I don't see how this proves that the dogs prefer one color over the other,
or for that matter that they do or don't see colors.
Maybe they identified one because it was different, not necessarily because
of the color. I wish they said what colors they gave the dog to choose from.
Peggy
Link: Can color affect your
dogs moods and behavior?
Color therapy, also called chromotherapy, is using color to impact moods,
emotions, and even health. But can color affect your dog?
The first step in answering that question is to know what colors dogs see.
Dogs do see colors, but the colors they see arent as vivid or as many as we
see. Most experts agree that while they cant see reds and greens, dogs do
see most other colors including blacks, whites, grays, yellows and blues.
That means a toy that looks red or green to you doesnt look the same to
your dog, it probably looks dark gray.
How do we know dogs see colors? The dogs eye and the human eye have
special light catching cells called cones. But since your dog has fewer
cones than you, his color vision wont be as intense as yours.
In a study at the University of California Santa Barbara, dogs were shown
three light panels in a row. Two of the panels were the same color while the
third was different. If the dog could identify the one that was different
and press that panel, he was rewarded with a treat.
Using this method, the study suggested that dogs see the world in mostly
yellows, blues and grays. They see green, yellow and orange as a shade of
yellow. Violet and blue both appear blue.
To see if color impacts your dogs moods and behavior, try your own
experiments. Red, orange and yellow are stimulating to humans but blue and
violet are calming. Toss your dog two toys one yellow and one blue and see
if the yellow toy inspires a more energetic playtime. Or the next time your dog
gets anxious from a thunderstorm or noisy fireworks, try exposing him to
soothing colors. (Of course, any serious anxiety issues should be discussed
with your veterinarian.)
