Are you ever curious about what exactly your furry best friend is seeing when they look at the world around them? Do dogs see in colour? Well, let’s dive into the science of a dog’s vision and find out!
Eye Structure
First things first, dogs and humans see the world differently because of the structure of their eyes. Just like us, dogs have two types of cells in their eyes called cones and rods. Cones are responsible for color vision, and rods are responsible for sensing light. But, here’s where it gets interesting – dogs have a higher number of rods in their eyes than cones. This means that they are able to see really well in low light conditions, but their color vision isn’t as sharp as ours.
So, do dogs see colours?
Yes, they can! But, the colors they can see are limited. Studies have shown that dogs can see shades of blue and yellow but have a hard time distinguishing between red and green. This means that to a dog, a red ball and a green ball might look pretty similar.
Field of Vision
But, just because their color vision isn’t as advanced as ours, doesn’t mean they can’t navigate the world around them. In fact, they have a wider field of view than us. A dog’s visual field is around 240 degrees, while ours is only 180 degrees. This allows them to see more of their surroundings at once. And, their eyes also have a reflective layer called the tapetum lucidum, which helps them see even better in low light.
So, there you have it! Your furry friend may not see the world in the same way as you, but they’re still able to enjoy it just as much. Now you know, next time you’re playing fetch with your pup, they might be seeing a whole different game than you are! (And if you want to see some more animal fun, check out the best 25 movies that feature dogs!)
Disclaimer: We act as affiliates for trusted merchants and we may earn referral commissions resulting from purchases of products or services recommended on this website. You can read more about it here.