Dogs See in Color—But Not the Way You Think
Let’s bust a myth once and for all: dogs are not colorblind in the way most people think. While it’s true they don’t see the full rainbow of colors like humans do, their vision is far from black and white. In fact, understanding how your dog sees the world can help you design a better environment—and pick toys and accessories that actually stand out to them.
What the Science Says:
Humans have three types of color receptors in their eyes (trichromatic vision), allowing us to see red, green, and blue wavelengths. Dogs only have two (dichromatic vision), meaning they primarily perceive blue and yellow hues.
According to a study led by Jay Neitz, PhD, at the University of Washington, dogs likely see the world in a palette of:
Blues
Yellows
Grays or browns (what we see as reds, greens, or pinks)
This means:
That bright red ball? It may just look dull brown to your dog.
Blue and yellow toys offer better contrast and visibility—especially outdoors.
Additional Vision Facts:
Dogs have more rods than cones, meaning they see better in low light and have great motion detection.
Their vision is more sensitive to movement than detail, which is why they may respond more to a moving squirrel than a still object.
They can’t perceive the fine detail we do, but they can track motion from much farther away—up to 800–900 meters.
Practical Takeaway:
Next time you're shopping for dog toys, bowls, or leashes, choose items that fall into the blue-yellow color spectrum. And if you’re designing pet products or branding for dogs, don’t just think about what looks good to humans—think about what makes sense for dogs, too.
