Owners who want to better understand their canine companions must recognize that dogs see the world from a different visual perspective. The difference starts with the structure of the eye. We have a good idea of what dogs see because we know the composition of the retina in a dog’s eye.
The retina is the light sensitive part of the eye. This structure is located at the back of the eyeball. In the retina, there are two types of light-sensitive cells; rods and cones. Cones provide color perception and precise vision, while rods provide movement and vision in dim light. Dogs have a rod-dominated retina that allows them to see well in the dark. Along with excellent night vision, dogs have better movement visibility than humans. However, because their retinas contain only about one-tenth the concentration of cones (that humans have), dogs do not see colors like humans.
Large Pupils = More Light
They’re called puppy dog eyes for a reason — these deep, expressive eyes have large pupils, which means more light enters the eye. More light entering the eye means better night vision, making it much easier for dogs to distinguish shapes in the dark than humans.
Humans can see more colors than dogs because we have 3 types of cones1 (about six million in total) in the retina. Dogs, on the other hand, only have two, and while they don’t see just black and white, they are limited to a few shades of blue, yellow, and gray. But what they lack in rainbow spotting, they make up for in night vision.
Can dogs see in the dark?
So let’s cut to the chase – yes dogs can see in the dark. Dogs’ night vision is incredibly impressive, but only applies to low-light situations.
Dogs cannot see well in pitch black.
Do dogs have night vision?
It depends on how you define night. You’ll never find your pug prancing around the jet-black house at three in the morning. like he was wearing tiny night glasses. Dogs can’t see better in the dark than we can.
So can dogs see in the dark or not? In semi-darkness, as in the dim light of dawn and dusk, sure. They really have us to beat. Dogs are much better able to spot shapes and movements, even at a distance, in semi-darkness than people.
- Katy Nelson, DVM, Chief Veterinarian at Chewy
- Science Daily: “How well can dogs see at night?”
- Sleep Foundation: “How many hours a day do dogs sleep?”
Do dogs have better night vision than humans?
Although dogs cannot see in pitch black darkness, they can see much better than us in low light. But when it is very dark inside your house or outside (when there is no moonlight, street light or light pollution from other city lights), your dog becomes almost as blind as you! It’s helpful to turn on a night light when you’re indoors or use a flashlight when you’re walking outdoors when it’s backwards, so your canine friend can see better – and do a better job of guiding you!