What Do Dogs See?

What Do Dogs See?

Do you want to know what a dog's vision is like? Well, a dog's vision is different to that of a human being. Their vision is more adapted to the dark and they have a much wider field. Also, dogs perceive fewer colors and have less visual acuity. A dog's vision is adapted to being a specialized predator. This OneHowTo.com explains what do dogs see.

Steps to follow:
1

Dogs have a greater ability to see in the dark compared to humans. This night vision makes them very effective at hunting at night so they can locate their prey easily and flee from their enemies quickly. A dog is able to see five times more detail in the dark than a human being can. However, they are not like cats, who have better developed night vision so that they can be very efficient as solitary hunters.

2

Dogs see far fewer colors than people. Their range of colors is reduced because this is not essential for their survival. Humans have three types of receptors to capture color and each one is specialized in the perception of the primary colors (red, yellow and blue). It is the combination of these colors which creates a complete chromatic scale.

However, dogs have dichromatic vision i.e. they have a two colors vision. A dog's eye has two visual receptors and, although they can't reproduce the whole chromatic range, they can distinguish blue from red or blue from green. However, they have trouble telling the difference between green and red.

3

If anything defines the vision of dogs, it is their three-dimensional view. They can calculate distances better, which makes them very effective and fast when hunting. This in-depth vision is achieved thanks to the front position of the eyes, which enables the visual fields to overlap. The dog's brain receives an image of objects from two different perspectives, and so can calculate distances more accurately.

Despite having such a three-dimensional view, dogs have difficulty seeing close objects, which iswhy they sniff or touch everything close to them, because these objects are actually blurred. They try to get a clear, sharp image of their environment by using their senses of smell and touch.

4

Dogs have a great sense of movement, which is another important aspect of dogs' vision. In fact, studies have shown that dogs can detect any moving being or object up to 800 meters away. Another difference between human vision and dogs' vision is that their peripheral vision is much better, because they can see many details at a glance.

5

It is important to look after your dog's eyesight properly as they may develop diseases such as conjunctivitis and even cataracts. In this OneHowTo article, we explain how to treat your dog's conjunctivitis naturally.

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