Are dogs color blind or can they see color...
 

I am hotter than a firecracker because I just got off the phone with a friend of mines who stated dogs are colorblind. She said that 1000's of test have been done and it has been proven. The reason I got P'd Off is because I ran into a ex-coworker that I hadn't seen in years. We talked for a minute but she kept getting distracted focusing towards a car (her car) that was several feet away. There was a dog in the car that would pop up and bark if anyone walked pass the car which is normal. I asked her why she kept looking out and she told me her dog gets crazy when a black person walks pass the car.:rolleyes: I found it humorous and never considered the fact that dogs are suppose to be colorblind. I would've asked her to explain that with no hesitation but I was floored.:confused: I pointed out that the dog barked at everyone that came pass the car. She said that he barked the loudest and jumped the seats when the black couple walked past.:mad: I am not trying to make this a racist topic or a debate, and I am unsure about the color blind theory. I think most dogs in cars bark as protecting their owners property. Kodak barks and growls at any male, female, beast or child that are 10 to 100feet away just claiming territory. Maybe it's just me, but I ended the conversation with you better go check on your dog. Maybe he thinks he's about to get Jacked, & I went in the store.

http://www.andrewlost.com/what_dogs_see.htm

http://www.petplace.com/dogs/can-dog...lor/page1.aspx

Check out these websites about what colors dogs can see.

Haha, the link with the dog color spectrum is kind of depressing. But I guess the dogs don't know any different. :D

:D Thanks for the links, it appears dogs can only distingush between shades of blue and gray? That is really something, but according to my Ex-coworker her dog knew the diffrence between a black and white person. I am going to send this link to my job email. I am going to give it to another coworker that still talks to the lady I ran into. I am going to make sure he passes this on to her as she should remember our conversation as to why I am passing it on to her. This will be my morning topic at the job on Tuesday morning.:D

Dogs aren't color blind as in they see black and white. They do see color, it is just disorted. My cocker loves red and orange toys. She will pick them out of a group of toys. Her favorite toy at the moment is a stuffed red bulldog.

Trixie, I understand what you are saying and I feel dogs have some sort of color variation. Dogs have a favorite toy no matter what the color, yours just happen to prefer orange and red. To me what my ex-coworker was saying seperated 2 races. If that was the case with her dog, he should be able to see the color of all races. There's no way in Sam's hill after reading those links provided this would be the case. If so, he should be able to see the diff of skin color on Indians, Hispanics, and Orientals etc. outside of black and white. Most dogs know people as people until they are taught something different, (like to taunt or attack).
Dogs can hear the diff of an accent or southern drawl in voices when humans speak. Then and only then can I see them shying away from someone for fear of voice, not for fear of color. I was a bit agitated that's all, because she clearly said, her dog doesn't like black people. The dog to me barked at anyone that walked pass the car. I have never seen a dog acting out in training classes and pet stores where there are a variety of races because they singled out one race. That means she can't even take her dog in a pet store without him losing it everytime another race is insight?:confused: I'm sorry I just can't see that. I can see a dog being a dog protecting his territory, but go figure?

I can see her point of dog seeing different races of people. A Japanese Spitz I used to own (he has passed on) does exactly that! My house was a fenced front yard (back in Malaysia) so whenever a Asian walk pass our house, he doesn't bark but whenever a person with darker skin tone walks pass, he barks crazy. He is protecting our property but those people are walking on the street and the same distance from our house but he only barks at certain people! :confused: :)

This is a little off topic but I once had a Bassett hound that loved EVERYONE. However, one day we were at the vets and this man walked in to pick up his own dog and Dixie went into one of those head down, low rumbling continuous growls. The fur on her back was standing up like I had never seen on a dog before. She didn't stop until the man left. The vet came out about that time and couldn't believe it ether. She even called her partner out to see it. It was just sooooo uncharacteristic in this particular dog. The man was dressed very nicely (expensive overcoat) and appeared to be of Eastern descent. He had no accent and I'd wager he was born in this country. The only thing about him that would have separated him from anyone else in the room was his nationality. (He was good lookin too.) lol
Dixie was never like that again and remained the dog who loved everyone until the day she died. Strange.

Dogs see colors just the same as you and I. Don't know why some folks would think, or even want to think, otherwise.

Birds probably are talking about humans saying, "I just can't believe how few colors they see." When it comes to animals, humans lose in the sense department. Dogs can't see colors with the same intensity as humans, but their noses more than make up for it.
Nancy

I was reading somewhere that it is an old wise tail that dogs can see colors the same as you and me.
This question was also on an IQ test and the answer was dogs can see colors the same as humans...

color
 

The dog eye DR..told me they see yellows very well..

What is the proof behind your statement after all the studies on this shows otherwise. I have been reading and asking opinions on this and not one study has shown they see past blues & greys.

Yes, I agree they have a keen sense of smell, and I can accept they don't see with the same intensity. The link says dogs have excellent peripheral, but they seem to ignore cars coming at them in the street until the car is right up on them blowing. Would they know the car was black or blue?:confused: I need to be convinced otherwise that they can tell the diffrence in a Human beings color. Once convinced, I'll leave it alone with her::rolleyes: I can even see where Lou said the bassett growled when a nice looking gentleman came into the vets office. Unforeign person, dog being protective & territorial and a stranger is present. The man probably had a scent the dog didn't like, or the man's deameanor etc.lol. Who knows, I would've used that as a way to strike up a conversation with a handsome hopefully unmarried man.;)

Great link, i have just looked at it, and according to that dogs cant see orange...i know that my dog can...i have a bright orange jacket...and if i put it on my dog attacks me...he hates orange...its floresent...

Also i had to call the police out one night as my next door neighbour was in hospital and somebody was tryin to get in the house...charlie, my boxer/akita went mad at the poilce...i told him to take his yellow jacket off...and he was fine..

how odd...it must have something to do with the glow of colour...

great link..thanx