If dogs are color blind, how do guide dogs know when to stop or go at a traffic light?

Answer 1

Guide dogs are not trained to read traffic lights or signs. Instead, they stop when an intersection is present. The blind person must listen to the flow of traffic. When it sounds like the traffic is going in the same direction they plan to go, they should be able to cross the street. The person will give the foward command. The dog will judge whether it is truly safe to start walking foward. If its not, the dog signals with its body that its not safe by blocking the way or just not going. This is called "intelligent disobedience."

Answer 2

Not quite color blind, but close. In any even, they know what to do at the light because they watch the pedestrian signal, not the light. The pedestrian signal (walk / don't walk) is a red hand (indicating stop) or an image of a green guy walking. The dogs are looking at the picture, not the color. In cases where there is no pedestrian signal, I have no idea how they know when to cross, other than just following the flow of traffic.

Answer 3

Researchers have concluded that dogs suffer from a type of colorblindness that in humans is called deuteranopia. Normal humans have three types of color receptors for red, green, and blue. Deuteranopes lack the green receptor, and thus (apparently) can't tell a lemon from a lime--or, for that matter, a red traffic light from a green one. One more reason to put your foot down next time the pooch says he wants to drive.


Really I have a hard time believing that all dogs are colorblind because not all humans are and also I have noticed that some dogs can tell the difference

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Answer 4

Just to emphasize what alison said and provide a resource for further reading:

The dogs [learn] to stop at curbs from the very beginning. This is one of the most critical guide dog skills, because the safety of the handler depends on absolute mastery of the concept. Once the dogs have learned to always stop at a curb, they must learn how to judge potential dangers before crossing the street.

Many training schools have simulated street intersections on their campus so they can expose the dogs to a number of traffic situations. The dogs learn how to handle themselves safely around cars, and develop the ability to spot all sorts of potential dangers. This is the part of the training that focuses on selective disobedience. To become a guide dog, each candidate must demonstrate absolute mastery of crosswalk navigation.

Answer 5

Traffic lights have more than just the color to mark the differences in signals (location, shape for crosswalk signals, etc). Some people are color blind, too, and this is also how they know when to stop or go.

Answer 6

I know that is retarded! Maybe they are'nt color blind! you know what, they be, but they can probably tell by the traffic. Dogs ARE smart. Not like my dog though, who is trying to catch a fly right now!Well, maybe they know to go when the light is on top ( if they are walking with a blind person ) and on green, STOP!
~*Alyssa*~

Answer 7

Just cause there color blind that dose not mean that they can't see color. There are different spectrum's of color. Cats are believed to see in the red and green spectrum of color, and dogs are believed to see in the red and orange spectrum of color. Even some humans suffer from color blindness. They just don't see shades of colors. For them there is only one shade of red, green, blue, and all of the other colors, and the spectrum's are just the colors that are most recognized in there sight.

Answer 8

Because they see the traffic going back and forth, or stopped. Also, they may recognize the location of the light (red on top, green on bottom.

Answer 9

Probably the position of the lights. Are they indeed color blind or are the colors they see just different from the colors we perceive?

Answer 10

It seems they don't watch site visitors light fixtures in any respect. handbook canines are educated to end in any respect intersections. they ought to take heed to the vendors, who may favor to exhibit appropriate or left, so the canines waits for a command. If the fellow says ahead, the canines starts up, except there is any site visitors coming. if so, the canines received't flow. What if the undemanding is pink? If there is no site visitors coming and the undemanding is pink the canines has no theory and merely is going. even as there's a operating site visitors container that clicks, the canines can hear the click of the replacing light fixtures and comprehend even as to flow. the recent beeping crossings are large. there is one sound for north-south and a distinct sound for east-west, so the handler is accepted with even as it truly is secure to flow.