Question

Dogs can only see black and white

Comments

It seems that the claim was untrue and misleading. It was proven wrong by many sources before, and it originated from an author of DogWeek Magazine. Great fact check!

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This claim is seemingly incorrect, as there’s no source to back up the claim.

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I really like how this explains the myth in a simple, easy to understand way! The comparison to red/green color blindness makes it super clear, and the AKC citation is a nice touch it makes the info feel really credible. Great job!

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The claim that dogs can only see black and white is false. Dogs can see shades of blue and yellow, but have difficulty distinguishing between red and green.

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The claim that "Dogs can only see black and white" has long been a popular and widley shared belief. However, recent scientific research has proved that this myth is incorrect. Supporting the idea that dogs do see color, however, not in the way that humans do. I discovered that dogs have only 20% of the cells that humans have, which are for detecting color. (Pedigree, 2025). Because of the lack of cells that dogs have, their vision is more limited, only seeing yellow and blue shades. Many media sources altered the assumption that dogs only see in black and white, without prven evidence.However, research specifically in veterinary studies has provided evidence that while dogs do not see the full spectrum of colors like humans, they are not colorblind in the way previously thought, only susceptible to certain shades.
Sources: https://www.pedigree.com/dog-care-articles/our-help-hub/training-resources/do-dogs-see-only-in-black-and-white

Answer 1

This claim of dogs only being able to see black and white is false. Purina, one of americas top pet foods brand, has many discussion posts within their website stating this is false. Not only does this brand state dogs can see colors, but trustworthy vetinarians also follow up with evidence this claim is false. This claim has also has been researched a lot, which comes to the conclusion that dogs are not able to see all colors, but can see more than just black and white. Dogs only have 2 retinas in their eyes which help see colors (humans have 3 retinas).

https://www.purina.com/articles/dog/behavior/understanding-dogs/can-dogs-see-color

https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/do-dogs-see-color

Answer 2

The claim that 'dogs can only see in black and white' is false.

According to an article by Scientific American, the idea that "dogs could only weakly see color, if at all,"¹ which was claimed by author and optometrist Gordon Walls in his book The Vertebrate Eye and Its Adaptive Radiation. This belief took off in the 1940s and was later debunked in 1989 by ophthalmologist Jay Neitz and his colleagues who "discovered that canines could see blues and yellows but not reds and greens."¹ 

A separate article by Ragen T.S. McGowan, a pet expert and research scientist from Purina, states that "A dog’s retina contains a small amount of cones (cones are photoreceptor cells in the eye’s retina that allow us to see color). Humans have three types of cones in their eyes while dogs only have two. This means their vision is limited to certain colors."² Also according to the article, McGowan states a canine's vision is near sighted, and it's believed that most dogs have 20/75 vision, in which that means "they have to be 20 feet away from an object to see it, compared to humans who can see it from 75 feet away."²

This claim is outdated and strictly just a myth that has been debunked time and time again, and can also be exaggerating and misleading to readers. It's also unclear what their intent was by sharing this claim and giving no evidence or further description to follow up their claim.
www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-colors-do-dogs-see/

https://www.purina.com/articles/dog/behavior/understanding-dogs/can-dogs-see-color

Answer 3

Although dogs do have a different vision from humans, they don't necessarily see in black and white. According to the American Kennel Club (AKG), dogs have one less cones than humans. Cones which are, according to AKG, are "color-detecting molecules" and are used to identify different combinations of colors. This is called dichromatic vision where one can only see limited colors. 

Although dogs have fewer cones than humans, they actually have more rods which means they have better perception of movement in low light. With all this information, I can confidently say that this claim is false, and that dogs don't only see in black and white.

Sources:

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

https://www.purina.com/articles/dog/behavior/understanding-dogs/can-dogs-see-color#:~:text=to%20certain%20colors.-,What%20Colors%20Do%20Dogs%20See%3F,experience%20red%2Dgreen%20color%20blindness.

https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/do-dogs-see-color#:~:text=Human%20eyes%20have%20three%20types,perception%20is%20called%20dichromatic%20vision.

