Dogs aren't able to see color

Question

There are some people saying that dogs see only black and white, they only see blue and yellow, or they have completely different hues than us.

Comments

The article given with this claim is the VCA dog hospital website. When diving more into the topic and doing more research, dogs are not technically color bind. The SPCA claims that,  "Human eyes have three different types of cones, which allows us to identify combinations of red, blue, and green. Dogs, on the other hand, have only two types of cones, which means they can only discern blue and yellow. As a result, dogs are red-green colour blind." While there is truth in dogs can not see all color, the claim originally made is not completely accurate.

The source: https://spca.bc.ca/news/how-dogs-see-colour/#:~:text=Human%20eyes%20have%20three%20different,are%20red%2Dgreen%20colour%20blind.

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The claim "Dogs aren't able to see color" is misinformation. The article provided states that dogs can only see blue and yellow as a result of dichromatic vision. The article even states, "In fact, dogs live in a pretty colorful world." Further review of the facts in the provided article is necessary. The title should be read as Dogs have limited color perception or something along those lines. Another article of use is provided below.

https://spca.bc.ca/news/how-dogs-see-colour/#:~:text=Human%20eyes%20have%20three%20different,are%20red%2Dgreen%20colour%20blind.

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To strengthen your answer, make sure you add quotes from the article you are using as evidence. It is also important to include who the article is by to show why it is a reliable source.   The information is there, but make sure you directly include it in your response.

Answer 1

According to American Kennel Club dogs can see color. However, they cannot see color as clearly as humans can. Dogs have more rods than cones in their retina compared to humans who haves more cones than rods. Rods are what catch movement and work well in low light settings while cones work in bright light and control color perception. Since dogs have less cones than humans their color perception isn't as great as humans. 

Source: https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/health/can-dogs-see-color/

Answer 2

In 1989, an ophthalmologist named Jay Neitz discovered that dogs are able to see blues and yellows but not reds or greens. According to BCSPCA, due to dogs' eyes having only two cones (compared to humans who have three cones), they can only detect blues and yellows. American Kennel Club also confirms this information by stating that dogs can see blues and yellows, as well as combinations of those colors.

https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/health/can-dogs-see-color/

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-colors-do-dogs-see/

https://spca.bc.ca/news/how-dogs-see-colour/#:~:text=Human%20eyes%20have%20three%20different,are%20red%2Dgreen%20colour%20blind.

used sources not included in the original claim

Answer 3

A myths about dogs is that they can only see in shades of black and white. Dogs have poor vision and were able to see single shades and tones. Scientists now believe that dog's color visions is similar to a person who has red- green door blidness. Dogs can make out yellow and blue combinations.

https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/health/can-dogs-see-color/

Answer 4

This claim is partially true. Dogs aren't colorblind, but they do not see as many colors as humans do. Human eyes have three types of cones (red, blue, and green) while dogs only have two types of cones (blue and yellow). This is called dichromatic perception. Their color spectrum is limited to shades of blue, yellow, brown, and gray. For dogs, they see red and orange as yellow and green as white. 

Answer 5

"Dogs aren't able to see color" is a misleading and a false statement. After reading the linked article, it goes deeper into how dogs see/don't see color. It becomes a little bit more scientific and complex rather than people just thinking they are color blind and can only see black and white. In an article that I found, it talks about how Human eyes have three different types of cones, which allows us to identify combinations of red, blue, and green. Dogs, on the other hand, have only two types of cones, which means they can only discern blue and yellow. As a result, dogs are red-green colorblind. In those terms, it makes sense as to why people would think that dogs can't see colors, but it's more of the fact that they aren't able to see all the range of colors that humans can see and are limited to very specific colors.

https://spca.bc.ca/news/how-dogs-see-colour/#:~:text=Human%20eyes%20have%20three%20different,are%20red%2Dgreen%20colour%20blind. 

https://www.petmd.com/dog/general-health/what-colors-do-dogs-see 

Comments

This fact check is done very well, stating what they believe is false or true. The use of sources is very strong as well and backs up the claim of it being "misleading and a false statement". Well done!

Answer 6

This claim is true, but somewhat exaggerated and misleading.

Humans have three cones that allow us to see color: red, green, and blue. These cones combine to create the rainbow. Dogs, on the other hand, only have two. This only allows them to see in blue and yellow, making them red-green color blind. Color blindness refers to when someone has a "deficiency in their colored vision." So, they are not completely color-blind, like only seeing in black and white. They're color-blind because they lack that third receptor. Thus, in the simplest terms, dogs are color-blind in the most human sense, because they don't see the world in the same colors we do.

Sources:

https://spca.bc.ca/news/how-dogs-see-colour/#:~:text=Human%20eyes%20have%20three%20different,are%20red%2Dgreen%20colour%20blind.

https://www.britannica.com/story/are-dogs-really-color-blind

Answer 7

Dogs can see color, their sight is much like a person with red-green colorblindness. Dogs do not see in black and white, but instead are less detailed dimmer coloring than that of what we perceive as humans. This is due to the difference in our retinas- dogs have more rods than cones in their retina and people have more cones and this is how we are able to perceive color better.

https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/health/can-dogs-see-color/

Comments

This is a good and concise fact-check! I was curious about the source you added at the end. Did you look into what makes the American Kennel Club a reliable source? Also it could be helpful to directly mention what information is from this source in your fact-check.

Answer 8

This claim is partially true but misleading.

Dogs can see some color, just not the same color wheel humans can. American Kennel Club (2021) shows the color spectrum dogs see as a blue to muted yellow color graph. This visual shows that dogs can see some color, they are just color-blind compared to humans.

A fun example of dogs being able to see certain colors is shown in a TikTok video from @asheleyspam theorizing how dogs enjoy Bluey because it only uses colors dogs can see.

Answer 9

The article I had found states that dogs only have two cones within their eyes, while us humans have three. This helps us differentiate all colors, specifically green, blue, and red. Considering dogs only have two cones, they can easily differentiate blue and yellow, making them red-green color blind. Therefore they aren't technically color blind making the claim not completely true, but it is true they cannot see red and green due to only having two cones in their eyes, but they can see colors of some sort. Making the claim partially true, just not stated correctly. 

https://spca.bc.ca/news/how-dogs-see-colour/#:~:text=Human%20eyes%20have%20three%20different,are%20red%2Dgreen%20colour%20blind.

Answer 10

This statement is misinformation. Although it is true that dogs cannot see some colors, they are not completely blind to all color hues. It states in research articles that dogs have the same type of vision when it comes to color as a person who has color-blindness of red and green hues. This does not make the claim correct because they can still see color, just in an altered way where they lack red and green hues in all of the colors, which changes their perception of all true colors.

https://spca.bc.ca/news/how-dogs-see-colour/#:~:text=Human%20eyes%20have%20three%20different,are%20red%2Dgreen%20colour%20blind.