Ready, set, yellow! color preference of Indian free-ranging dogs

Most of the research on color vision related behaviors in dogs has involved training the dogs to perform visual discrimination tasks. We investigated the importance of color to untrained Indian free-ranging dogs (FRDs). Using one-time multi-option choice tests for color preference in 134 adult dogs, we found the dogs to prefer yellow objects over blue or gray ones while there was no preference between blue and gray. We next pitted a yellow object against a gray object that had food. Here, the dogs ignored the food (biscuit or chicken) to approach the yellow object first indicating the color preference to be quite strong. Color preference has previously been investigated in many other animals and has implications for behaviors like mate choice and foraging. Our study provides a new perspective into the ecology of Indian FRDs and might have implications for companion dogs as well, if they too show this preference.

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Publication Details

Journal
Animal Cognition
Published
2025-02-04
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10071-024-01928-9
Primary Topic
Color perception and design
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

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article

Ready, set, yellow! color preference of Indian free-ranging dogs

J Abishek, Sandeep Kumar, Anindita Bhadra, Anamitra Roy et al.
Animal Cognition
Color perception and design
article

Ready, set, yellow! color preference of Indian free-ranging dogs

J Abishek, Sandeep Kumar, Anindita Bhadra, Anamitra Roy, S. Siddharth, Aayush Manchalwar, Indira Bulhan, Shouvanik Sengupta, Tushnim Chakravarty, Aesha Lahiri, Srijaya Nandi
article en

Abstract

Most of the research on color vision related behaviors in dogs has involved training the dogs to perform visual discrimination tasks. We investigated the importance of color to untrained Indian free-ranging dogs (FRDs). Using one-time multi-option choice tests for color preference in 134 adult dogs, we found the dogs to prefer yellow objects over blue or gray ones while there was no preference between blue and gray. We next pitted a yellow object against a gray object that had food. Here, the dogs ignored the food (biscuit or chicken) to approach the yellow object first indicating the color preference to be quite strong. Color preference has previously been investigated in many other animals and has implications for behaviors like mate choice and foraging. Our study provides a new perspective into the ecology of Indian FRDs and might have implications for companion dogs as well, if they too show this preference.

Animal CognitionVol. 28(1)
University of Calcutta (IN), Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata (IN), National Institute of Science Education and Research (IN), Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Pune (IN), National Institute of Biomedical Genomics (IN)
Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, India, Department of Science and Technology, Ministry of Science and Technology, India, University Grants Commission, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata
Openalex Percentile: Top 98%
Color perception and design
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