Have you ever wondered what dogs see? Chances are you’ve heard the saying that dogs only see in black and white, but is this true?
How different really is a dogs eye to that of a human eyes? How differently do they perceive the world to you and me?
As humans we see things very clearly (well, most of us!) and are able to distinguish different colors with ease. Unfortunately, this is not the case for dogs.
What Colors Do Dogs See?
A dog does not view the world in black and white, but instead blue and yellow.
Due to having a dichromatic vision, dogs see colors such as red and green as a shade of grey, leaving them with the color spectrum of blue and yellow.
This is due to the fact that dogs only have two cones (color receptors) in their eyes, whereas humans typically have three. A simple way to put this is that dogs are in fact color blind.
Therefore, a dog is going to be more attracted to toys and objects that are blue and/or yellow as other colored toys will be perceived as grey toned. In saying this, my dog’s favorite toy is red, so I wouldn’t base your dog toy choosing habits purely on color, but it’s always good to keep this in mind.
It has been said that a dogs color vision is seen as similar to what we would see at dusk. Whereas your pup can see just as clearly at dusk and dawn as it can during the day.
While we may not be able to simply ask a dog what color they see, all this has been discovered due to studying the animal’s eyes. This is where scientists can count the number of cones as well as their placement in the retina, giving an idea of how strong each color appears in the eye.
The color spectrum humans can see The color spectrum dogs can see
Can Dogs See In The Dark?
While dogs may not have a wide array of colors like us humans do, they excel in other areas. Dogs have more rods in their eyes than humans, this means they can see much better in the dark (have you ever seen a dog’s eyes glow at night? This is why)
While we may trip over running through our backyard at night, your dog can see much better in low light and will be able to avoid obstacles far better than you.
At the end of the day, a dog is a natural predator, so their survival could depend on their ability to navigate through the darkness.
Dogs have approximately 5x better night vision than we do as humans. (although cats have 6x better night vision, so if your pets want to fight at night, the kitty might just sneak up on your dog and win)
Although dogs aren’t magical, and they can’t see in utter darkness. And similar to humans, their ability to see can deteriorate with age, so don’t expect your dog to always see perfectly at night, turning the light on when you let them out for a bathroom break isn’t a bad idea.
What would you prefer? Would you rather see the entire spectrum of colors, or would you rather be able to see effortlessly in the dark?
Visual Acuity
So we’ve discussed dogs’ color perception, but what about their actual vision? Once again humans come in first.
Dogs have 20/75 vision while humans have 20/20. To put this simply, dogs must be around 20 feet away from an object to be able to see it as clearly as a human who is 75 feet away from the same object.
If you have glasses, living life as a dog is like walking around without your glasses. They can see, but everything’s just a little blurry.
Focusing on objects in great detail is difficult, resulting in a slightly blurry world, but we guarantee you that’s not going to stop them running full speed after that tennis ball you just threw!
Your dog’s vision may not be that good when it comes to distance, but once paired with their sense of smell and hearing, you don’t have much to worry about, they’ve got this covered.
This means from across a field, your dog may not recognize you until you make a gesture they’re used too, or their great sense of smell kicks in.
Peripheral Vision
When looking straight ahead humans can see 180 degrees. Someone could be standing to the side of you and you may not see them, and you certainly can’t see behind you without turning your head. Is this the same for dogs? After all, they also only have two eyes in the front of their head.
Dogs have incredible peripheral vision. If your dog is looking straight ahead, they can see 240 degrees around them. This is due to dogs eyes being set more to the side of their heads than the placement of our eyes as humans.
This also acts as a great safety feature, as dogs can see something sneaking up on them much sooner than a human could.
Depth Perception
The wider field of vision dogs have comes at a cost, as it impairs their binocular vision, which is where the field of vision from each eye overlaps. Canines have an overlap of between 30-60°, while we humans have about 140°.
This means their depth perception is not as good as a human’s (and the big nose they have right in front of their eyes doesn’t help much either!)
![]()
What humans see ![]()
What dogs see
How about Labradors?
This question is in here because most guide dogs are Labradors, and they’re responsible for the vision of some blind people who choose to use a guide dog to help them navigate the world.
While Labradors are bred for their better eyesight and are the best choice for guide dogs, sight isn’t the most important part of this job.
Labradors are gentle, easy to train, loyal and incredibly friendly. This paired with a slightly better eyesight than most dogs is the perfect combination.
A seeing eye dog doesn’t need to have 20/20 human vision, as it has many other traits to accompany it (such as smell and sound and an extensive training program)
Does vision vary from breed to breed?
The word dog covers a wide category. This is anything from a Chihuahua to a Great Dane. These are wildly different sizes of dogs.
The simple answer is, not really. All breeds of dogs have similar perspectives of color and a heightened ability to see well at night.
The main difference that will come into play is the size of your dog’s snout, or the position of their eyes, but in the grand scheme of things, it doesn’t matter your dog’s breed. They still see the same colors as the dog down the road that barks every time a truck drives past.
What Do Dogs See On TV?
Have you ever been watching TV when a dog comes on screen and your pup starts barking at it? Is your dog watching TV too?
Yes. Dogs are able to perceive television in the same kind of way humans do. Dogs are able to distinguish animals that they’ve seen in real life as well as noises (such as a barking dog!) If your dog hates cats and sees a cat on TV it might just bark at it.
Remember how dogs mainly see in blues and yellows? You may notice your dog suddenly become more interested in what’s being shown on the TV when it’s a highly blue or yellow scene (such as the sky, and an open field)
Dogs tend to actually enjoy watching TV. Dogs like to watch things. Such as the kids walking past your house to school every morning or the postman delivering another parcel because you can’t stop online shopping. TV can be seen as a source of entertainment for dogs, just like it is for humans.
Vision Problems
At the end of the day, eyes are eyes, and no matter how good dogs night vision and peripheral vision is, they can still have problems, and even go blind.
There are signs to look out for that may suggest your dog is having vision problems, such as a cloudy appearance in their eyes. Or your once boisterous pup who used to jump all over your furniture is now unwilling to do so.
If you’ve noticed any unusual behavior or have any concerns your dog may not be seeing as well as they used to, a trip to the vet may be in order.
While they may not be able to prescribe your pup with glasses, they can help you with the best steps moving forward and if the care of your dog needs to be altered at all.
Final Thoughts
While dogs see differently to how we as humans see, this doesn’t affect their life. A dog has never seen the color red, so it doesn’t know what it’s missing.
Their ability to see well at night comes down to the fact that dogs are hunters. They can’t just walk into a grocery store and buy cereal to snack on. When not domesticated they need to survive off hunting, and good vision is going to greatly improve this.
The colors they see will make no difference in what they need to live. With a mix of night vision and a larger peripheral vision, dogs have pretty incredible eyes.
References
Feature image by Bill Stephan | Ball image by PublicDomainPictures
