Dogs are the best.  They are an integral part of our family and they love us unconditionally.  When we interact with dogs, it raises our serotonin level and actually makes us happier.  Since we care so much for our dogs, it’s helpful to know what and how well they see in order to make their lives better and more fun.

You may have heard that dogs can’t see color.  This is only partially true.  Dogs do see some color.  They have what is called dichromatic vision.  This means that they can really only see two colors.  Those colors are violet blue and yellow.  Everything else they see as shades of grey.  So essentially, they perceive color in a very similar fashion to humans that are red-green color blind.  Dogs are also typically nearsighted- which means that they have trouble seeing things in the distance, but some breeds can be farsighted which means they have trouble seeing up close.  Some dogs such as Labradors have been bred for their vision which is as close to humans as possible. The good news is, although dogs have some limitations to their vision, they actually have a wider field of view than humans, and they also have better motion detection.

The anatomy of a dog’s eye is different to that of a human eye.  While dogs do have rods and cones, they have many more rods than cones.  More rods mean that they can see things better when they are in motion and that they can see better in dim light than a human can.  Fewer cones mean that they will not see color or detail quite as well.  The good news is that dogs use their other senses such as smell and hearing to judge noise and motion and help them navigate their world.

Another advantage dogs have is the fact that their eyes are set at a 20 degree angle (depending on their breed) which gives them amazing peripheral vision.  However, because their eyes are set so far apart, their binocular vision is not great and sometimes their nose can get in the way causing decreased depth perception.  A dog’s ability to judge distance is best when looking straight ahead.  This explains why some dogs are better at catching than others.  So, if you want to have more fun playing with your dog, make sure they are looking straight ahead at you before you throw the ball or frisbee.

In fact, in order to provide the best visual stimulation for your dog and to help them see more clearly, choose dog friendly colors such as blue and yellow.  These are the colors they see best, so they are drawn to toys and objects in these colors. 

As your dog ages, his vision will naturally deteriorate and he may have trouble seeing as well as he once did.  It may not be as obvious at home because the dog is used to his surroundings and therefore more able to adapt.  Some signs that your dog is not seeing as well are as follows: bumping into things or trouble navigating unfamiliar environments, and not reacting to movement outside while on walks such as squirrels running past.

Now that you have a better understanding of your dog’s eyesight, you can take these factors into account and provide better and more stimulating activities for him or her, and you will be better able to care for your dog in his older years. Since they contribute so much to our lives, we all want our dogs to have the best life possible.