent studies, concluded that a dog's range of colors is limited and excludes the colors green, yellow and orange.

    Movement and Contrast

    • Stationary objects on a background of what they perceive to be the same color pose a challenge to dogs. Movement, as well as a sharp contrast in texture, make it easier for a dog to spot an object, for example a green ball on green grass.

    Fun Fact

    • The specific type of colorblindness that affects dogs is called "green blindness", and is one type of red-green colorblindness, the most common type of hue deficiency among humans. The technical name is "deuteranopia".