Are dogs really colorblind?

Ah, it is now the moment of truth where the most common myth can now be explained to be known with the specifics. So how many of you really thought that dogs are entirely colorblind? (we guess the number would be huge).

So, here is the reality check. Most of the people assume that their pups are colorblind but this is not entirely true. While their vision is too different from ours, they not view the world in monochrome. Now of course there is a science behind it (calm down, we are getting to it). 

Colors Dogs Can See

The color vision in pups depends on the cones of the eye i.e the number of pigment classes that are found in the retina. The richness of their color vision depends on the amount of color cones and the degrees to which they overlap. Humans are trichromatic, which means they have three classes of cones. Dogs are dichromatic, meaning there are only two classes of cones in their eyes that contain the photo pigments that allow them to see color.

While humans who cannot see color are usually missing their red and green photo pigment, dogs usually miss their green cone. Documenting the capacity of the dogs to see color is a task that is nearly the utmost difficult thing to do. It is a sheer matter of fact that they even tend to pick their toys depending on their color but since their greens are more muted, their ability to discern colors isn’t the same as ours.

Not having much of their green cones, the positive of the fact can be that when there is a low light condition, dogs can see longer wavelengths of light which helps them in guarding.

Do Dogs Even Need Color Vision?

The vision of the dogs has the function of detecting movements and building a focus on it for survival. So this brings up the question if they really do need color vision after all. What are they going to know anyway by differentiating the prey in terms of its color too?

As we have seen in humans too, impairment of one sense, enhances the other. The same is with dogs. Their sense of smell is so powerful that it really supersedes the visual cues. They make use of this strength when they find or are offered food or treats while training.

The best way to preserve their vision is good healthcare. Feeding them with a healthy, balanced diet and providing them with the proper exercise is the best thing we can do for their wellbeing and vision. Of course there are some ways to support antioxidants that boost the retinal health but it mainly needs the recommendation by the vet.