The Eyes of a Doggy

Just as our eyes are best suited to daylight, a canine’s eyes are best suited to low light.  This allows dogs to hunt in a variety of situations.

Also, just as our retina has light receptors called rods and cones, so too do theirs.  Even though we see in full colour, it is a misconception that dogs only see in black and white or greyscale.  They do experience colour but not to the intensity humans do.
Canine vision is not at its best in bright light because they are unable to minimize the size of their pupil as far as us and their view tends to look a little more ‘grainy’… a bit like an old photograph.  Their retina allows them to quickly notice anything moving.   You may have noticed that a possum or cat nearby can avoid the gaze of your dog if the prey remains completely still.  He’s more likely to smell it first.  Anything moving, especially at a distance will attract his attention.  Dusk and dawn are when he sees best.

Spare a thought when your pooch has trouble locating a red toy on the green grass because like some of us there is some red/green colour blindness.  Also your dog does not see objects with sharp clarity if they are closer than 30cm from his face.

You can type ‘dogs vision vs human vision’ into your search bar and click on images to find examples of how your dog sees the world.

Leah & Angela OMeara

Hound Dog Day Care (Specialists in Dog Minding & Dog Boarding, Pet Sitting Brisbane & Doggy Day Care Brisbane)