Dogs and Colour Vision

[Tobi]

We are always told that dogs do not see as we do in the red end of the spectrum, and see reds only as shades of grey. But they see better colour at the blue end of the spectrum, however see green as a shade of violet.

That's what we are told.

But I do wonder about that.

When I had a dog some years ago, (in the 1980s) he had a favourite ball, which was orange-coloured and about the size of an orange.
My husband loved fruit, and one night had apples, oranges and a small grapefruit on the sofa beside him. Then he got up to briefly leave the room.

I was playing ball with my dog in the room, and tossed the ball and he couldn't find it after searching around.
He jumped onto the couch, and immediately went to the orange (fruit)....not the green apple, and not the small grapefruit -which were all the same size and shape as his ball.....but to the ORANGE one.

Curious.

Today I went out with bright pink lipstick on. I don't usually wear that. Just did today. The lipstick had exactly the same scent (almost nil) as the pale one I usually use. It was the same brand. Just a very bright colour.

Down the lane I met a neighbour's group of dogs, whom I know quite well, and they know me. One dog was staring at my face. I bent down to stroke him, and he came up to check my mouth, very interestedly.
I am pretty sure he saw the bright pink and wondered why.

So -do they discriminate at the red end of the spectrum? My feeling is....maybe they do after all.
Or those who don't think so would maybe say they are only seeing varying shades of grey....

[Catherine]

I think it is too easy to dismiss dogs as having lesser colour vision. Clearly they do see colours. They may see them differently, but if anything, their vision is probably better.

I don't think all humans see colours identically. I don't just mean colour blind vs. not colour blind. I know people for whom green is green and pink is pink. I distinguish and see as different colours green that has more yellow or instead has more blue. It is different if it has black or white added. To me they are very different colours.

I have violet curtains, with a slightly rosy undertone. My friend calls them pink. They are not pink!

It is the same with dogs. I think they see a lot of colour. Anyone who has lived with a dog would agree with that. I just don't know what they see compared to what we see.

Very clever of the dog to pick up an orange when he couldn't find his orange ball.

[Tobi]

Yes, I once found a very red dock leaf in a field. It was dying and had turned bright red. I wondered if Misty would be interested (I am always experimenting with dogs and colour vision!)
I held up a green dock leaf, and the bright red one. Misty obviously saw it from a short distance and came up to check it out. She went directly for the red one, ignoring the green one!

i.e. -the colour attracted her from 30ft or so.

Now was that because she saw a shade of grey as opposed to a violet shade??
Or is that because she saw bright red? Hard to prove.....

I suppose scientists have come to their conclusions about dogs and colour vision by analysing the structure of the light-sensitive retinas of dogs' eyes, and how they differ from humans'.

But all I can say is practical experiments "in the field" have made me wonder.....

And yes....humans all see colour differently. Many greenish-blues I see as predominantly 'blue', others I have known have seen as distinctly 'green'.

[Catherine]

I actually see colours a little differently with my left eye when compared to my right eye. One eye sees colours as a bit warmer, the other eyes sees the same colour as a bit bluer. It is a very subtle difference. Together I just see things as being the same. I guess the brain combines the information.
I am sure studying my eyes would show them as being the same. I figured it out by observing what I actually see.

I think we should pay attention to observations we have made with animals we know. I am sure Misty saw the leaf as red. I just don't know how red actually looked to misty.