The age-old belief that dogs see the world solely in black and white has been a staple in many conversations about our beloved four-legged companions. However, as science advances and we gain more insights into the canine world, this myth is being debunked.

Myth Busted: Dogs Do See Colors

Contrary to popular belief, dogs don't view the world in mere shades of black and white. A recent trend on TikTok offered a glimpse into how dogs might perceive their surroundings. The filter displayed a unique blend of blues, yellows, and the predicted black and white. The essence of this depiction aligns closely with scientific understanding.

Humans possess three types of color receptors or cones in our eyes, allowing us to perceive a broad spectrum of colors. Dogs, on the other hand, have two. While this means their color perception is limited compared to ours, it certainly isn't monochromatic.

Vision Clarity: A Blurry World

While the TikTok filter gave many an idea about the colors dogs might see, it might have slightly missed the mark on clarity. Dogs, in general, have 20/75 vision, which means their perception is somewhat nearsighted. This implies that the vibrant world you saw through the filter would likely appear a lot blurrier to your pet.

Night Vision: Where Dogs Excel

In the game of vision, while humans might have the edge in clarity and color variation, dogs undoubtedly reign supreme in low-light conditions. Their superiority in this aspect stems from a higher concentration of rods in their eyes. Furthermore, the presence of the 'tapetum lucidum' – a layer in their eyes – enhances their night vision by reflecting light back onto the retina, granting them an almost 'night-vision goggles' capability.

So, what does my dog see?

This is a comparison, using the popular Dog Vision TikTok filter, of Bark + Boarding’s retail store as seen by humans (top) vs. as seen by dogs (bottom), although in reality the dog’s version would likely be blurrier than this image.

Smell and Sight: A Unique Interplay

While discussing a dog's vision, it's impossible to overlook their unparalleled sense of smell. Interestingly, it's not just an isolated sense. A study published in the Journal of Neuroscience unveiled a fascinating connection between a dog's olfactory and visual processing centers. This suggests that when dogs 'see' their world, they might be experiencing a synesthetic blend of vision and scent. This multi-dimensional perception offers them a unique viewpoint that, as humans, we can only begin to fathom.

How Can I Use This Information?

Understanding how your dog sees the world can help you to provide more well-rounded enrichment opportunities. For example, if you’d like to exercise all of your dog’s senses during a game of fetch, you could alternate between throwing a blue or yellow ball, which your dog will be able to see clearly against the green grass, and throwing a green or red ball, which your pup will have to rely more heavily on their nose to find!

Make playtime extra enriching!

Throwing a blue or yellow ball will let your dog use their eyes to find the ball, while throwing a green or red ball will require your dog to sniff it out. Switching between colors can make your game even more interesting for your pup!

Our canine friends experience the world in a manner that's distinctively their own. While they might not enjoy the vibrancy of colors we do or the clarity of distant objects, they possess unique capabilities that make their perception incredibly rich and multifaceted. So, the next time you look into those puppy dog eyes, remember they're not just seeing but 'experiencing' the world in ways we can barely imagine.