A dogs inability to see colours beyond black and white is in fact purely a fallacy. It is a longstanding myth that dogs are colourblind and whereas to some extent this is true, this is not the full picture. Dogs might not see all the colours of the rainbow the way we do, but neither are they limited to black, white and grey. The colours they are able to focus on tend to be shades of violet, blue and yellow. Dogs find difficulty seeing other more vibrant colours like oranges, greens and reds.

Both dogs eyes and our eyes contain something called rods and cones. These are two kinds of photoreceptors in the retina. Our retinas contain a much higher number of cones while dogs retinas have a greater number of rods. The fovea, which is responsible for enhancing and sharpening vision in human eyes, is not present in dogs eyes, resulting in less detailed vision.

These differences are responsible for giving dogs better vision at night and enabling them to track movement better, but as a result they are not able to see as many colours as we can. Objects and shapes don't appear in as great detail.

Determining what colours dogs are able to see has been a subject of scientific experiment for over 100 years. During the late 18th Century, tests were performed to determine this but only proved that being unable to see colours did not have a vital impact in the life of a dog.

It was another 90 years before further tests were carried out to determine whether dogs are colourblind or not. In 1989 the three researchers Neitz, Geist and Jacobs carried out a number of tests on domestic dogs and were able to determine the following. 1 Dogs have two kinds of colour receptors in their eyes and so are dichromatic. 2 In dog's colour receptors, one peaks for the blue to violet range and the other for the yellow to green range. In 1993 and 1995 further research was carried out that again supported these findings.

Dogs in fact suffer from a form of green colour blindness similar to human red-green colour blindness. This particular illness is more commonly referred to as deuteranopia.

Though we talk about dogs being 'colourblind', it does not mean that they cannot see any kind of colour at all. Rather it proposes they are not able to see the same range of colours as we can. Though dogs are capable of seeing a variety of colours, they also suffer from a type of colourblindness as well.

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Cats and dogs are very different in the way they show a human affection. A dog is a lot more loyal than a cat. Many people treat their dog the same as they would treat a child.

Tip 1 " A good way to make sure you dont lose your dog is to place an ID tag on its collar. By doing this, if your dog did get lost they can be found and returned easily.

Tip 2 " Different countries have different laws regarding registering your dog. You will be required to register your dog in most countries. The general practice is to insert a microchip into the shoulder blade of the dog. By doing this, the dog is then registered so if lost will be returned.

Tip 3 " When walking your dog it is always best to keep them on the lead until you get to the park or open space. Some dogs are also classed as dangerous and may need a muzzle.

Tip 4 " If you tend to leave your dog outside for long periods of time, then it is a good idea to make sure that your garden has adequate shelter to protect the dog from the cold and rain.

Tip 5 - You should make sure that you arrange for your dog to be checked over regularly by your vet. This way if anything unusual is noted they will be able to treat it much more quickly and which could save you on your vet bills in the future.

Tip 6 " Unless you are intending to use your dog as stud, then it is quite important that you have them spayed or neutered. Most dogs tend to live longer and healthier after this simple surgery.

Tip 7 " Eating healthy is very important to your dog, so you must get it right. Most people will feed their dog dry dog food this is perfectly fine as it has all the nutritional ingredients needed. Other options include fresh meals - this is great if you have the time. It is always a good idea to speak to your vet about what is best for your dog.

Tip 8 " Your dog will start to respect you a lot more if you were to take them to dog obedience classes. Dogs really enjoy these classes as they will learn a lot about how to behave in and outside of your home. You will also learn a lot about how to look after your dog and after time a mutual respect will build.

Tip 9 " You should always allow time for your dog; take them for walks around once or twice a day. Dogs love open space so a trip to the park is ideal.

Tip 10 " Dogs, like humans need cleaning, so it is a good idea to clean their coat and maybe their teeth. If you are unsure on how to do any of this you can ask your vet or take your dog to a dog grooming centre.

Above we have given you 10 top ways to keep your dog in shape. If you follow the guidelines you and your dog will soon be on your way to a great partnership.

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