Are Dogs Really Colorblind or Can They See Colors? Debunking Myths about Dog Vision

• When I hear the word colors, one of the most colorful things that pops up in my mind is the rainbow. Hues of blues, green, yellow, orange and red in full glory! But, have you ever wondered if your four legged best friend can enjoy the same vivid beauty, or anything even close, or worse, do they only see mere shades of grey?

• Some of us know that dogs can’t see very well, at least, not as well as us humans. Some think, they only see in black and white. While others opine, they are color blind, and see fewer colors as compared to us. Or maybe just hazy or blurred, missing a lot of details. The speculations keep building..

• So, today we will get our facts right on point, and figure out what exactly goes on with the canine eyes. What do they see, how far, and how clearly? Let’s master the mystery..

• Did you know, that an average human being is able to differentiate between a million plus colors? Amazing, right? But some people can only see a few hundred colors, while some can figure out up to a whopping 100 million!

Understanding Vision: How Do We See Colors?

• Light is an electromagnetic wave. This wave travels in a medium, and the shape of the wave train keeps changing. And the distance between two of the peaks (crests) or pits (troughs) of these waves is known as the wavelength. When light hits an object, it reflects some of the light and absorbs the rest. Some objects reflect more of a certain wavelength of light than others, which is why you see a certain colour. Say for example, an apple, it reflects mainly red light, and that is why it appears red to our eyes. Now, if an object absorbs all the wavelengths of light, it will appear black. If it reflects all the wavelengths, it will seem white.

• When light hits the cornea, the iris expands and contracts to control the amount of light to be allowed in, to be entered through the pupil. The light then passes through the lens, which focuses the light on the retina. It is the retina, a layer at the back of the eye, that houses two kinds of photoreceptor cells, ‘rods’ and ‘cones’, that allow us to see. These specialized cells then send signals, via the optic nerve to the brain, which go on to construct an image.

• Rods deal with peripheral and night vision (or low light conditions), brightness and shades of grey. While cones handle day vision and colour perception, and are of three types – blue, green, and red, each responding to different wavelengths of light. Short wavelengths stimulate blue cones, medium stimulate greens and long stimulate reds. It is through using these three types of cones, that we are able to detect a full spectrum of hues, much like mixing primary colours to get the secondary and tertiary ones in paint. Thus, it is with the activation of these combinations of cones, that we enjoy our world in colors.

• You must have heard of the term color blindness. Which is basically color vision deficiency, that happens when one type of cone, either partially or totally, stops working. Thus with the three types of cones, come three types of colour blindness, depending on which type is malfunctioning.

• Humans have 20 times more rods than cones. And because the rods alone work in low light, it becomes difficult for us to see colors in the dark.

• Alright, enough about humans, let’s get back to dogs now!

• Of course, their eye anatomy and functionality stays pretty much the same too.

Do dogs Only See in Black and White? Or Can Dogs See Colors?

• Even though veterinarians believed, since long, that dogs saw in black and white alone, recent studies suggest otherwise. Dogs do not see in black and white only, and can see other colors too. But it cannot compare to a human’s range, since dogs only have 20% of the photoreceptor cells, called cones, as compared to us humans (remember we discussed how cones control the perception of colors in the beginning?) Also, we have three kinds of cones (trichromatic) that identify combinations of red, blue, and green. But dogs like most other mammals, are only blessed with two (dichromatic) – blue and yellow. Which means, that they do not see solely in black and white, but other colors too, albeit, the range isn’t as vast as ours.

What Colors Can Dogs See? A Look at Their Limited Spectrum

• Dogs only have two kinds of cones, like red-green colour-blind humans, which makes their colour vision very limited. Thus, they, like many other animals, cannot appreciate the entire spectrum of color that humans do. In fact, dogs can only see shades of gray, yellow and blue. 

• Other colors, like for example, red appears as dark brownish-gray or black to dogs. Colors like yellow, orange, and green all look yellowish to them. Dogs can see blue very well though, but it’s close variants, violet or purple appear the same as blue to them.

Can Dogs See Shades of Colors or Identify Brightness?

• Dogs as compared to humans are worse at determining differences in brightness, or varying shades of things. To be precise, dogs are twice two times worse at distinguishing shades than humans.

How Clear Is a Dog’s Vision Compared to Humans?

• If a person’s visual acuity is worse than 20/40, they would fail the standard vision test given while applying for a driver’s license in the United States and would be required to wear glasses. A dog’s vision is considerably worse than even that. In fact, they are not able to focus on things in great detail, seeing the world slightly blurry. For example, if we stand across the park from our dogs, they will not be able to focus on us. So, in order to get their attention, we should move around to help them leverage their capacity of identifying moving objects better, since they have more rods than us. This aspect is known as ‘motion sensitivity’ and it has been noted as one of the most critical aspects of canine vision.

Are Dogs Near-Sighted or Far-Sighted? The Truth about Their Visual Acuity

• Dogs are very near-sighted as compared to humans. According to Psychology Today, a custom-made, special test for dogs, puts them at around 20/75 vision. What this means is that, what a human could barely see at 75 feet (23 metres), is what a dog can just about make out at 20 feet (6 metres).

• In other words, humans with perfect eyesight are said to have 20/20 vision. Which translates to our distinguishing letters or objects at a distance of 20 feet. Whereas, dogs typically have 20/75 vision. Hence, they must be 20 feet away from an object, to see it as well as a human standing 75 feet away. However, this varies from breed to breed. For instance, certain breeds like Labrador Retrievers have better visual acuity. Commonly used as guide dogs or seeing-eye dogs, they have much better eyesight and may even have vision closer to 20/20.

What Do Dogs See Better Than Humans?

• We have more cones than dogs, that allow us to see more colors and see them brighter than dogs. But dogs have more rods, which enable them to see low lit objects or moving things much better than us.

Why Do Dogs’ Eyes Glow in the Dark? The Role of Tapetum Lucidum

• Dog’s eyes react differently to light exposure in low light or in the dark, as compared to us. They have a special light reflective surface called ‘tapetum lucidum’, that lies right behind the retina. The tapetum lucidum reflects visible light back through the retina, increasing the light available to the photoreceptors. This provides the light-sensitive retinal cells, with a second opportunity for photon-photoreceptor stimulation, considerably improving low light vision. Hence the glow! Also, even though all dogs eyes glow in the dark, they don’t all glow in the same color. In fact, a particular dog’s eyes glow in different hues, based on the amount of light it gets to reflect in a situation!

Explore the World Through a Dog’s Eyes with Free Apps

• There are multiple online tools and apps, that can help you figure out how dogs see things. As in, your things. Your house, their toys, or even you! Just install the app and see through your beloved dog’s eyes! ‘Dog Vision’, ‘Animal Vision’, etc. are some such free app options.

• (P.S. I am not promoting these apps or earning any commission, just in case you decide to use them.)

Srijana Saha

Srijana, founder of Godly Dog, brings 12+ years of experience caring for dogs, including her 6 fur kids: a Labrador, 2 Spitz, and 3 Indie rescues. She has studied natural dog nutrition and behavior to better understand and care for them. A passionate advocate for strays and a dedicated volunteer, she believes dogs embody godliness, inspiring unconditional love and selflessness. Through Godly Dog, she shares practical advice to ensure every dog gets the love, care, and respect they deserve.