+17 votes
in General Factchecking by Apprentice (1.4k points)
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.
by Novice (550 points)
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 While there is truth in dogs can not see all color, the claim originally made is not completely accurate.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.
by Novice (640 points)
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.
by Novice (570 points)
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.

31 Answers

0 votes
by Apprentice (1.2k points)
The claim that "dogs can't see color" is a misleading claim. Dogs can, in fact, see color, they just see a different spectrum that humans do by virtue of the biology of their optic systems; dogs have different cones than humans do, as this article by Reader's Digest states. Dogs do not see in black and white.

This claim is a misleading one, though not entirely misinformation.

https://www.rd.com/article/can-dogs-see-color/
+1 vote
by Apprentice (1.0k points)

The claim is partially true. Dogs have less cones in the eye therefore giving them dichromatic vision. Human have more cones allowing them to see more and brighter colors however dogs have more rods allowing better movement and night vision. Dogs can see shades of blue and yellow. 

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

+1 vote
by Novice (630 points)
This claim is somewhat true, but also somewhat false. Dogs can see only some colors but are not technically color-blind. According to AKC "...new research and conclusions about canine anatomy and behavior have shown that while dogs can’t see the same colors humans do, dogs can still see some colors".

https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/health/can-dogs-see-color/
0 votes
by Novice (660 points)

According to the BCSPCA website, dogs are able to see color, just not as many as we can. Humans have three different types of cones in our eyes that allow us to see different combinations of red, green and blue but dogs only have two, only allowing them to discern blue and yellow. 

Exaggerated/ Misleading
by Novice (930 points)
Hi, I think this is a good start to your fact check. It was good that you gave evidence to the answer, but I think you could benefit from elaborating on why your source is credible.
+1 vote
by Apprentice (1.6k points)

This is partially true. The myth that dogs only see in black and white started by Will Judy, a writer and lifelong dog lover, who claimed that they have poor vision and see the world in gray and black. However, this is not true because, according to American Kennel Club, dogs are partially color-blind as they can see certain colors better than others. This is because dogs are missing red-green cones in their eyes that most human's have. So overall, dogs are able to see color, but their color range that they can see in limited.

Sources: 

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

+1 vote
by Novice (680 points)

This is somewhat true. Majority of dogs have only two cones in their eyes while almost all humans have three which allows for us to see a higher spectrum of color. This does not mean dogs can only see in black and white but it labels them as color blind because of that lack of cones compared to human eyes. Their receptors respond to wavelengths of light that correspond to blue and yellow meaning dogs only see on a spectrum of those two colors, so in a human sense that thus makes dogs “color blind.”

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

Exaggerated/ Misleading
0 votes
by Novice (930 points)

According to an article written by Lauren Lee on GoodRx Health, dogs cannot see most colors but can see a few. They have a similar color blindness to humans who can't see red and green. However, dogs have the ability to see yellows, blues, and purples. GoodRx Health seems like a very reputable source as it provide several references to medical organizations, governmental agencies, academic institutions, and peer-reviewed scientific journals. Dogs can't only see black and white, they can see a few more colors than that. Are Dogs Colorblind? Colors That Dogs Can't Detect - GoodRx

0 votes
by Novice (910 points)
According to an article by Jonathan Hogeback of Brittanica, dogs are in fact able to see in blue and yellow light. This means that that are red and green colorblind, but not completely colorblind. This is due to the fact that dogs only have two color receiving cones in their eyes whilst humans have three.

Source: https://www.britannica.com/story/are-dogs-really-color-blind
Exaggerated/ Misleading
0 votes
by Novice (690 points)
Clicking on this claim it states that dogs have two types of cones. They are only able to discern blue and yellow. It states that dogs are unable to see the entire spectrum of color that humans do. For example, the color red appears a dark brownish-red and purple looks like same as blue to them.

Some say dogs can only see black and white. According to the American Kennel Club, the largest not-for-profit all-breed registry, with more than 5,000 licensed members, dogs are more related to colorblind. Dogs and some color-blind people are missing red and green cones in their retina. They also claim that dogs can make out yellow and blue and combinations of that color. It is not as bright as human vision. It is more faint.

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

In conclusion this claim is exaggerated/misleading. Dogs do not just see black and white and they can see some color. They cannot see the same color that humans can but they can see color to an extent.
Exaggerated/ Misleading
0 votes
by Apprentice (1.1k points)

Dogs are technically not color blind, but they do see colors different than a human. Accorrding it SPCA "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." Since dogs eyes are different from humans they do not see the same exact colors we do, but they do not see just black and white. PetMD says dog vision is "two colored." Dogs are good at distinguished variations of blue and yellow shades,, but struggle seeing red and green. Overall this claim is misleading because dogs are not completely coloring blind. Yes they see black and white shades but they also see yellow and blues.

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

Exaggerated/ Misleading

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