Last weekend, I watched the Western Regional Championships for the Purina Incredible Dog Challenge on TV. I love watching healthy dogs perform and their unabashed joy at flying through the air. During the “Big Air” segment of Dock Diving, the handler tosses a toy into a pool for their dog to retrieve. The dog that goes the farthest is the winner. While it was great to watch the interaction between the handlers and dogs, what really fascinated me was the toys. Handlers used all different colors of floatable toys including a pink one.
According to veterinary ophthalmologist, Noelle La Croix of the Veterinary Medical Center of Long Island, dogs do not possess the correct receptors in their retinas to see orange/red colors. They see hues of blue/violet and green/yellow. So using a red or orange colored toy is probably not the best choice.
Before buying a new toy for your pet, check out a unique app by Unwired Innovations called Pet Vision. Take a picture with your smart phone and then apply the app to see what your dog sees. The results are surprising. There is also a setting for cats.