dogs see the world from a different visual perspective. The differences begin with the structure of the eye. We have a good idea of what dogs see and how they see it because we know the composition of a dog’s eye retina. The retina is the light-sensitive part of the eye. This structure is located in the back of the inner part of the eyeball. The retina contains two types of photosensitive cells; Cones and rods. The cones provide color perception and detailed view, while the rods detect movement and vision in low light conditions.
Dogs have rod-dominated retinas that allow them to see well in the dark. Along with superior night vision, dogs have better movement visibility than humans. However, because their retinas only contain about one-tenth the concentration of cones (which humans have), dogs don’t see colors the way humans do.
Dogs see like a colorblind human. Many people think that a red / green color blind person cannot see any color, but there are variations of color blindness. Most people have trichromatic vision (variations of three colors). Red / green color blind people are dichromatic (two color variations). The retinas of dogs can distinguish two colors. These colors are blue-purple and yellow. Dogs can also distinguish between shades of gray. Dogs are unable to recognize green, yellow, orange and red.
Dogs use other cues (such as smell, texture, brightness, and location) rather than relying solely on color. Sight dogs, for example, cannot distinguish between a green or red light; they look at the brightness and position of the light. This, along with the flow and noise of the traffic, tells the dog that it is the right time to cross the street.
How a dog’s eyes are set determines the field of view and depth perception. Prey species tend to have eyes located on the sides of the head. This gives the animals a greater field of vision and allows them to see approaching predators. Predatory species, such as humans and dogs, have close eyes. Human eyes are directly forward while dog eyes, depending on the breed, are usually set at a 20 degree angle. This angle increases the field of vision and thus increases the dog’s peripheral vision.
The increase in peripheral vision compromises the amount of binocular vision. Binocular vision occurs when the field of view of each eye overlaps. Binocular vision is required for depth perception. Wider eyes in dogs have less overlap and less binocular vision (hence less depth perception). Dogs’ depth perception is best when they look straight ahead. This is not an ideal situation because their nose often interferes. Predators need binocular vision as a survival tool. Binocular vision helps with jumping, jumping, catching and many other activities essential for predators.
In addition to having lower binocular vision than humans, dogs also have lower visual acuity. Humans with perfect eyesight are said to have 20/20 eyesight. This means that we can distinguish letters or objects at a distance of 6 meters. Dogs typically have 20/75 vision. This means they must be within 20 feet of an object to see it as well as a human being 75 feet away. Some breeds have better visual acuity. Labradors, commonly used as vision dogs, are bred to have better eyesight and can have vision closer to 20/20.
If you are silently on the other side of the field from your dog, don’t expect him (her) to recognize you. It will recognize you when you do some kind of particular movement. He (she) can also recognize your presence from his exceptional sense of smell and / or hearing. Due to the large number of rods in the retina, dogs see moving objects much better than stationary ones. Movement sensitivity was noted as the critical aspect of canine vision. Much of the dog’s behavior has to do with posture and appropriateness. Small changes in your body posture mean a lot to your dog. Dog owners must modify training based on this fact. If you want the dog to perform an action on the basis of a silent signal, we suggest using a large movement of the hand and arm to give the signal to the dog.
When dogs go blind, owners often wonder if the dog’s quality of life has diminished to the point where they are no longer happy. Humans take good care of being blind, and humans are much more dependent on their eyes than dogs are. Blind dogs lead happy lives as long as they are comfortable. The owner may have to make some changes in the pet’s environment. Some of these adjustments include shielding the yard, taking walks on a leash, and not leaving unusual objects in normal dog paths. Obviously, most blind dogs cannot navigate stairs very well. When blind dogs are in their normal environment, most people don’t know they are blind.
