Dogs Eye Sight?

Dogs see in color, but in a more limited range than humans. There is a very detailed description of the tests that scientists used to determine this in the source that I have listed. The experiment basically invovled using different colored lights projected onto white plastic cups, and training the dog to locate a different color by rewarding it with a treat. The dogs did very well with some colors, but not as well with others - particularly yellows and greens. They seem to see reds, violets, and blues a lot better than other colors.

Sight

Like most mammals, dogs are dichromats and have color vision equivalent to red-green color blindness in humans.[7][8]

Different breeds of dogs have different eye shapes and dimensions, and they also have different retina configurations.[9] Dogs with long noses have a "visual streak" which runs across the width of the retina and gives them a very wide field of excellent vision, while those with short noses have an "area centralis" — a central patch with up to three times the density of nerve endings as the visual streak — giving them detailed sight much more like a human's.

Some breeds, particularly the sighthounds, have a field of vision up to 270° (compared to 180° for humans), although broad-headed breeds with short noses have a much narrower field of vision, as low as 180°.[7][8]

- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog#Sight

Like most mammals, dogs are dichromats and have color vision equivalent to red-green color blindness in humans.[7][8]

Different breeds of dogs have different eye shapes and dimensions, and they also have different retina configurations.[9] Dogs with long noses have a "visual streak" which runs across the width of the retina and gives them a very wide field of excellent vision, while those with short noses have an "area centralis" — a central patch with up to three times the density of nerve endings as the visual streak — giving them detailed sight much more like a human's.

Some breeds, particularly the sighthounds, have a field of vision up to 270° (compared to 180° for humans), although broad-headed breeds with short noses have a much narrower field of vision, as low as 180°.[7][8]

I did a report on this. It was for humans I'm ASSUMING it applies for dogs as well. Basically the dog is lacking, a rod in the back of their eye which allows them to see color. There are three rods which allow you to see several colors. If one rod is broken you might see blues as greens, if another is broken you might see pinks as purple. Basically know one is really "color blind" they just can't see some colors. I heard that scientist don't even know for sure that dogs actually see the world in black and white.

I've heard that too, but I have no idea how to prove it...lol

Just found this on the internet....

Dogs do see colors, but not to the degree that humans can. Basically, they have dichromatic color vision - similar to that of a human with red-green color-blindness (see http://www.uwsp.edu/psych/dog/LA/DrP4.htm) - whereas 'normal' humans have a trichromatic system; consisting of three types of cones that allow us to see a range of colors that are a mix of red, blue, and green pigments. For a detailed discussion, see http://www.mcw.edu/cellbio/colorvision/colorvision...

Also, see http://www.puplife.com/dogcaretips/howdogsseecolor... for an example of testing color vision in dogs.

Hope this helps

Yes, dogs do see 'only in black and white' ... they don't have the 'rods and cones' that people have to see 'color' ... but their eyes are 'different' and they can see MORE than what a 'totally color blind person' could see ... and their 'good noses' make up for what they 'can't see' with their eyes ... and I read this in science books about 'eyesight' and about 'dogs' ...

Its true...as far as I know. They also dont see clearly- or AS clearly as humans. Their eyesight is kind of jumbled or...blurry by nature. They dont see like we do at all. They use their sense of smell more than sight.....okay...I just read some other answers and ...well....know-it-all people are annoying....Im sorry have more important things to do than sit around and dwel on these things. (This statement is not directed to YOU but these know-it-alls who dont work for a living and have nothing more constructive to do with their time.)

It is not true. I wondered for the longest time but recently saw a program on Discovery and they can see in color but cannot see the color red too well. It's understandable your daughter believed it though- almost everyone does.

That used to be the common thought, but now experts say dogs and cats do see some color - they have the rods in their eyes to see color.

Its not just black and white. Dogs and cats see basic colors like red, green, blue, purple, etc. They cannot tell the difference between lime green and forest green like we can however. Birds, on the other hand, see fluorescent, therfore birds have better vision.