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

The myth that dogs can only see in black and white has been debunked and proven false. While they don’t see the same way humans do, they also don’t see the world as if it were just a grayscale photograph. Many studies over the years have worked to prove this myth wrong. According to Doggone: Your Best Friend is Red-Green Colorblind, research suggests that “dogs’ eyes have two cones, the photoreceptor cells responsible for color vision. One cone type is sensitive to yellow and another to blue,” Siniscalchi said. What this means is that dogs are able to see both yellow and blue.

Another source worth mentioning is Dog Vision: What Colors Can Dogs See? In this article, they explain that because dogs have two cones, their brains can tell the difference between blue and yellow. So, what does this mean? It means dogs most likely see the world in mostly blues and yellows, since those colors stand out the most. | Yes, Dogs Can See Colors — But Only Some | Live Science Dog vision: What colors can dogs see? | Live Science

Answer 2

Dogs do not see the world only in black and white, which is a common myth that has been disproven. According to Pedigree, dogs only have 20% of the cones photoreceptor cells that humans have, meaning they see colors, just not as bright as humans do. This allows them to see colors in the blue and yellow spectrum, while reds and greens appear more muted or grayish. Their vision is also adapted to detecting movement and seeing well in low light conditions because of the structure of their eyes. While dogs do not experience the full range of colors humans do, they definitely see more than just black and white. 

https://www.pedigree.com/dog-care-articles/our-help-hub/training-resources/do-dogs-see-only-in-black-and-white#:~:text=Veterinarians%20used%20to%20believe%20that,it%20from%20the%20same%20distance.