Can dogs see color? The truth behind your pet's eyesight.

The human brain and eyes process light into color, allowing us to take in various shades of the rainbow. Our furry friends, however, do not see quite like we do.  

When you're out for a stroll with your dog, you may notice the world's distinct colors: the bright green grass, light blue sky and blazing yellow sun. But what does that view look like from a dog's eyes?

It is widely believed dogs see in black and white, and for years, this idea was accepted as fact. Recent studies have shed doubt on that, however, offering a different view on what our furry friends can see.

Can dogs see color? 

The retina uses "cones," a specific type of photoreceptor, to differentiate color, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Human eyes have three types of cones: red-sensing, green-sensing and blue-sensing.  

Dogs, on the other hand, only have two types of cones in their eyes, allowing them to detect blue and yellow, VCA Animal Hospitals reports. A dog's limited color perception is classified as "dichromatic vision."

What colors can dogs see? 

Dogs do not have red-sensing cones, so their sight is similar to that of someone with red-green color blindness, according to research by Jay Neitz, a professor of ophthalmology and a color vision researcher at the University of Washington.

A human with red-green color blindness will mistake one color for another. For example, black may be perceived as shades of red, while bright green could be identified as yellow, Healthline reports. 

For dogs, this is similar. Most of their worldview is grayish-brown, according to the American Kennel Club. A red rubber ball may be brown through a dog's eyes. Your pup's favorite green dinosaur plush could appear yellowish to them.

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Do dogs see differently than humans?

Humans and dogs have other vision differences beyond seeing contrasting colors, VCA Animal Hospitals reports. 

Dogs are more near-sighted than humans. If you and your dog are looking at a tree from the same distance, it may appear blurrier to them. Dogs also have better peripheral vision, but their depth perception has a smaller range, according to VCA Animal Hospitals.

Dogs are also less sensitive to changes in brightness, so what you see as a distinct shade will be muted to your pup.

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