Seeing the world through your dog's eyes

How a dog's eyes work

Depth

Like us, dogs use both eyes together, which lets them judge depth and distance. Their depth perception isn't quite as sharp as ours.

Colour

Dogs don't see in black and white. They see mainly in shades of blue and yellow, and find it hard to tell red from green.

Low light

Dogs see far better than us in dim light. Their eyes have more rod cells, the cells that work in low light, plus a reflective layer behind the retina that makes the most of any light there is.

Field of view

A dog's eyes sit further to the sides of the head than ours, so they see a wider area around them. That helps them spot movement from a distance.

Movement

Dogs are highly sensitive to motion, even slight movements. It's one reason they're so good at tracking.

How dogs see colour

A dog's colour range is made up mainly of blues and yellows. Reds and greens look like shades of yellowish grey to them, which is why a red ball on green grass can be surprisingly hard for them to spot.

That doesn't mean their world is dull. They make up for it with a keen eye for contrast and movement.

Seeing in the dark

Thanks to all those rod cells, dogs can find their way in dim light with ease. It's a trait inherited from their wild ancestors, who hunted at dawn and dusk.

What it means for behaviour

Chasing and fetching

Their sharp eye for movement is why a moving ball, or a squirrel, is so hard to resist.

Dawn and dusk

Many dogs are at their most alert early in the morning and in the evening, when their eyes have the edge.

Body language

Dogs read each other's body language and eye contact closely. Learning their visual cues helps us understand how they're feeling.

Your dog's colour vision may be limited, but their night vision, eye for movement and wide view make them brilliant companions. Next time you play fetch, remember they're seeing the world in their own special way.