Do Dogs Have Good Eyesight?

Do Dogs Have Good Eyesight?

Have you ever wondered whether dogs have good eyesight? There are some advantages and disadvantages when it comes to canine vision, compared to people. Holidays4Dogs looks into (sorry) this fascinating subject.

Dogs have certain advantages over people when it comes to eyesight. For example, they have much better peripheral vision than we do, because their eyes are situated on the side of their head. However, they don’t have such good depth of vision as humans do. Therefore, they can’t judge distance quite so well.

In addition, they don’t see rainbow colours like we do, but see yellows (browns), blues and greys. They do, however, have adaptations which make it much easier for them to see in low light conditions. This feature allows wild dogs to have the best possible opportunities to hunt animals during the night.

Canine eye structure.

They have large pupils that let in the maximum amount of light. The middle of the retina has many more light-sensitive cells, which work more efficiently in dim light. The lens in a dog’s eye is also located much nearer to the retina. This makes the image on the retina much brighter.

The biggest advantage for the dog in dim light is the ‘tapetum’. This is a structure in the eye which acts rather like a mirror. It is located at the back of the eye where it reflects light to the retina, thereby improving the dog’s night vision and enabling him to see in the dark.

The tapetum is the structure in the dog’s eye that causes them to glow in the dark – or in photographs taken with flash. Often resulting in some quite creepy-looking images!

In the eyes of humans and dogs, there are cells called cones, which catch light and respond to colours. Human beings have three different types of cones in the eye. Combined together, they provide a full range of colour vision.

Dogs, however, only have two types, which means their colour vision is far less intense. This does not mean to say dogs are completely colour blind, though.

Are dogs colour blind?

Scientists researching whether dogs are colour blind, discovered they don’t see rainbow colours like people do. Instead, the colours dogs see are much more subdued and lie within a narrower range. As a result, dogs only see yellow, (browns) blue and grey. Colours they find particularly difficult to see, are red and bright orange. In this sense, dogs are more colour blind to the latter hues.

In short, while people see a range of rainbow colours from violet, blue/green, green, yellow, orange and red, dogs only see dark blue, light blue, grey, and light and dark yellow.

Therefore, if you were to throw an orange ball onto green grass – this will look to the dog like yellow on yellow.  Gundog trainers often use orange dummies to make retrieves harder for the experienced dog, or to test the dog on ‘blind’ retrieves. A blue ball, however, would stand out well on green vegetation, so for dogs new to retrieving – this would help make it easier for the dog to see.

Can dogs see in the dark?

Photoreceptors in dog’s eyes, (rods), are far more sensitive to changes in light and movement than in people. Dogs have many more rods in their retinas than people do. This means they have better eyesight in dim light.

They are also much more able to detect movement – ideal for night time hunting. This doesn’t mean to say dog’s can see in the pitch black. However, in very dark conditions, they use their sense of smell to find their way around.

Are dogs near, or long sighted?

In terms of human vision, dogs would be considered to be near sighted. This means, if they were human, they would need glasses to see things farther away. This might explain why some dogs can appear anxious, or reactive, to objects in the distance. Because they can’t quite make out what it is. They are better at seeing moving objects though. This explains why dogs are very receptive to hand-signals.

How can I tell if my dog is having problems with their eyesight?

As in other animals, eyesight can diminish with age. Signs your dog may losing their sight, or developing an eye condition include; –

Bumping into objects.

Reluctant to walk.

Behaving clingy, aggressive, or fearful.

Final thoughts.

In general, dogs have very good eyesight, but don’t see things in the same way as people do. They have distinct advantages over human eyesight, but they also have drawbacks too.  If you are worried that your dog’s vision seems impaired – either during the day, or at night – do make an appointment with your vet to get your dog’s eyes checked over. This is particularly important if you notice any discharge, or redness, in the eyes.