Gone 10-12 hours a day and I have a dog and a cat. Can they tell the difference between 2 hours and 10 hours?

Question

Can dogs see in color or black and white?

Answer 1

Dogs can see in color, they just do not see with the same range of color that humans do.

I know my dog knows the difference in the time that I'm gone. He might not know how many hours have passed, but he knows the difference between me running out the store (he doesn't even get up when I come in) and when I've been gone for eight hours (he gets super excited and whines and runs around).

Answer 2

I dont think that dogs actually have a concept of time as we know it (why would they, since humans created it?), but they do seem to be able differentiate between shorter and longer times. I know that dogs usually sleep all day, but if the dog is really attached to you (like my three are) then they seem to wait for you, and will get more anxious the longer you are gone. If I am gone for a minute they are kind of excited, but when I come back after work- they are ecstatic. And it's not cause they have to go to the bathroom (they have free access to the backyard).
As for seeing in black and white, i dont think so. I know that i have a few balls, exactly the same, just different colors. They are darker colors like deeper reds, blues, and greens, and my dogs can tell the difference. I can ask my jack russell to bring me the red ball and he will. I did teach him what each color is called, but I think that he had the knowledge of them before hand. I know that they respond differently to colors- they might be like cattle where certain colors really stand out to them, like red. If a friend comes over and is wearing red or yellow the dogs will really freak out, but most other colors dont have the same reaction on the same people. I dont think that they can see colors in the same spectrum that we can, so i dont believe that they can differentiate between different shades of the same color. It's either a light or dark shade... no in betweens.

Answer 3

Well i never known a dog that can tell the time but my 2 get much more exited the longer i leave em so I'd say yes they know the difference between a short time and a long time but then i don't leave mine 4 longer that 3-4 hr's once or twice a wk.
Do u leave em everyday for that long coz they must b bored stiff and feel very lonely and unloved and busting 2 go 2 the loo.

As for seeing in b/w i haven't a clue but think they can see some colours

Answer 4

Animals have no sense of time. You could be gone for 5 minutes and to them it will feel like u have been gone for a long time. They say dogs can only see in black and white,but I wonder about that. If someone comes into my house and they are wearing all dark clothes,my dogs go crazy and keep barking and barking..and the reason they do this is because they cant really see the person...so I feel that a dogs sees things better and clearer when things (or people) are in white or brightly colored clothes.

Answer 5

They may not be able to tell time, but the more time that passes without you there, the worse they can become. Cats are usually fine, but dogs are pack animals and can become lonely, depressed, neurotic, destructive, etc. if left alone too often and for too long. So yes, there is a difference between 2 hours and 10 to a dog.

As far as how dogs see, check this out:
http://www.vetinfo.com/dogsee.html

Answer 6

Having had both, I can tell you, a dog definitely knows what time it is. Its time to tinkle, its time to go potty, its time to play, its time for your car to pull up in the driveway. I had a dog when I was a kid, who, even though my Dad had eratic hours, always, I do mean ALWAYS, knew when the old man was coming home, and she would go to the front door and sit and wait for him. She rarely forgot what his schedule was, and we knew when we saw her just up and head for the door, we better get busy, cause any minute Dad would come home. We'd run around grabbing our toys, bikes, whatever was out in the yard, cleaning up whatever mess we made and looking nice and innocent. Sheesh.....if you must be gone for extended periods of time, give your dog something to do. They have toys that you can fill with peanut butter and food and the like to keep them entertained. If you think a pet likes being caged up for hours and hours with no relief, you are mistaken, or even just left, you are wrong. But you can do things to alliviate the boredom and the situtation. A crate can help, but if you come home and the dog has "made", who is to blame? You! Make an area that the dog can entertain themself, with space up close to where you come through the door (they like to be there to see you). DO NOT PUT their potty paper or anything in this area, if they have to go, they will likely make a bigger mess stepping in it when they hear you coming or when you unlock the door. Leave varied toys each day to relieve the boredom. Think of how'd you'd like to sit there for 10 hours, and be guided accordingly. A cat is a little different, they can go potty in their littler box, but can they tell time? Well, some of my cats over the years seemed to. Could be conditioning, could be super sonic hearing (the sound of my car engine, etc) but just the same a little furry play mouse, some catnip in a closed container, etc could help in case the time stretches into eternity. Personally, with both animals, a little consideration can go a long ways to making them stay wonderful pets, by thinking things through a little. When I did real estate, my days could run anywhere from a quick trip to the office (back in a 1/2 hour) to 17 hours at a stretch. I made a point of running home in between appointments, or swinging by the house to let the dogs take a walk, or give the cat a fluff. It made me feel better and I know my animals appreciated not being forgotten. If it wasn't possible, I had a lovely neighbor who would stop in and spend a few minutes to give them a quick break. As to color vision? Well, just don't know about that.........Good luck with your little furry beasts!

Answer 7

Oh yeah... Does the dog stay in a cage, or does it have a yard or bathroom access? If you are going to leave it in the cage for extended periods of time, it shouldn't be on a regular basis, and if you have someone that could stop by and let it out in the middle of the day that would be good to. It also depends on the breed and size of the enclosure.

But ultimately if you are leaving the dog in the cage for 10 hours a day, maybe you should start considering finding it a home where it can get the attention and exercise it needs.

Answer 8

Do they understand what an hour is? No. Does 10 hours seem much longer than 2 hrs to them? Yes. They see in color, but not the range of colors we see.

Answer 9

I've been told by my vet that dogs really don't have any concept of time. They sleep most of the day whether you are there or not. However, if you have a high energy dog--you might find that he/she isn't quite content with napping excessively. Owners learn that when they return home to find some form of destructive behavior. Having said all of that, dogs may not have any concept of time, but I'll bet their bladders do!

Answer 10

first of all, none of us are dogs/cats, so we don't really know if they can tell the difference between 2 and 10 hours. I can tell you that dogs only see in black and white.