Through the Lens of a Dog

8/24/2022

We all know dogs' eyes are different from humans, but what do they actually see? A dog’s weakest sense is their vision; unlike their sense of smell, eyesight is not their strong suit.

Dogs have dichromatic vision, meaning they can see violet-blue, yellow, and shades of gray. Humans on the other hand have trichromatic vision, which gives us the ability to see all the colors that we can. The world that people who are protanopia color-blind see is often compared to the world that dogs see, since their range and quality of color is similar.

It’s important to remember your dog’s vision is likely very different from yours. Because of these differences in vision, some dogs have trouble with depth perception on certain stairs and they may not be able to tell where that cliff is on your vacation. If you are in new surroundings, make sure to keep them on a leash until you are able to scope out potential dangers. And don’t ever forget, a chipmunk is much better at scampering down a cliff than your pooch is, so if they start a chase, it could end in disaster (even if they do see the cliff).

While dogs see the world in fewer hues than humans, our furry friends are not fully colorblind and rely on their superior senses, such as hearing and smell. Their world is just as beautiful as ours.