Dogs' vision is significantly different from that of humans. They can distinguish a limited number of colors and see stationary objects as blurred, but they are better oriented in the dark and have good distance vision, reports the German publication Main-Post.
Among pet owners, there is a common myth that dogs are unable to distinguish colors and see the world exclusively in black and white shades. However, as German veterinarian Stephanie Schmidt states, this opinion is not entirely accurate. Dogs are more likely to recognize contrasts than colors, but their vision is not completely black and white.
“The ability to distinguish colors in humans and animals is provided by cones in the retina of the eye. Humans have trichromatic vision, which means there are three types of cones that allow them to see red, green, and blue colors. Dogs, on the other hand, have dichromatic vision, as they have only two types of cones, which allows them to perceive yellow and blue colors. Red and green are perceived by dogs as yellow,” the publication quotes the expert.
Due to their limited color perception, dogs compensate for this with increased sensitivity to the brightness of visual signals. This ability helps them see better in twilight and nighttime conditions.
According to Stephanie Schmidt, the rods in the retina are responsible for vision in low-light conditions. Dogs have more rods than humans, which makes their vision more adapted for nighttime. Additionally, dogs' eyes can “reflect light” thanks to a layer known as the tapetum (Tapetum Lucidum), which is located in the choroid of the eye. This reflection of light increases brightness and improves vision in the dark. Also, dogs' pupils dilate more in the dark than those of humans, allowing them to gather more light and see better in low-light conditions.
As for the field of vision, dogs with long snouts can reach up to 250 degrees. This is 70 degrees more than humans and 50 degrees more than cats, as noted by the expert.
She also added that dogs' eyes are primarily adapted for perceiving distant moving objects. Therefore, dogs are generally farsighted (up to +4 diopters), have more difficulty distinguishing static objects, which they see as more blurred, but can perceive up to 80 frames per second (while humans see 50–60), allowing them to catch even the smallest details in the air.
Leave a comment