How Do Dogs See Color

If you observe the world in the eyes of a dog you will see that it is colored in white and in different shades of grey

. You see, dogs were once believed to have no ability to distinguish colors. Dogs are acclaimed for their heightened senses. A dog's sensitive scenting and hearing abilities is what makes them outstanding guard dogs. Excellent vision is what makes sighthounds outstanding hunters. One of the advantages of dogs over humans is the ability to see well in the dark . Humans therefore can sleep soundly at night, unmindful of intruders as long as there is a dog is in the house.

With these ultrasensitive senses, it is surprising to note that dogs are believed incapable of seeing colors. Dogs can actually see colors but in a different way than what we humans can do. Canine vision was studied in the University of California and it was proven that although a dog's capability to see colors is not as detailed as human's, dogs can indeed see colors. Of course due to the less detailed vision, a dog may not be able to appreciate a bright red ball given that in the eyes of the dog the color of the ball would either be black or brownish gray.

It is said that the genetics of dogs and humans are similar. Dogs like humans have cone photoreceptors cells that catch the light and manage color perception. However, while humans have three cone photoreceptors, dogs only have two. The three cones in the central part of the human retina give humans 100% full range vision while the two cone types in a dog's eye deliver only about 20 % range of color vision. This makes a dog's vision about six times inferior than what we humans have.

The ROYGBIV colors of the rainbow will be seen by the dog as blue, light blue, grey, light yellow, brownish yellow and dark grey. The world, as seen by the dog will be in yellow, grey and blue colors. Surprisingly, dogs have the ability to see the subtle differences in the shades of blues and violets.

Humans cannot see the slight change in the shades of violet and blues because of the yellow pigmentation that obstructs short wavelengths and lessens the eyes' sensitivity. The absence of the yellow pigmentation in the dogs eyes enables our four legged friend's eyes to be more sensitive in identifying the different shades of violets and blues.

by: Jerry Welsh

POST COMMENT

Sacred Animals in Hindu Religion How To Train Your Puppy Safely And Effectively Best Lightweight Vacuum Cleaner For Pet Hair Distinctive Wholesale Halloween Costume For Dogs In 2010 Don't just control cat urine odor and stains...eleminate them for good with Odor Armor! Complete Dog Solutions Women And The Law In The Crucible, The Scarlet Letter, And To Kill A Mockingbird Important Guidelines For Cat 2010 Registration Aggressive Behavior In Dogs Abc Of Hot Dogs - Free Significant Article Maine Coon Cats 7 Unique And Weird Things You Never Knew How To Measure Your Dog For Shoes And Tips For Wearing Them Getting Expert Long Island Veterinarians For Your Pets