Dog Tips

Does a dog have night vision?

admin • 30 May 2023

Many myths circulate around about the vision of dogs, after all, are dogs able to see in the dark or not? First, it is important to understand how animal vision works. Despite having this sense similar to ours, dogs do not have very good vision. They don't see very well from afar, for example, and they are able to see colors, despite what many people think. But what about seeing in the dark? Let's unravel this mystery.

For this, we need to minimally understand how vision is formed, and from there, we begin to understand how dogs see. Dogs' eyes have different ways of capturing colors and light than ours. This makes them look inferior to ours in some respects. Felines, for example, see less than humans during the day, but at night their vision captures light in a way that leaves our vision far behind. That's because cats' eyes are better at capturing light, while ours are better at color. In dogs, something similar happens. Seeing less clearly during the day is not a problem for four-legged friends. On the contrary, they have a much more acute sense of smell and hearing than humans, so they easily compensate for this difficulty in vision.

Do dogs see in black and white?

This is yet another myth that runs around. After all, are dogs able to see and discern colors? The answer is a yes, they see colors, but with some caveats. Our human eye has three color receptors, this means that we can distinguish the three primary colors and their combinations. Therefore, the color chart that our eyes can differ from is immense. 

The same is not true of dogs. They only have two receivers and that makes them not see some specific shades. In this way, their brain automatically replaces unrecognized variations with shades of gray. So this story that dogs only see in black and white is a legend. Even though they can't see like we do, they are able to see and distinguish colors, even with limitations. Speaking of limitation, there is yet another detail about canine vision: they don't see well from afar. Does this mean my dog ​​is nearsighted? That's about it… The way images are formed on your retinas is different from the way we see the world. 

A person can see just fine from meters away, provided they don't have any visual impairments or wear corrective glasses. But a dog sees well only at a very short distance. And no, they don't need to wear glasses to see farther objects better. This is something natural for them and this difference is compensated by other more acute senses, such as smell and hearing. Does this mean my dog ​​is nearsighted? That's about it… The way images are formed on your retinas is different from the way we see the world. 

A person can see just fine from meters away, provided they don't have any visual impairments or wear corrective glasses. But a dog sees well only at a very short distance. And no, they don't need to wear glasses to see farther objects better. This is something natural for them and this difference is compensated by other more acute senses, such as smell and hearing. Does this mean my dog ​​is nearsighted? That's about it… The way images are formed on your retinas is different from the way we see the world. 

A person can see just fine from meters away, provided they don't have any visual impairments or wear corrective glasses. But a dog sees well only at a very short distance. And no, they don't need to wear glasses to see farther objects better. This is something natural for them and this difference is compensated by other more acute senses, such as smell and hearing.

How does dog night vision work?

Dogs see colors and don't see distant objects as clearly. However, they possess a skill that would be enviable for humans. It's like night vision. This is due to the fact that the animal has more light receptors, so its vision captures more information in less well-lit environments, such as dim light, for example. It doesn't mean they can see everything in complete darkness. Even if they have more luminosity receptors, it still needs some minimal luminosity for him to capture and see something. 

This way he sees better in half-light contexts and low-light environments, but he is not able to see anything in completely dark environments, just like us. What differentiates, in this case, are the more refined senses of orientation, location, and scent, as well as excellent hearing for picking up noise from wind, people, and other animals. This makes dogs move better in the dark, and better able to discern directions and follow clues.

Make sure your dog sees well for life

Our dear four-legged friends unfortunately have a shorter life span than ours. While the average life expectancy of a person can reach 80 or 90 years, among dogs and cats the age range can reach a maximum of 16 or 17 years, with some exceptions, of course. 

This makes dogs reach adulthood much earlier and consequently, their old age is also early. Vision and eye health problems among elderly animals are very common, so it's important to pay attention to some signs that dogs show when they have impaired or sick vision. Some problems can be avoided or reduced. Therefore, even if old age is something inevitable and certain, it is worth taking care of it. so that our friends reach their full age with the highest quality of life possible. So pay attention to the main signs of eye diseases that affect the vision of dogs and cats:

• Difficulty dodging objects: If your dog bumps into things that he could get around before, this could be an indication that his eyes aren't working so well. It's worth a trip to the vet so that he can refer you to an ophthalmologist for dogs or other alternatives.

• Change in eye color: You've probably seen an elderly dog ​​with white eyes or altered natural color. This also indicates problems with the pet's vision.

• Intense secretion in the eyes: Dogs can also be affected by conjunctivitis and other eye irritations. Therefore, if your animal produces a lot of dreams and secretion in the eyes, be aware and look for an expert.

Vision problems directly influence the quality of life of animals, so it is important to seek medical care when noticing something different from the ordinary. With all this valuable information you can take much better care of those who take care of you and bring joy and lightness to your life: your dog. And now you understand more about how his vision works and you can even better understand his behavior in some situations.