Answer 4

The claim that dogs can only see black and white is completely false. From the American Kennel Club, it's be proven that dogs can see more than just black and white. In dogs eyes, they have more rods than cones in their retina, it's the opposite for humans. This is what makes color perception different for dogs. Dogs have dichromatic cones, meaning they only have two types. Dogs, and some people, are missing the red-green cone. Dogs can make out blue and yellow colors. From studies, scientists think that's why dogs prefer yellow and blue toys.

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

Answer 5

This is false. In the past people assumed that dogs, as well as many other animals, can see only in white and black. However, with the research we can see that this claim is not true. According to Harriet Meyers', "while dogs can’t see the same colors humans do, dogs can still see some colors". The article provided by American Kennel Club clearly explains why dogs have limited color vision. 

The article written in 2021 by Meyers is supported by the research conducted by Jay Neitz from Neitz Color Vision Lab.

Link to the article:

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

Answer 6

After a very quick search, it is clear to conclude that this claim is absolutely false. While dogs do have different vision than humans, they definitely do not see in black and white. As stated in an article covering the topic produced by Pedigree, "studies suggest that they do have some color vision - but it's not as bright as human's... dogs have only 20% of the cone photoreceptor cells". While dogs do have some vision issues, specifically that they, "lack the ability to see the range of colors from green to red", they do not see only black in white. In fact, according to the VCA Animal Hospitals article on the topic, "While humans have more cones, allowing us to see more colors and brighter colors than dogs, dogs have more rods, giving them the edge when it comes to seeing in low light or identifying moving objects". So dogs actually have enhanced eyesight when it comes to darker and moving objects and surroundings. Dogs can see colors from blue to yellow, but again, not from green to red. Overall, the claim that dogs see only black in white is utterly false. 

https://www.pedigree.com/dog-care-articles/our-help-hub/training-resources/do-dogs-see-only-in-black-and-white

https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/do-dogs-see-color

Answer 7

The claim that dogs can only see in black and white is false. According to Adelaide Vet, dogs have two of the three cones in their eyes - blue and green ones. This means that although they are missing one of the cones, they're able to see a muted perception of color. They do have difficulty distinguishing reds and greens, but are able to distinguish blues from reds. Additionally, according to the American Kennel Club, "Dogs have more rods than cones in their retina, whereas people have more cones, and this apparently makes the difference in color perception." Thus, the claim that dogs can only see black and white is false, though their perception of color is muted they can still see various colors and are similar to color-blind people. 

https://adelaidevet.com.au/pet-library/can-animals-see-colour/

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

Answer 8

This claim is false. Dogs are able to see less colors than humans for sure, although they do have 2 cones in their eyes (humans having 3). This allows them to see limited colors meaning the claim that they only see black and white is baseless. Dogs can see gray, brown, yellow, and blue. They do have trouble differentiating different shades of the colors they can see but they definitely can see them. According to this article they also have trouble seeing during the day which forces them to rely on their other better senses to understand the world around them.

Answer 9

This claim is false.

According to Dr. Brad Hinsperger of the Kingsdale Animal Hospital, "The common belief that dogs only see in black and white is a myth..." The word of vision for dogs is a spectrum divided into two main color groups. The first group is blue-violet and the second group is yellow-green. This is all evidence that dogs have a much deeper sense of sight than simply black and white. Although dogs, like most animals, have limited vision compared to humans, they can still see color, just on a different spectrum.

What Colors Do Dogs See? A Guide To Canine Color Vision | Kingsdale Animal Hospital

Answer 10

I found this comment to be false. With some research into understanding how dogs see the world, I came to discover that this claim is false. A dog's versions primarily serve to detect movement and see in dark settings. According to the American Kennel Club, “Scientists now believe that a dog’s color vision is similar to that of a person who has red-green color blindness, according to research conducted by Jay Nteitz.” Furthermore, science has found that dogs can make out yellow and blue and combinations of those colors. Dogs are dichromatic, which means they can see only two colors. Even though it is easy to assume that dogs only see in black in white, this is not true.

Comments

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