We’ve all wondered how the world looks through our dogs’ eyes. It’s true that a dog’s vision is different from that of a human, but there’s a balance. While dogs don’t see as well as we do in some conditions and situations, their vision is superior to ours in others.

In brief, dogs see very well at night, but they don’t perceive objects the way we do and see a more limited spectrum of colors. We’ll elaborate on these differences and try to help you picture the world as your dog sees and understands it.

Can Dogs See Colors?

Yes, but the spectrum of colors they can perceive is less vibrant than what humans see. Dogs have dichromatic vision, which means they only see blue and yellow hues. The full spectrum of what a dog sees ranges from a murky brown shade on one end of the spectrum to dark blue on the other.

By contrast, humans see a wide range of color variants, and they appear more vibrant to us than they would to a dog. What a human sees as red or green, a dog sees brown or gray. When we see purple, dogs only see blue, and so on.

This happens because humans have three retinal cones—photoreceptor cells that allow us to see colors—red, green, and blue. On the other hand, dogs have two varieties that allow them to see only blue and yellow. Because of this, it’s a good idea to buy your dog only yellow or blue balls and other toys because these are easier for them to spot.

Can Dogs See in the Dark?

Night vision is an area in which canine vision triumphs over human vision. In the previous section, we touched on how the retina contains cones, which are photoreceptor cells. There is another kind of retinal photoreceptor cell, and these are called rods.

While cones deal with color, rods are light-sensitive and allow you to see in low-lighting conditions. Dogs have more rod cells in their retinas than humans (who have more cone cells) do, meaning their night vision is superior to ours.

In addition, dogs have large pupils, which capture light better than small pupils, and a tapetum lucidum, a reflective layer in the back of the eye, just behind the retina. This layer behaves as a mirror of sorts that reflects light back and increases the chance that the retina will pick it up. Unlike dogs, humans don’t have a tapetum lucidum.

Dogs have adapted to see well in the dark because their wild ancestors would hunt mostly when lighting conditions were low. They’re crepuscular animals rather than nocturnal, meaning their most active hunting periods are at dusk and dawn.

All that said, dogs don’t adapt to changing light as well as humans do. Their eyes take longer to recover from the effects of entering bright light conditions, which causes the rods to stop functioning for a period of time.

Dogs & Motion Perception

As explained by the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI), dogs are better at detecting moving targets than they are at detecting stationary ones. They can see a moving object from a distance of 900 meters, whereas they can see stationary ones at 585 meters.

In addition, when dogs watch TV, they can see flickers up to 75 hertz. By contrast, if watching TV at a rate above 55 hertz, humans don’t see flickering.

However, a study published in 2017 found that dogs don’t detect coherent motion better than humans do. During the study, dogs were trained to touch a screen displaying coherent motion. The other screen showed dots moving in a non-coherent motion. The results showed that dogs have a threshold of 42% for detecting coherent movement, while humans have a threshold of 5%

Dogs & Depth Perception

Though dogs have a broad visual field, being able to see between 150 and 240 degrees without turning their heads, their depth perception (how well they perceive the size of 3D objects and their distance from you), is weaker than that of a human.

This is because dogs have poorer binocular overlap due to the position of the eyes. However, the ability to perceive depth can be determined by the breed, as different breeds have different eye positions and skull shapes. For example, a Bulldog’s depth perception is stronger than that of a whippet.

Dogs & Visual Acuity

The average human’s visual acuity (sharpness) is 20/20, meaning they can see objects at a distance of 20 feet, which is considered normal vision for humans. On the other hand, dogs have 20/75 vision, so they must be at a distance of 20 feet to perceive an object as a human would from a distance of 75 feet. In short, a dog’s vision isn’t as sharp as a human’s.

Dogs & Visual Perspective

Dogs are limited in their ability to see upwards because their height compared to that of a human means their vision is naturally angled toward the ground. Unfortunately for dogs with longer skulls, their snouts can get in the way of their downward vision, too. These dogs need to really lower their heads to get a good look at the ground.

Does a Dog’s Vision Get Worse as They Age?

It can. Older dogs are more likely to experience near-sightedness, meaning it gets harder for them to clearly see distant objects. This happens due to changes in the lens, like thickening and cloudiness. Some of the eye conditions responsible for poorer vision in older dogs include glaucoma (optic nerve damage), cataracts, and hypertension (high blood pressure).

Signs your senior dog may be experiencing poorer vision include (but are not limited to) the following. Please see a vet if you notice any of these signs.

Final Thoughts

In summary, dogs have strong night vision and a broader field of vision than humans, and they are better at spotting moving targets than still ones. However, their vision is blurry compared to that of a human, and doesn’t adapt as quickly to extreme lighting conditions. Dogs also perceive a limited spectrum of colors compared to what humans see.

If you are concerned about your dog’s vision in any way, please consult with your vet to make a plan for treatment and/or management.

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Featured Image Credit: Javier Brosch, Shutterstock