Your dog for dinner.
Your dog may be on the dinner menu if he doesn't possess adequate strains of natures camouflage. It's creations walking talking painting with a huge sign overhead for all to see who gets eaten, who you should stay away from, and who you cant even see coming; it's countershading.
Countershading is present in many animals throughout the animal kingdom. Sharks, chickens, squirrels, deer, worms and our beloved dog possess this quality. In a natural form the essence of countershading appears as a darker coloration on top of the body and a lighter coloration on the bottom of the body. When the sun shines on an animals body (of a solid color-ex. white) from above it makes the upper side lighter and the underside darker effectually giving away the position of that animal.
Countershading helps by reducing the ease of detection for predators and prey. It does this by off-setting the light coming down from above; making the shading of light blend in the colors of the animal with his surroundings and reducing the animals self shadow. An example of a countershaded dog would be a German Shepherd; being black on top and slowly fading to a brown and sometimes white belly. (Dark on top/Light on bottom) This breed is almost invisible while stalking in the woods during daylight.
We have over the last centuries produced dogs of favorable color and hair quality. This has given the show ring, shampoo companies, and dog fanciers much pleasure. However, with our hand in the quality of our dogs genetic mixes now more then ever.. it is important to remember that outside of their comfy house they are just another animal.
Always keep in mind that your smaller breeds unable to defend themselves, lacking countershaded color and smelling like cherry shampoo are prime meals for hawks, fox and coyotes. Be aware that up north food gets scarce in the winter months. Predators like the above mentioned develop extremely keen senses due to the deprivation of fresh game and will more quickly see and smell your beautiful havanese squatting alone out back.
Play it safe and go out with them/ let them out with a larger dog/ keep a sharp eye on them; much like you would if you were say, hungry for them. One of the first researchers and later publishers of countershading in the animal kingdom was an artist by the name of Abbott Handerson Thayer who later in his book would quote:
"Animals are painted by Nature darkest on those parts which tend to be most lighted by the sky's light, and vice versa. ... the fact that a vast majority of creatures of the whole animal kingdom wear this gradation, developed to an exquisitely minute degree, and are famous for being hard to see in their homes, speaks for itself."